Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-09-19
CHAPTER .XXXIV.
rNDER A CRIMSON SKY.

At 3 o'clock the diggers began to &C
home. Nothing had been found, and the
excitement Of search which had animal
ed them early in the day had given
place to a dull resentment mainly di-
rected toward the knollys, if one could
Judge Of these mems feelings by the
heavy scowls and significant gestures
with which they passed its broken
down gateway.
BY 6 the last man had filed by, leav-
ing Mr. Gryce free for the work which
lay before him.
had retired long before this to my
room, where l awaited the hour set by
Lucetta with feverish impatience
quite new TO me. AS none of us could
eat the supper table had not been laid,
and though had no means of knowing
what was i'll store for us the somber ST.
lence and oppression under which the
whole house lay seemed a portent that
was by no means encouraging.
Suddenly heard knock at my door.
Rising hastily, l opened it. Loreen
stood before me, with parted lips and
terror III all her looks
Come" she cried. Come and see
what | have found in Lucetta's room. -
AS she was already half way down
the hall fastened to follow her. and in
few moments found myself on the
threshold Of the room / knew to be Lu-
cetta 5.
She made me promise, cried Lo-
reen, hating to look back at me, that
| would let her 60 alone and that
would not enter the highway till an
hour after she had left. But after this
how can we stay in this house," And
dragging me to a table, she showed me
lying on its top a folded paper and two
letters The folded paper was Lucetta s
will and the letters We're directed sever
ally to Loreen and to myself with the
injunction on them that they were not
to be read till she had been gone six
hours
"Seriousr l murmured, but Mr.
Gryce is with her. -
No one is with her. Mr.. Gryce may
BE- near, hut she has undertaken her
task alone. Miss Butterworth, l have
never broken a promise before i'll all my
lite, but ! am going to break this.
Come, let rs fly to her. She has her
lovers memory, but have nothing in
all the world but her. "
Immediately turned and we hasten
I'd down the stairs, but at the foot Lo-
-ppu Oava mo q look and said.
My promise was not to enter the
highway Would you be afraid to fol-
ow me by another road-secret road .
IL oyergrown with thistles and black
Jerry bushes which have not been trim
ned up for years.
! thought of my thin shoes, my neat
ilk dress, but only to forget them the
eXt moment.
Il will go anywhere, said l. But
Where, where has Lucetta gone? Is II
o Deacon Spears? If so''-
But Loreen was already too far in ad-
ance Of me to answer. She was young.
he was 1.-THE and was down as far as
be kitchen before l had passed the
over parlor. But when we had spec
lear Of the house l found that my prog
as babe fair to be as rapid as hers,
y her agitation was hindrance to her,
lille excitement always brings out my
OVERS and heightens both my wits and
" Judgment.
Our way lay past the stables, from
inch | expected every minute TO see
$50 or three dogs jump. But WlIIlalh'
n1 had been discreetly sent out OF the
ny early III the afternoon by the t"t'
stgrS had taken Saracen with HIM,
ld possibly the rest, so our passing by
-turbed nothing, not even ourselves.
bee next moment we We're in field OF
Irkers, through which we both strug-
ed till we came into sort OF swamp. ,
his was bad going, but we founderea
rough it, edging continually as 1
aid not but see toward distant fence :
v.ud which rose the symmetrical
lts IF an orchard
loren. " | cried, ''Loreen, those
e Mr. Trohm's grounds! Must we pass
rough them:' u
It's the shortest way" she shouted
OK, for among the hummocks OF the
amp she had got the start OF me
ain
And. unpleasant as felt this intrusion
be, | hastened ON, overtaklng her
ce more Just as we reached tiny !,
teway so covered with vines that :
re was no need for Loreen TO say:
4 do not believe this has been open
for years. but it must be opened