Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-01-18
CHAPTER XXI.

uVNt uuTk VOOk suiVVkh
the park to llcaton Place. and drew them
up upon the gravelc,l sweep before the
wide. arched door Of the silent old house.
Mora. isn't 1t strange" whispered
Celia. In u little fiutter Of delight aud ex.
element. But I'm 80 glad Lord kes-
ton Is really living here at last! Mr.. Fos-
ter will be so glad. won't he? See. there's
Miss Giffar,l in the hall. What Il bear
tiful place 1t isl
The servant who had opened the outer
door to them had thrown open door on
the right hand side Of the hall; and now
Celia and Nora and Mark followed Miss
0iffard and Mr.. and Mrs. Pennington in
TO the room to which 1t led.
II think lunch Is ready for u.s." said
Mark. In his cool aud leisurely way. but
| | want you to spare us a few minutes
first, II you will. We have little .story
to tell Nora here. and | know she Will
like You to he present. too"
lie had drawn up u couch for Mrs. PEN
nington and Miss Giffard. but Nora had
walked up to the wide. low window. aud
stood looking out thoughtfully; renieni-
bering well that this was the scene Of
that little wnter-colOr sketch In Rachael
Corr's cabin. and recalling that one day
when Mark himself had told her the sad
legend Of this house. Was he going to
tell this story again to-day! No, for
Mark only said:
I'VE think that In this room VIC can tell
you the end Of the story better than In
any other spot. Nora, do you remember
| II, or do you wish me to tell you any
part again!"
"Oh, 1 remember quite. quite WE'LL" she
said.
This was Arthur's room." Mark said.
81 will call him Arthur still. because, rs
you know. the title never reached him.
When l first came here Il was paying II
| visit to my uncle them. this room was
filed with his machinery, and chemicals,
and a hundred specimens Of his odd
tastes and pursuits. and l investigated
everything: for such work and such ex-
perinients had zest for me, too. At last
one day made an unexpected discovery.
I need not tell you now. Nora. That will
| do another time. found that that one
frcsco--just above your head. Mrs. Pen
nington-titted into the wall with a
spring. and. when taken away. disclosed
| a narrow, secret staircase. Some day,
Nora, you will climb It. I can tell you
what ! found. just as well ns IL you had
seen the little turret room to which it
leads"
AS Mark spoke. sitting opposite Nora
| at the window. he rarely addressed any
| one except herself: but the vicar and his
wife sat listening quietly. and did not
seem to wonder why the story should be
told to Nora.
That turret room opens To the battle
ments by trap door. which cannot he
| stirred from without. hut which can be
opened from within with very little dim.
| Guilty. In this dim little room I found
one or two things which--gralually, l
think, not all ut Once-excited a strange
sIspicisn In my mind. First, I found
| what seemed to me the remnants Of an
old balloon: but presently I discovered
that the whole balloon was there. only
cut into pieces. Then found portions OF
II mans dress. an empty bottle. dry crusts
Of bread. and torn pieces OF paper. For
hours, Morn. ] have sat In the gloom of
that secret chamber, trying to bring my
vague surmises into shape. I seemed to
see SO much. and yet, when I brought
| what I saw fully into the light, Il dwiu.
died into so little, for want OF the key
| TO all. Going back again and again to
| that story OF Arthnr's escape. I grew to
feel quite sure that he had. by means of
| this little balloon which he had him.
| self constructed, returned to the Place.
| and taken refuge In this unknown room,
from which. one day long nfterward, he
may safely have escaped In disguise. Can
you follow me, Nora!"
"Yes."
| Though l seemed to see that no plain.
ly. there were still, as | say. great gaps
where ! could find nothing; aud I was
obliged to wait. only watching earnestly,
lest the slightest clew should escape me.
But while ! waited. I searched well for
any trace Of Arthur himself: and Miss
Giffard must remember well how. some.
times. ] wcaricd her with questions"
Eyes. l remember" Miss GifYard said.
But she answered Marks smile with one
which was even grateful. as well us tran.
quill and content.
but she never helped me In the slight.
est" Mark went on: ''she was too loyal
to her old friend, and too faithful to her
| promise. At last, Nora, came that day,
when l was summoned 80 suddenly
will not recall that" he added, hurriedly,
when he saw how the color left even her
lips rs that evening was brought before
her once again. AFTER that the title
was mine, and the power to net. You un-
derstand, sweet. But then began my
search for you, and the other search was
almost forgotten almost, not quite, for |
had put machinery into motion which
worked on while my own misery
Nora, We will pass that time by, aud !
will ask you II you remember telling me
one day-that first day you were allowed
to walk to the little church. and when |
met you there--how Miss Giffard had
given you your medicine In her sleep,
Yes, ! see how clearly you remember it,"
he added, following her grateful, loving
glance across at Miss Giffari. mora,
those words 0f yours seemed somehow to
put into my hand the key which | 80 long
had wanted, | went at once to Miss
Kate. and told her what ! fancied. | had
no fear of her resenting my words or dis
crcditing yours, and she listened kindly,
as knew she would, whatever pain they
cost her"
"She. too" added Mark. after a little
pause, while his warm. clear glance rest
al on Miss Giffards face, had never
believed in Arthur's guilt. only Il had all
been 81 strange to her, so utterly mex
picuble."
''But--hut she did not give the poison,
even IN her sleep"
This was NOra's whispered cry, as she