Year: 1868

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"Jane," said DR.. Bloxam to the cook,
as we entered, +" go to- Smithson at once,
and tell him he must come up Immediate
ly, and he had better bring one of the
other constables with him." @i54


"And now, boys, tell me all about this
sad business" -,t.s
We told him the whole story, Just as
everything had happened. He was very
calm, allowing us to recount all the cir
cumstances quite in our own way. He
only interrupted sus occasionally to ask a
question two.@-Much- sooner than I
could have thought it possible Smithson
arrived, and we, had to tell all our story
over again in his presence. He did not
speak word until we had finished; and
then he proposed that we should go up
stairs with him while, he inspected the
room. He went to the window at once,
and looked out into the moonlight night.
elf she jumped out of this window in
her fright she'll be found down there" he
said, pointing with his finger down the
descent. Couldn't have stopped herself
Scarcely think she could have done any
thing so desperate. If she went that way"
still pointing downward, as he peered
into the gloom caused by the mists of the
river, upon which the moon was shining,
"she was mad when she did it, and she'll
be dead now. Jim," he said to his sub
ordinate, (" get a lantern and see if you
can find anything down there"


Jim went and fetched a lantern, and
presently appeared beneath the window.
We watched him as he searched about
with his light close to the ground. He.
did not succeed in making any discovery
which ba1pad VIC ott a11 in o,1, in
vestigation. / think it was Thornton,
who now whispered that he thought he
saw something white a little way down
the face of the broken ground. We all
thought we could see something, as soon
as it was pointed out. Jim was thereupon
told to go cautiously to the edge of the
descent, and try if he could make anything
out of this object. He crept forward
little way, and then, stretching out his
lantern in advance, its light, fell upon a
servants white cap. Thornton gave my
hand grip of silent agony, and poor
Borlase sobbed aloud. aaa1


"Here, Jane" the doctor whispered,
"take these boys to bed in another room.
Smithson," he continued, "you had better
come down at once, and we will go round
and examine the path by the river side


Smithson and the doctor descended the
stairs; and we, poor lads, went to bed. /
cannot describe that awful night, I shud-
der even now, as I recall it. 1t was hope
less misery We had but the frames and
hearts Of young boys to bear up under an
amount of terror which would have been
almost too much for a young man to en-
dure We all undressed in silence, and
crept into bed. ifLf


"Oh, isn't it dreadful" cried Borlase,
sitting up in his bed to listen, thinking he
heard some sound but all was quiet.


"Don't cry so, Borlase," said, ready to
sob outright myself: "we didn't mean it,
you know" After awhile we fell off into
a wearied, disturbed sleep. sf z.4


When | awoke the next morning from
my troubled slumber l found that Thorn
ton, already dressed, was just leaving the
room. Borlase was still fast asleep, with
his arm lying outside the coverlet, but the
nervous twitching of his fingers seemed
to show that he was disquieted with pain
full dreams. Twas sitting up, trying to
collect my thoughts, when Thornton burst
into the room, shouting out, Hurrah
Mary is found, and she's all right"


"Stop that, Thornton" said I, "and
don't be such fool"


Borlase had sprung up, and looking wild
ly about him, he said, ooh, Thornton, you
needn't, but what did you say? I
didn't hear" he added, in an excited, i'm
ploring tone.


"Why. old fellow, I said that Mary is
all right. I've just seen her in the kitchen,
as fresh as lark. She said to me, as
as soon as she saw me, We'll, Master
Thornton, you won't carry on such game
as this again in hurry, I'll be bound p


Borlase turned round and hid his face
in his pillow; and when I went to him af-
ter few minutes, and told him he had
better get up, his pillow was wet with
tears 'p5rf


In order to account, for Eary's reap
pearance safe and sound, it is necessary
to remind the reader that when we
brought home the skull Jack had lent us,
Thornton concealed the bag in which it
was contained under his bed. Mary found
it there, as a matter of course, the next
morning We might have known this, if
we had given the matter thought, for it
was very unlikely it would escape her
quick eye She wondered, when first she
with it. She scented mischief in mo-
ment but what particular kind of mis-
chief we had on hand she could not
imagine She had no doubt, however,
that she should be able to find it out, if she
kept her eyes open. And so it happened
that while Thornton and Borlase were up
stairs dressing their phantom, Mary was
perfectly aware of their doings, and &C
tually enjoyed private view of their
handiwork, when we had all come down
into the hall after everything had been
made ready. Her own counterplot was
planned. With a semblance of the most
perfect Inconsistencies she answered our
bell and when, at Thornton's request, she
went up stairs to fetch the book he had
named, from under his pillow, she uttered
the loud scream which had alarmed us so
terribly and then, running to the window,
she threw it up. Her object in doing this
was to render her temporary disappear
ance more unaccountable, as she had al
ready arranged in her own mind way OF
escaping our notice. One of the panes
of glass was broken as she threw up the
window, but this was an accident At
the same time her cap fell of, and swirl
of wind carried it beyond her reach. She
concealed herself Immediately behind the
door; and when we had rushed into the
room, and passed at once into the adioin-
ing chamber, she quietly came out of her
retreat, and slipped down the stairs, leav-
ing the house by the door which opened
into the play ground On she walked by
the garden walk into the lane, intending
| to run down to her mothers house, which
was not far distant, and remain there for
half an hour, until she thought we had
been well frightened by her mysterious
disappearance. .geg a.s