Year: 1878




ures of each.


Soon after this, Dora being consld-
cred weary after her railway journey,
was conducted to her bed. chamber by
her cousin, who again embraced her In
a mute, clinging fashion, hoped she
would rest well, and left her.


Not one word had been said about
her betrothal to the young man In the
parlor. Her claims had been wholly
ignored. Her cousin was likely not
only TO rob her of her inheritance, but
Of her husband also.


The young girl retired to bed with a
feeling of desolation at her heart which
may be easily imagined, and fell asleep
weeping bitterly for the old, happy In
dian life, when she was the idol of her
father and the darling of her ayah.


She awoke-or rather, she struggled
back to consciousness - with these
words running through her mind-"the
result being mysterious death, which
no one could account Tor.


1t was a disagreeable remark to occur
to one in the middle of the night, and
it reused her to preternatural wake
fulness.


She began to ponder over the events
of the last evening, when suddenly
something struck her ear which sent all
the blood tingling to her heart.


1t was like the trailing of a long
muslin robe over the thick carpet which
covered the floor, and the cautious
rustling of paper; the one sound fol-
lowing the other with the slow and
regular monotony of machine.


The night was at its darkest and the
head of the bed was in an alcove, so
that view of the room could not be
seen but Dora OWNED, with chok-
ing of the breath, the meaning Of the
strange sounds.


Penelope Arlingford was In the
room!


Before she retired, Dora had read
chapter from large Bible which lay
on her table.


She perfectly recollected placing 1t
in the end Of the sofa near the window
when she had finished reading it.


She felt that her rival was on her
knees before that book, impregnating
the leaves Alith the volatile poison"
which Walter Cray had spoken Of, and
that as she finished each leaf, and turned
it slowly over, her long muslin sleeve
swept the edge of the book, making the
stealthy sound which had aroused her
intended victim.


Dora lay bound hand and foot by a
feeling which almost stopped the beat
ing of her heart.


Remember, she had grown up amid
scenes of passion and violence; she had
been among the helpless ones at Gavin
pore, when the Sepoys massacred their
victims in cold blood; and death was
not so strange a weapon in the hands
of young girl, to her, as it would be
to us; nay, 1t seemed the one weapon by |
which Penelope Arlingford would most
likely strike for love and wealth.


Motionless, her eyes distended, the
cold dew of agony dripping from her
every limb, the orphan girl lay and lis
tened to this evidence of treachery.


All at once board at the side of the
bed creaked, as though wary foot was
passing over it, and the long swish of
the garment followed.


Then the door softly burst open as if
without hands, flow of air from the
passage rushed across the girls rigid
face, and she heard amid the sutfocat-
ing throbbing in her ears, the first crow
of some neighboring chanticleer.


Her terror ended in swoon,


When she came to herself it was
broad daylight.


The golden sunshine was lying across
her pillow, and the rich perfume of
came in through the open
window and filled the pretty chamber.


All seemed peace and innocence
around her, but the soul of the orphan
girl was filled with astonishment.


She could scarcely arrange her
thoughts at first, so terrible was the
ordeal through which she had passed
but at last she saw that she must leave
the house Immediately; that she must
relinquish both her afllanced and her
fortune, if she would feel her life safe.


ooh, papa! my papa!' wept poor
Dora, "you have made terrible mis-
take ~


When she Joined the family, In an
swer to the breakfast bell, she was in
her travelling dress, and her trunks
were all repacked.


"Why, cousin Dora, what is the mat
terp Are you Ill, dearP" exclaimed
Penelope, in soft, cooling voice, which
seemed habitual to her.


Dora turned her back on her mid
night visitor, and striving to speak
calmly, st'i to Mr.. Arlingford, 6"
wish to go to London to-day, sir.
Please allow some one to drive mo to
the station"


There was pause Of CONSERVATION,
then they all with one accord began to
plead with her to change her mind,
and none of the three were so urgent or
so tenderly loving about itas Penelope,


"Just try us, dear cousin" she en-
treated. "Of course 1t will be lonely
at frst--everything is so dilferent-but
who will make you happier than we
rnn1 Has anvhonv offended Won dear