Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-10-26
CHAPTER XIV.

undoubtedly in the same house with me,
| exposed to heaven knows what suferings
| and prosecutions; and yet. for any hope
Of seeing or succoring her. ! might as
| well have been hundreds of miles away.
| AT last, unable 10 lie there any logger,
! rose and dressed myself \ FIRE vas
/ still smoldering in the huge CRATE and
| night light was burning upon the table.
/ The nurse, 10y her hard. regular breath
! ing, seemed TO be in a deep sleep. ard |
moved about cautiously. Her face was
| turned to the open side of the sofa. |
4 crept behind it and inserted my trem-
| bling hand beneath the pillow. feeling
/ further and further until my fingers
! touched a hard substance--it was the
ward key. Little by little ! drew it
away--she still sleeping profoundly
! fitted it noselcssly in the lock, turned it,
| and the next moment found myself in
| large, dark hall, at the foot of an i'm
mensely wide staircase.
| closed the door softly behind me.
| A long window, that stretched upwards
| from the first landing, admitted suiti-
| cient light to guide me. and, with
noiseless step. | crept up the stairs. 1T
the top of the first fight was a long
| corridor, on each side OF which, as far
| as | could see, for the further end was
/ lost in obscurity, was a line of doors.
| Now came my difficulty; the slightest
| error would not only defeat my present
object. but consign me to a stricter sur
veilleace than ever. and perhaps bring
about Clara's removal TO some spot to
which | could obtain no clue. Suppose,
! by chance. that l should so TO Judith's
chamber door? | shuddered at the
thought.
| stood for some moments at the head
of the corridor, irresoute what 10 do,
listening eagerly for the slightest sound
that might guide me. But the silence
was deathlike. Down the corridor
moved noisclessly Through the crew
ices of the third door came faint stre3ks
Of light and faint muffled sounds. either
means or n low. monotonous singing
the walls and doors were so thick, that
it was difficult to distinguish which.
| listened more eagerly. until ! fan
ried | could distinguish Claras voice.
| paused for a moment, and then. with
my heart beating in my throat, tapped
| gently. Breathlessiy | waited for sew
eral seconds. No answer Then | tap
ped second time a little louder. \
sound of moving, and then 4 soft, trem-
ulous voice, that thrilled my very SOUL
asked family, "Who is there?"
could doubt no longer. The key
was in the lock outside | tried turn
ed it--opened the door-met her whom
l sought-heard low cry of astonish-
ment, and my darling was in my arms
At that moment | fancied that heard
sound like the click of a lock in the
corridor | suddenly turned, disengaged
myself frem her arms, and looked out.
All seemed precisely as l had left it
no light, no object, no sound: it must
have been fancy. | gently drew the
key from the outside, and, reversing it,
locked the door from within. We were
alone-no one could surprise now.
To her eager questions how had l dis
covered her. | scarcely knew what to
answer: for the first excitement of our
meeting over, | repented that l had ever
sought it. Could | have freed her from
her enemies then, and then only. would
it have been justifable? As it was
was feeding my own hopeless passion,
and engaging more and more closely the
affections of a supplemented girl, be-
Meath the very roof that sheltered the
implacable woman who claimed as her
husband Oh. all this was weak, Grim
iually weak; and / felt it 50. and yet
had not the courage 10 end it honestly.
After a while l asked her what hap
pened upon the fatal night that we lost
her-how she came to be separated from
us
She told me that a rush of people had
suddenly impelled her forward, and that
b. the time she could turn her head to
look round, she found that she had been
carried out of sight of Mrs Wilson.
At that moment young man, evident
" the same who had delivered Montgom-
ery's message to lie. touched her upon
the shoulder, and said that I was wait
ing for her in a cab little way down
the street.
He was hurryinG me along all the
time he was speaking" she went on;
land l was too bewildered by my situa-
ton to offer the slightest resistance.
There was a long line of cabs and car
riages: tho one he pointed out as Ours
was the last of all. and stood up an un-
frequented side street. He opened the
door and pushed me in; at the same
moment q strange man jumped in past
me, the 4 or was slammed, the windows
raised and the horses were off at full
speed, before l could recover my breath. :"
From her description, l discovered
that this man who accompanied her
was Montgomery.
Il am such a poor. nerveless cre2-
ture-so utterly destitute OF all pres
ence of mind-that l could only crouch
in a corner and sob with terror"
After a drive, which seemed to her
excited fancy to endure for hours. they
stopped before a tall iron gate. which.
after time, was opened from within.
They drove over lonf,. winding walk.
at the end of which was large. gloomy
looking house. efore which the vehicle
stopped. Then, assisted by Montgomery.
she was suffered to alight. 4 female
servant conducted her to the apartment
in vhich l found her.
"She was very kind to me-" Clara
went or. "and assured me over and over
again that no harm would be done to
me-that l was among friends. and
whatever I liked to ask for ] should
have, but that she could not permit NE to
leave that room. But no eatreaty could
wiring from her who her employer was.
have been here now nearly fortnight
everything | have expressed a wish for
has been given me. and | was growing
quite recoacile1 TO my position. for |
can be content in any place where | am
treated kindly; but this evening. just as
/ was watching the great red sun sink
behind TIE trees, ! heard my door open,
and upon looking round | saw"
She hurled her face In her hands.
, seemingly unable TO proceed. l knew
! perfectly we'll whom she had seen. al