Hidden Hand. Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

end a great tester bedstead with dark curtains. There was a dark carpet on the floor. And with all there were so many dark objects and so many shadows, and the little taper burned so dimly that I could hardly tell t'other from which, or keep from breaking my nose against things as I groped about.

      "And what was I in this room for to do? I couldn't even form an idee. But presently my blood ran cold to hear a groan from behind the curtains! then another! and another! then a cry as of some child in mortal agony, saying:

      "'For the love of Heaven, save me!'

      "I ran to the bed and dropped the curtains and liked to have fainted at what I saw!"

      "And what did you see?" asked the magistrate.

      "Master, behind those dark curtains I saw a young creature tossing about on the bed, flinging her hair and beautiful arms about and tearing wildly at the fine lace that trimmed her night-dress. But, master, that wasn't what almost made me faint—it was that her right hand was sewed up in black crape, and her whole face and head completely covered with black crape drawn down and fastened securely around her throat, leaving only a small slit at the lips and nose to breathe through!"

      "What! Take care, woman! Remember that you are upon your oath!" said the magistrate.

      "I know it, master. And as I hope to be forgiven, I am telling you the truth!"

      "Go on, then."

      "Well, sir, she was a young creature, scarcely past childhood, if one might judge by her small size and soft, rosy skin. I asked her to let me take that black crape from her face and head, but she threw up her hands and exclaimed:

      "'Oh, no; no, no! for my life, no!'

      "Well, master, I hardly know how to tell you what followed," said the old woman, hesitating in embarrassment.

      "Go right straight on like a car of Juggernaut, woman! Remember—the whole truth!"

      "Well, master, in the next two hours there were twins born in that room—a boy and a girl; the boy was dead, the girl living. And all the time I heard the measured tramping of one of them willains up and down the passage outside of that room. Presently the steps stopped, and there was a rap at the door. I went and listened, but did not open it.

      "'Is it all over?' the voice asked.

      "Before I could answer a cry from the bed caused me to look round. There was the poor, masked mother stretching out her white arms toward me in the most imploring way. I hastened back to her.

      "'Tell him—no—no,' she said.

      "'Have you got through?' asked the man at the door, rapping impatiently.

      "'No, no,' said I, as directed.

      "He resumed his tramping up and down, and I went back to my patient. She beckoned me to come close, and whispered:

      "'Save my child! The living one, I mean! Hide her! oh, hide her from him! When he demands the babe, give him the poor little dead one—he cannot hurt that! And he will not know there was another. Oh! hide and save my child!'

      "Master, I was used to queer doings, but this was a little the queerest. But if I was to conceal that second child in order to save it, it was necessary to stop its mouth, for it was squalling like a wild cat. So I took a vial of paregoric from my pocket and give it a drop and it went off to sleep like an angel. I wrapped it up warm and lay it along with my shawl and bonnet in a dark corner. Just then the man rapped again.

      "'Come in, master,' said I.

      "'No, bring me the babe,' he said.

      "I took up the dead infant. Its mother kissed its brow and dropped tears upon its little cold face. And I carried it to the man outside.

      "'Is it asleep?' the willain asked me.

      "'Yes, master,' said I as I put it, well wrapped up, in his arms; 'very sound aslep.'

      "'So much the better,' said the knave, walking away.

      "I bolted the door and went back to my patient. With her free hand she seized mine and pressed it to her lips and then, holding up her left hand, pointed to the wedding ring upon her third finger.

      "'Draw it off and keep it,' she said; 'conceal the child under your shawl and take her with you when you go! Save her and your fortune shall be made.'

      "I declare, master, I hadn't time to think, before I heard one of them wretches rap at the door.

      "'Come! Get ready to go,' he said.

      "She also beckoned me. I hastened to her. With eager whispers and imploring gestures she prayed me to take her ring and save her child.

      "'But you,' said I, 'who is to attend to you?'

      "'I do not know or care! Save her!'

      "The rapping continued. I ran to the corner where I had left my things. I put on my bonnet, made a sort of sling around my neck of the silk handkercher, opened the large part of it like a hammock and laid the little sleeping babe there. Then I folded my big shawl around my breast and nobody any the wiser. The rapping was very impatient.

      "'I am coming,' said I.

      "'Remember!' whispered the poor girl.

      "'I will,' said I, and went out and opened the door. There stood t'other willain with his head covered with black crape. I dreamt of nothing but black-headed demons for six months afterward.

      "'Are you ready?' says he.

      "'Yes, your worship,' says I.

      "'Come along, then.'

      "And, binding another silk hankercher round my eyes, he led me along.

      "Instead of my mule, a carriage stood near the horse-block.

      "'Get in,' says he, holding the pistil to my ears by way of an argument.

      "I got in. He jumped up upon the driver's seat and we drove like the wind. In another direction from that in which we come, in course, for there was no carriage road there. The carriage whirled along at such a rate it made me quite giddy. At last it stopped again. The man in the mask got down and opened the door.

      "'Where are you taking me?' says I.

      "'Be quiet,' says he, 'or'——And with that he put the pistil to my cheek, ordered me to get out, take the bandage from my eyes and walk before him. I did so and saw dimly that we were in a part of the country that I was never at before. We were in a dark road through a thick forest. On the left side of the road in a clearing stood an old house; a dim light was burning in a lower window.

      "'Go on in there,' said the willain, putting the pistil to the back of my head. As the door stood ajar I went in, to a narrow, dark passage, the man all the time at my back. He opened a door on the left side and made me go into a dark room. Just then the unfortunate child that had been moving restlessly began to wail. Well it might, poor, starved thing!

      "'What's that?' says the miscreant under his breath and stopping short.

      "'It ain't nothing, sir,' says I, and 'Hush-h-h' to the baby. But the poor little wretch raised a squall.

      "'What is the meaning of this? 'says he. 'Where did that child come from? Why the demon don't you speak?' And with that he seized me again by the scruff of the neck and shook me.

      "'Oh, master, for the love of Heaven don't!' says I. 'This is only a poor unfortnet infant as its parents wanted to get outen the way, and hired me to take care on. And I have had it wrapped up under my shawl all the time 'cept when I was in your house, when I put it to sleep in the corner.'

      "'Humph—and you had that child concealed under your shawl when I first stopped you in the woods?'

      "'In course, master,' says I.

      "'Whose is it?'

      "'Master,' says I, 'it's—it's a dead secret!' for I hadn't another lie ready.