HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News-Record, 1906-10-11, Page 81 -Record
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enamored or a eer;a:u reasuorws r roF,
without parents or guardian to protect
her. He cannot marry the girl upon ac-
count of our national ereiudice in UM'
es 4 mala. iamvias cunt one wire, ee !P.'r
IS not to be won on any ether terms.
To -morrow afternoon this girl takes a
journey to Windsor fan post chaisd,
with no attendant but. her maid and
footman. She must be waylaid and car-
ried off."
The fair-haired, soft-spoken mans
shook his head, murmuring:
"Ugly business! ugly business! Ie
your nobleman privy to this proceed-
ing?"
"Nay, now, William, you do not
allow your usual perspicacity: •My lord
will do nothing, and permit nothing
to (be done, unworthy of a—nobleman?"
"But yet he would avail himself of
any circumstance that placed this girl
in his power?"
"Nay, I do not even say that; but
what I say is, that 1 shall place this
beauty in his power, and give him the
opportunity and the choice of nlaying
the desperate lover or the magnani-
mous hero."
"Perilous! but what aid do you re-
quire from me personally?"
"Such aid only as Shall make you
'personally' perfectly safe. You must
engage six or eight ct your maga reso-
lute companions. They mast start dor
Windsor to -morrow saorniny, ora go
on until they reach $enniffow Huth.
There at some convenient place, they
must disguise and mask themselves,
and lie in wait for the post chaise cou-
taining this girl and her servants, stop
it, bind the servants, and carry off the
girl. This must be effected without
bloodshed, and with as little violence
as possible."
"Difficult, my dear Mac! very diffi-
cult! But my own part seems to be
very easy—only to send down these
fellows, and, I suppose, be their pay-
master."
"Nay, not quite so easy as that,
either, William. Yon and I must go
down to Hounslow llleath, a little far-
ther on toward IVirr, say in that
piece of wood half la voile from the
'Magpie,' and reset. !his young lady
from the ruffians."
"Rescue her? I don't understand!
Why in the 'world should she be car
ried off if we are to rescue her?" '
"Simply for that very purpose—that
we may rescue her. This enamored
nobleman of whom I speak is a man
of the highest honor. He would never
countenance violence. If your ruffians,
for instance, after carrying off the
beauty, were to carry her to him, she
would be sent back in honor to her
friends, and they would be transport-
ed for their pains. But if you and my-
self should be so fortunate as to rescue
this beauty from the hands of the rob-
bers, at a spot near the country house
owned bythis nobleman, and carry her
to that house as a safe refuge for the
night, there is no law of honor to pre-
vent my lord from receiving her with
the most exigent hospitality, and re-
warding her gallant deliverers with
princely munificence."
"With 'princely munificence!' I un-
derstand it all now, my dear Mac."
"Pray understand no more than is
necessary to carry out our plans, which
you see have only the least flavor of
the spice of danger for your friends,
and none at all for yourself. You have
only to help me to rescue a young lady
from the power of thieves, who will be
instructed only to make a show of re-
sistance. You will have all the glory,
and profit, and none of the danger."
"Humph! And this profit, dear Mac?"
"Five hundred pounds, when the
lady is safe at Howlet Close, the coun-
try house of which I spoke."
"I am your man, dear Mac. And now,
as It is dark enough without for me to
emerge from my inner obscurity, I will
go out and beat up the necessary re-
cruits. You can find me in this room
again to -morrow morning, dear Mac,
for, like ghosts that 'visit the glimpses
of the moon,' I have to get back intc
my grave, this house, as soon as it is
light without. Ah, Mac! times have
changed since you and I served to-
gether in the Forty-fifth. I have gone—
down, down, down; you—up, up, up.
I hide in the darkness of an old rook-
ery; you bask in the sunshine of a
court."
