Year: 1879

1 S'NS iiOLn tuC lOiiCt tdDiC,
crept to the dim corner, when (oh joy |!
| saw there was a small door i'm III,
wall, and the key was on my side
Rapidly | turned it, and rushed for
wards. A faint mOonbeam came strug
CLING in at little window facing me
TO this window l darted, opening i
with an almost inspired force; but
only saw TO my horror the kitchen pre-
misses we're Immediately below, and al
area made the height far greater here
than from the bedroom window. Cast.
ing wild glance around, l found al
once that this outlet was no means OF
escape. Ii was merely closet used fol
china, but in my despair l took up a
Wedgwood vase and hurled il with all
my might through the window on to
the pavement below. Crash, crash il
went, accompanied by long, piercing
scream, issuing from my hitherto spell
bound lips. heard the fatal ''twen-
ty," and 1 felt my hour had come. Al
that moment there came knock at the
door, and the handle was violently
shaken. With gasping effort | cried
out, "Help. murder." and a strange
voice outside answered, "For mercy's
sake, hold on miss.''


Again a moments silence, in which,
partially revived by the hope these
words had awoke i'm me, made last
attempt TO parry the coming blow, and
doing so fell, utterly exhausted, at the
foot of the bed; but, as if in dreamland,
there came the sound of many feet, a
tremendous crash, and the door was
burst open.


Thank heaven | was saved; though
at the same moment Kate Archer. with
eyes of fire, and with such shrek as
| never heard before, and trust never
to hear again, rushed at me, ana as my
dream faded, L felt something cold and
smooth piercing through my shoulder.
Then all was blank.


Months after this strange catastrophe
when my wounds were healed, and |
had recovered from the low fever which
prostrated my strength for many weeks,
Lady Saunton carefully told me the
particulars of that eventful Monday.


1t appeared that Kate Archer had al
ways been extremely excirable and &C.
centric; and once or twice her mind
had become so seriously affected as TO
oblige her family to place her under
the care of a physician. This was not
known in the county, as they had been
living abroad for several years. As
there had been no outbreak for a long
time, her mother never dreamt of dam
ger in allowing her to leave home, es-
pecially as she was always accompan-
led by a responsible person, who was
nominally her lady's maid. This per-
son felt great anxiety when she heard
Miss Archer was to share another lady's
room, although her worst fears had
only imagined her charge might do
something strange, and so betray her
self. The woman tried vainly TO find
a pretext for altering the arrangements
but there was little time, and no excuse
TO be found; 80 she could only wait pa
tiently, and hope for the best.


When Miss Archer retired she dismissed
her maid at the bedroom door, on the
plea of her disturbing me if she came
in. Baffled in the plan she had fomed
of taking away the door-key secretly
when she left her young lady, Mrs.
Tuckor then determined to come to the
door at intervals, to listen if her mis-
tress slept. and during the long night
to keep watch and ward. To her wat
ching the saving of my life was due.
She had alarmed the gentleman who
burst open the door just in time.


The unfortunate girl who had nearly
shortened the thread of my life never
appeared again. Her family took her
abroad to some retreat in the south of
France, which, believe, she was never
allowed to leave; and the story of her
projected crime was husheG up as
much as possible for the sake Of her
family.


On my recovery, heard that Major
Barrier had sailed for India with some
of his regiment; but he came back af-
ter a years absence, and | returned
with him as Mrs. Reginald Barrier.