Part 26 (1/2)

She pressed her hands to her teht, and by degrees she collected her thoughts, and recalled that the ss and bales from the temporary store to carry the , and to save her father she had shut their enemy in the lower corner roo and anxious, and after bathing her face and arranging her hair, she went out into the broad passage and listened at her father's door

It was too soon for hio and declare his innocency, andlad, she crept ti to think out what she would say

There were two flights to descend, and the first took a long time; but she worked out a nice little speech, in which she would tell the cutter's officer that her father had once been rich, but he had espoused the young Pretender's cause, and the result had been that he had become so impoverished that there had been a tih to keep the to their fallen fortunes

By the tiht she was ready and quite hopeful, and, with the tears standing in her eyes, she felt sure that the frank, gentleive her, and save her father frorace

She had, then, her speech all ready, but when she spoke everything was condensed in the one exclamation--

”Oh!”

For as she reached the hall where her co had so startled the midshi+pman in the darkness, she found that the door ide open and theshut

She looked about bewildered, but there was no sign of the roo been occupied

”Did I dream it all?” she said in an awe-stricken whisper ”No: the men came to take away the brandy and silk, and I saw them here”

She pressed her hands to her temples, for the surprise had confused her, and in addition her head ached and throbbed

”Could I have dreaain ”No, I res and then I found hi before her, with her puzzled feeling increasing, till a thought struck her

She saw the s If she really did see that, the kegs would be gone

The proof was easy If the brandy and silk were gone, the door of the vault would be open If the things were not fetched away, it would be locked up; and if she tapped on the door with her knuckles, there would be a dull sound instead of a hollow, echoing noise

She ran quickly down, and the door was locked

She tapped with her knuckles, and the sound indicated that the place was full, for all was dull and heavy and no reverberation in the place

”I ht so much about it that I have fancied all this, and ot in there to watch or the men would have seen him come”

It is very easy to place faith in that which you wish to believe

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Lieutenant brough was out for a long walk That is to say, he had his glass tucked under his ar up and down his cleanly holystoned deck, pausing frolass to his eye, and watch the top of the cliff, ending by gazing in the direction of the cove

The s thatmore fault in two hours than in the previous week, for he was getting fidgety He had not enjoyed his breakfast, and it was getting on toward the time for his mid-day meal

Suddenly he stopped short by the lass, and was evidently waiting to be spoken to

”Seeht, Mr Gurr, eh?”