The Washington herald., 1906-10-30
CHAPTER XV-COntinued.

nit cruelty for asking him the question,
and / have never dared ASK anybody else. 3"
DO you mean 10 say asked Crossing
ham. feeling somehow his aesh begin TO
creep. do you mean TO say you don't
know yoUrSelf2'
Desires lips trenbled pItifU!ly Please
don't speak 10 me like that. I can't help
II. my lord There has never been any
body 10 tell me things.
What. not your mOther?'
She is pever here. Or almost never. and
have always been too ashamed 10 speak
TO her Il seemed 50 foolish. too II I
an dressed like boy. ! must be a boy.
mustn't H.
Cressingham felt q burning Indignation
surge over him against the monstrous
creatures who had parented this sweet
soft-hearted child He had hated them
All before. with The exception. perhaps.
Or madame. but he now regarded them
with feelings Of utter loathng ard abom-
iRation Before. they had seemed devil
ishiy inhuman. now they appeared TO b N
entirely hendlsh He iutenly watched the
girl. who had Tor a moment forgotten his
presence in a sudden. deep. rapi contem-
plalian
~aIy poor Desire" ne said. you still
doubt -
She nodded. watching hun breathlessly
Go he said. go quietly 10 your
mother tell her that you know She
vili make you understand
But if am really g ooy?" she cried.
paiins suddenly. and the man revered her
Tor the chaste and delicate thought that
prompted her words
Come here. Desire" he said softly
The girl went shyly toward him and
-ler face dyed slowly when she met his
eyes. He put his hands upon her shout
ders and slowly bent his face 10 hers
She started, back her cheeks afiame
What would you do7" she gasped
This" he answered. and with reVerent
sentences he kissed her softly on the lips
lcOr Ililc girl,' he muttered There was
no treachery TO Franciue in his act II
was Hs though he had CureSsed q child
SIC was touched 10 the heart with pity.
as every good man is at any Childs dis.
ireSs
She gave low. quick sigh, then as he
released her. hid her face in her hands
Oh. ! feel SO strange. 50 lonely. 50 mis-
cradle" she painted
depend upnn H. you are a girl. De.
sire he said gently
j think am. she muttered. IF
am. shall never forgive them for not
ceiling me-neveT. never
They have treated you vtIeIy." said
Cresstngham. they deserve at your
hands nothing bat hatred and aversion "
II am really girl, ] shall do what
yOu-an, what am s1ying7-
Speak on. Desire. for what you say IS
right You viii 90 what ! have asked
yOu?"
I'LL cannot tell You would be
kind 10 me. my lnrd2"
Always, dear; you shall be my little
sister"
And never sv.s., e., 49,, i;l-. 49,. .s.,
little while ago?"
Never. dear; thought you a boy
yhen'
Then I shall go now to my mother.
Tor ] sFoUld be able to see her now
Go then, dear; YOU need not accom-
pany me 10 the cavern. shall md my
way"
'Good-nisHt. my lord
Goodnight. Desire.
My lord?''
YES. dear"
Do people often kiss each other in
Englandg"
Friends do. and relatives or sweet
hearts. dear. Why
because 3 have never been kissed be-
fore"
You poor little gIrI," said Cressiugham
lie wandered through the cold and
rinny darkness Of the tunnel deep In
plans for the future. tie resolved that il
lie ever escaped he would really prove a
brother 10 Desire.
soon he reached the cavern, where for
a while he forgot everything iu making
q hearty meal That finished. he fastened
one end Of the bail Of tWine 90 q pillar
and lamp in hand strolled down tho pas
age ny which he had entered tho cavern
gntn he reached the cross-cut There ar
L.-
md commenced the ascent Of q slopiug
and exceedingly damp and dismal sta r.
case hewn out OF the mountains solid
matrix. He was often puzzled By cross
Fsays, cavern chambers and the branch
iaCs Of the path, but ar such times ne
closely examined the floor and always
chose the road which seemed most trod-
dcn.
He judged he had trav1rsed SEQ yards
of steps and sloping passages when nc
came al last 20 q level cutting from
which three separate roads divided. Here
hs had 5ut little difficulty, for the ground
was dfy and worn only IN one direction
He now proceeded with the utmost eau
u0n, for his cord vas near expended and
nc guessed that he must be within the
confines Of the castle. He opened the /
lanterns slide and prepared at an in I
ctant's notice to "dOuse the glim'
The cord gave out entirely at the end /
OF nifty feet, but the path, as tar as he 4
could see, showed no sign OF branch I
ing, so he tied the cord 60 q stone and /
laid il on the ground. another fifty feet /
showed him q blank wall through which 4
here issued q faint medley OF sounds.
Blowing out the lamp, he was surprised /
70 find the darkness less dense than he had
expected, for at the height of man !
shoulders from the ground two tiny eye
holes appeared in the wall through which
shone 4 subdued glow something like the
light OF a tre-1y He approached these /
eye-holes. and. peering through. discov-
cred that he stood behind the wall Of a
large. oid-fashioned chamber very near
'he ceiling, the floor of which was quite
sixteen feet beneath his feet. He looked
out Immediately upon a brass rallied, mar
row gallery that ran all round the apart
Inent, whose outer walls were hidden be-
hind huge oak boOksnelves which CON
tained many thousands of volumes The
railing Of this gallery was hung with cur
tains, through one narrow slit of which
Cressingham could catch a glimpse of the
opposite side Of the gallery, q patch of
photographed floor and one corner of a
table far below. The hum Of voices /
reached him. but dim and undistinguish-
able.
Very cautiously he felt with his fingers
over and about the eyc-holes for some
spring or latch which might enable him 90
lind door. His search was soon reward
I'd His fingers encountered a small cir
ruiar disc cf metal which yielded 20 his
pressure. and with noiseless ease "a por-
ion OF the bookcase opened inward on the
tunnel Instantly the voices grew louder.
and he became aware that an excited dis
putation was in progres in the chamber.