"It is your own fault, William. Yon
have twice the genius I have, but you
are too effeminate, too much afraid of
labor, pain, and danger. What you
would do must be done in profound
secrecy, and is done with so much
caution and hesitation as to defeat its
purpose. If you had an enemy, William,
that you were obliged to get rid of, you
ampell-
f this
On the
enise'-
ou are
town;
nburne
where
guest,"
ely de -
event
t chap•
jour-
eroine.
r Ethe-
ections
keep-
iratory
, a let-
, open-
atment
;o the
to re -
where
Rose
duch.
t into
You
urt of
," said
ith 'a
ealthy
d of
ason—
ivered
ern at
ph.
your
t take
h you,
qulred
hest. I
✓ you.
d your
a tall,
is coat
ed low
n seen
courts
owded
paused
e, that
e town
t, long
a tene-
tramps
ng, all
trades
re at
sleep,
obbery,
suit of
of this
ce, and
d sure
✓ can
? For
much
u here;
y," said
e, open
, loath -
d up a
the ten-
lthy as
e most
y mods.
ceasive
s thick
ng con-
radual-
tsteps.
oom in
bled in
ices of
en and
passed
d to a
eculiar
easant,
front
rnish-
defiled
that
you?"
in the
clear,
from
e win-
cy of
eagre
bed,
tains,
hairs,
ssed,
h a
on of
the
Ely.
Ilow-
with
this
or.
hat
icor-
' ex-
ssity
ask,
t as•
this
site;
ern -
y a
ten
ent
for
red
re•
ten
n.
to
um -
h(
ter -
t."
oft -
ter
age
rice
vii•
e
lsr--
eer
tel,
observing these things, went and whis-
pered to him her advice that he should '
plead indisposition, and retire: And Sir
Vincent, glad to escape, immediately
followed her counsel.
Lady Lester, in watching the mood-
iness of Sir Vincent for the last few
days, was in serious anxiety for Ms
health and reason; and could find but
One solution for the problem.
"He is in love with Miss Elmer.
These dark-haired people are very un -
,certain, impulsive and unreasonable,
and difficult to be restrained by church
or state; I am sure, of the two evils,
would .rather the girlshould encour-
age him a little than that he should be
looking and acting so strangely as to
draw upon himself the animadversions
of all our friends," she thought,
While Lady Lester was thus seeking
and not finding out the true explana-
tion of the baronet's uneasiness, her
son Ruthven Lester, by patience and
perseverance, in • watching and avail-
ing himself of the first opportunity,.
had succeeded in detaching Lady
Etheridge from all others, and leading
her into the recess of a bay window,
where, with the confidence of a young
man, on admirable terms with himself,
he declared his passion, and made a
formal offer of his hand.
Lady Etheridge, inwardly amused at
his self-conceit, thanked him for the
honor he intended her, but begged
leave to decline it. And when the
young gentleman would have pressed
his suit, she terminated the interview
by rising and joining the company,
And soon after the Duchess of Beres-
leigh ordered her carriage, and they
returned home.
An engagement to a breakfast given
by the Hon. Mrs. Hobart, at her villa,
near Fulham, occupied the forenoon of
the next day, se that it was between
four and five o'clock that Lady Ethe-
ridge, accompanied only by her maid,
entered her carriage to set out for
Windsor. The ride that afternoon was
through one of the most beautiful su-
burbs of the town, and up• over the•
green meadows and shady groves bor-
dering the river. yt was quite dark
when the carriage reached Hounslow,
and stopped to water the horses at the
hotel.
"We wish to reach Windsor in good
time to -night. Are the roads safe?" ask-
ed the coachman. •
"Ay, ay, the roads be well enough;
but there hasn't been a traveling -car-
riage passed the heath for thea last
week that hasn't been stopped by foot-
pads. And a passil o' very suspicious -
looking characters went by here a
couple of hours ago. You'd a deal bet-
ter stop where you are fdr the night,"
answered the ostler, as he held a pail
of water for the "nigh" horse to 'drink.
The ]atter part 'of this speech coun-
teracted the former, for the coachman
immediately came to the conclusion
that there lurked•an interested motive
in this forewarning; so, instead of com-
nunicating it to Lady Etheridge, he
replied:
"Oh, I think we will try to get on, at
least as far as the .'Magpie,' where we•
can sleep if necessary." And .gathering
up his reins, be drove on. •
• They were soon out upon. the open
heath, where nothing could . be more
Weird, dreary and desolate than the
aspect -of heaven and .earth. The sky
was overclouded, dark; and lowering—
not a single star was visible. The heath
was bare, lone, and shadowy, from the
murky centre to .the obscured. horizon.
