good runner, and we sped across the squire's
fields, and through the narrow lane towards the
Grange, as fast as possible. When we got to the
last field, which joined the farm-yard, we slackened
pace a little, and when we got into the big
court-yard itself, we were walking almost slowly.
"How dreadfully lonely it looks, Charlie," I
said, almost with a shiver at the desolate aspect,
of the place, which had been, a grand gentleman's
house forty years ago, but had been
suffered to fall almost into ruins. " I am glad
I'm not Mrs. Johnson, particularly as she has
no children, nor anybody to keep her company
when Mr. Johnson is away."

"Well, don't you stop and prose to her for
ever such a time, Cis, do you hear?" returned
Charlie, good humouredly. "I want that bob
of Jim's, and we've only five-and-twenty minutes
to do the jaw, and get home in."

"All right," I said, and we went up to the
back door.

I must try and describe a little of the
geography of the Grange now.

The court-yard was a big square place, much
bigger than farm-yards usually are, and it must
have been an imposing entrance in the old
gone by days. There were two entrances to it,
the one we had come in by, leading to our
village, the other exactly opposite on the other
side of the court-yard, leading over a quarter of
mile of fields into the road to our market town
of D. To the left hand of the court-yard was a
long straight line of what had once been stables,
but were now farm-buildings; and to the right,
the north side—a long straight line also—of the
house itself.

The front door, which was exactly in the
middle of the straight line, and which was
flanked on either side by several windows, was
now never opened; but the back door, which
was the entry to a little bit of building standing
back from the line of house, and which looked
almost as if it had been stuck on to the big
square mansion as an after-thought, was on
this Saturday afternoon standing a little ajar.

Jip did not greet us with his usual noisy
welcome, and there was no sound of any sort about
the place except the gabbling of some turkeys
in the rear of the farm-buildings. I don't know
that I felt any particular fear, but as we
followed the path under the shadow of the old
elm-trees to the half open door, a sort of
oppressed feeling came over me, induced, I
suppose, by the utter silence of the place, and I
felt almost as if Jip's bark would have been a
welcome sound. We went up and knocked at
the door, and when I turned round, I observed
that Jip's kennel, which stood exactly opposite,
in a line with the front of the house, was empty.
"Where can Jip be?" I said; " I thought
they never let him loose;" and I walked forward
a few steps, and became aware that the dog's
chain and collar were lying beside the kennel.
I stood for a moment or two wondering, whilst
Charlie, getting impatient at Mrs. Johnson's
non-appearance, knocked again at the door.
Suddenly, some marks on the flagged pathway in
front of the kennel arrested my attention, and
upon stooping down, to look more closely, I saw
that they were—drops and smears of blood.

I raised myself in sudden terror, and called
Charlie, and when he came to my side and
examined the pathway, wo found that there was
a bloody trail up to the door.

"What can it be, Charlie?" I said, in a
whisper.

"I don't know," Charlie returned, thoughtfully;
" poor Jip come to grief, perhaps. It's odd
Mrs. Johnson doesn't come; I think I'll go on
a voyage of discovery; stay here till I come
back;" and he pushed the door further open.

"No, let me go too," I said, hastily, half frightened.
I am a coward at the sight of blood.

"Well! don't make a row then;" and ve
entered the little passage together.

On the left hand was the kitchen door, which
was shut, and I observed that Charlie hesitated
for a moment before he put out his hand to open
it. Only for a moment though; then he
unlatched the door, and the bright farm kitchen
was before us.

There was a big blazing fire in the grate,
which showed that on the table the tea-things
were set for tea; the kettle was hissing away
merrily, and some tea-cakes stood to keep warm
on a low stand before the fire. Everything
looked snug and cozy. Evidently Mrs. Johnson
had prepared. everything ready for tea when the
farmer should return from D. market; and was
now gone up-stairs to " clean " herself.

I had time to make all these observations over
Charlie's shoulder, before he gave a sudden start,
and strode with a low exclamation to a bundle
of clothes which lay at the further and darker
side of the kitchen, on the smooth stone floor.
A bundle of clothes it looked like, with Jip lying
asleep beside it in a very strange attitude.

I shall never forget the horror of the next
moment. Huddled up, evidently in the attitude
in which she had fallen, lay Mrs. Johnson, with
a gaping wound across her throat, from which
the blood was still trickling, and Jip, with a large
pool of blood near his head, lay dead beside her.

I stood for a moment, too, paralysed with
horror such intense, thrilling horror, that only
any one who has experienced such a feeling can
understand it and then, with a low scream, I
sank on the floor, and put up my hand to try
and hide the horrible sight.

"Hush!" whispered Charlie, sternly, taking
hold of my hands, and forcibly dragging me on
to my feet again; "you mustn't make a sound.
Whoever has done this can't be far off; you
must run home, Cissy, as hard as ever you can.
Come!"

He dragged me to the door, and then I
turned sick all over, and tumbled down again.
I felt as if I could not stir another step.

"It's no use, Charlie, I can't stir," I said.
"Leave me and go without me."

"Nonsense! Try again."

I tried again, but it was no use; my legs
positively would not move, and precious time
was being wasted.

"You fool!" Charlie said, bitterly and passionately.
How was a boy of fifteen to understand