she had
watched men digging, digging--digging with frantic haste; and, as in her
dreams, all strength seemed to fail, and some unseen power to hold her
back, so now, in that frightful reality, her arms fell half paralyzed,
and she could not lift her hand to point out the spot.

To and fro the branches swayed above her head, beating themselves about,
moaning like evil voices. The wind swept up chill and warningly.

Such a terrible face it was that confronted the man--such a pale
terrified face, lighted up with those agonized eyes, that seemed to grow
large and wild in the moonlight.

The man stood before her, leaning on his spade, waiting.

"It is there just in that line of moonlight," she said at last, pointing
downward with her finger.

The man lifted the spade with all his fierce might, and struck it deep
into the earth, which the cold nights had frozen, until it gave out a
sharp ringing sound.

Elizabeth held her breath; what if that sound had reached the house!

Another firm downward thrust of the spade was scarcely heard. The crust
was broken, the earth grew soft and yielding--the wretched woman
remembered how carefully it had been packed down over the spot. For
nights after, the hollow sound of the spade had rung in her ears, and
nothing could dull its echo.

A horrible fear was coming over her, a supernatural, ghostly dread, that
made her flesh creep and the hair rise on her temples.

Spadeful after spadeful of earth was thrown out, but still the bottom
was not reached. She had not thought it deep--so deep. If it should be
empty--if nothing was there!

What if the place had been searched before, if the least possibility of
removing that terrible evidence was gone beyond her power!

The idea was too maddening, and she shook off the nightmare-like
oppression which had been upon her, as the spade suddenly struck some
substance harder than the earth, and rang out with a dull, heavy sound.

For one instant she started back. She was alone in the night, alone with
that man, who uttered an exclamation of delight that his task was so
near done. Elizabeth drew back. She dared not even peer into the cavity.
It was choked up with shadows, and their blackness seemed to warn her
off.

The mighty strength that had carried this woman forward till now, left
her. The cold pierced her through and through; still she found strength
to speak, and implored the man to complete his work. He took up the
spade again, droppe