n the s-s-s-secret ch-amber--an' Squire c-come, an' I skipped
an'--forgot!"

The boy was himself so familiar with the premises that he knew exactly
where to find the lantern, and, having confessed his fault, he ran to
light it. He was also first at the barn, though Miss Maitland and
Susanna both followed promptly and unmindful of the rain.

But alas for Deacon Meakin's overcare! He had not only locked the doors,
but he had hidden the keys.

Susanna sped back to the house, seeking on the shelf where he had placed
the lantern for them, but failing to find them, while at Eunice's
direction Montgomery felt everywhere under the flat stone which served
as door-step to the main entrance. In the crannies of window casings, at
the tops and bottoms of all the doors, in the cattle-shed and
poultry-house, in any sort of place where a Marsdenite would naturally
deposit keys, they searched without avail.

Then Miss Maitland bethought herself that if Katharine were still within
the barn and heard all this attempt at forcing an entrance she would be
further frightened, and said:

"We must break the glass in that window behind the stalls, and you,
Montgomery, must climb through. As soon as you are within, call to the
poor child and tell her that we are outside and have come to get her.
Then you hand us out some heavy tools,--an axe, if you can find one,
would be best,--and we'll break down the door."

With that the lady herself took a stone from the barn-yard wall and
crashed the glass, but Susanna interposed:

"You go right back into the house, Eunice Maitland, and not stay out in
this damp to get your death of cold. And no need to break good doors.
Katy ain't no bigger'n Monty, nor so big, an' a hole he can get into she
can come out of. Trust her!"

Miss Maitland would not go indoors, but she did fold the shawl she had
caught up more closely about her and retreated to the shelter of the
cowshed, while Susanna stood listening beneath the window through which
Monty had swiftly disappeared. Fortunately, the storm had greatly abated
and there was less external noise to drown the sounds within, where
Montgomery was now shouting at the top of his voice:

"K-K-Kath-arine! Katy! K-Kitty-kee-hotee!"

"Yelp! Snip! Snap! Gr-r-rrr!" came in response, and Katharine waked
from the dreamless sleep into which exhaustion of grief and terror had
thrown her.

At first she could not comprehend what it all meant. She could only make
an effor