s of an unlighted road, and disappeared from the sight of a knot
of gazers collected round the station door.

"It's like a wedding," said the woman of the waiting-room, as she turned
back to the deal table with the water bottle and the tract. "Just like a
wedding."

Mrs. Baxter received her telegram next morning, and was comforted by it.
She noticed that the message was dated from Muirside Station, and that
she must, therefore, wait until Kitty sent the promised letter before
she wrote to Kitty, as she did not know where Mr. Heron might be
staying. But as the days passed on and nothing more was heard, she
addressed a letter of inquiry to Kitty at Strathleckie. To her amaze it
was sent back to Merchiston Terrace, as if the Herons thought that Kitty
was still with her, and a batch of letters with the Dunmuir postmark
began to accumulate on the Baxters' table. Finally there came a postcard
from Elizabeth, which Mrs. Baxter took the liberty of reading.

"Dear Kitty," it ran, "why do you not write to us? When are you coming
back? We shall expect you on Saturday, if we hear nothing to the
contrary from you. Uncle Alfred will meet you at Dunmuir."

"There is something wrong here," gasped poor Mrs. Baxter.

"What has become of that child if she is not with her friends? What does
it mean?"

CHAPTER XLIII.

TRAPPED.

No sooner had the carriage door closed, than Kitty began to question her
companion about the accident to her father. Hugo replied with evident
reluctance--a reluctance which only increased her alarm. She began, to
shed tears at last, and implored him to tell her the whole story,
repeating that "anything would be better than suspense."

"I cannot say more than I have done," said Hugo, in a muffled voice.
"You will know soon--and, besides, as I have told you, there is nothing
for you to be alarmed at; indeed there is not. Do you think I would
deceive you in that?"

"I hope not," faltered Kitty. "You are very kind."

"Don't call it kindness. You know that I would do anything for you."
Then, noticing that the vehemence of his tone made her shrink away from
him, he added more calmly, "you will soon understand why I am acting in
this way. Wait for a little while and you will see."

She was silent for a few minutes, and then said in a subdued tone:--

"You frighten me, Hugo, by telling me that I shall know--soon; that I
shall see--soon. What are you hiding from me? You make me fancy terrible
things.