The Only sound was that of the solitary.
carriage, as it rolled along the night.
road. Yet no sense of fear troubled the
.heart of Lady Etheridge;. she :had.
heard none of the rumors of outlying
footpads, and was ignorant of the
warning given by the .people at Houns-
low. She was lying back: a' Tong the
cushions in that dreamy, luxurious
state induced by. being carried along
would not challenge him and run him
through the body, as 1 should, because
you would not like to see his blood
flow, and would very much dislike to
have your own spilled. No, you would
get rid of your enemy by administer-
ing to him some slow, sweet poison,
that should bring on a gentle decline,
and easy, painless death. Nay, I could
even imagine you sitting by the bed,
smoothing the pillows, and soothing the
last hours of that enemy whom you
had so gently conducted to death—you
are so benevolent as well as so effe-
minate."
The fair-haired man smiled softly
and brightly, murmuring:
"You were always a flatterer, dear
Mac; even before you dreamed cif be-
coming a courtier."
They shook hands and parted.
"A desperate crisis when a man feels
himself driven to an act for which he
does not know whether he shall be re-
warded or reviled," murmured the per-
sonage called Mac, as he descended
the stairs.
* * * * s *
That same evening the Duchess of
Beresleigh and family were due at
Lester House, where Lady Lester re-
ceived her "dear five hundred friends."
They went early, intending to return
early. And, again, the two young wom-
en—The antipodes of the social world
—met, to be the rival stars of the as-
sembly—Rosamond, Lady Etheridge of
Swinburne, a snow-white, golden -hair-
ed, blue-eyed and rosy -lipped beauty;
and Laura Eimer, the governess, a tall,
dark, brilliant brunette and genius—
the poetess of the day.
The humble position of Miss Elmer
was not known or suspected beyond
the families of Beresleigh and Lester.
Lady Lester, as I said, patronized
Miss Elmer as the influential friend o?
the Baroness of Etheridge, and society
accepted Miss Elmer at the hands of
Lady Lester.
That evening, as usual, the Duke of
Beresleigh avoided Lady Etheridge,
leaving her to be attended and fattier -
ed by a -troop of adorers, while he him -
sell divided his attentions impartially
among the ladies of his acquaintance
present.
Rose was principally surrounded by
aa»rrinw i..eiatere and widowers end
their anxious mothers and sisters; Ina
Laura by old lttterateurs, who were,
with an odd mixture of curiosity, jeal-
ousy and admiration, we1t;oming a new.
comer into their Olympian sphere, and
by others who, without, having any
literary jealousy or matrimonial de•
signs, simply delighted in the Conver-
sation of a brilliant woman, or were
proud of a poetical celebrity.
lir Viincent Leiter wei present, but
looking do i11 and go preocct}pied ail to
draw upon himself the notice and the
softly -murmured eriticisrds of khans+
oresent..until at length. lady tester
"We were on our way to Windsor
when we were stopped," said Lady
Etheridge.
"Windsor! you are entirely out of the
road, *madam. Windsor lies some fifteen
miles off to the left, and the crossroad*
are difficult and dangerous traveling•
by night"
"Then where is the Magpie Inn,
Which my unfortunate servants
thought we could reach by supper
time?"
"The Magpie Inn, madam, is on the
London and Windsor road, full twenty
miles from this spot."
"Then I have been taken very far
out of my way," said Lady Etheridge,
in perplexity.
"Some eighteen Tulles, I should
judge, madam."
"Indeed I do not know what to do,"
exclaimed Rose, in perplexity. Then, as
a bright thought flashed through her
'brain,she said;. "Yes, late as it is, I
will request you to drive me directly
to the nearest justice of peace, 1f you
know of one in the neighborhood."
"Certainly, madam, under all the cir.
cumstances, the wisest plan; it is the,
very advice I should have offered had
I dared to counsel," said the stranger.
"You know of one, then?" gladly in-
quired Rose.
"Yes, my lady; there is Squire How-
let, of Howlet's Close, about a mile
from this spot; he is a very zealous
magistrate, and will not mind being
knocked up in the night to receive such
important information as of this daring,
violence."
"I am the more anxious to see a
magistrate as soon as possible, that I
may send assistance to my unfortunate
servants," said Lady Etheridge.
"And—pardon me, where were they
left, madam?"
"In a thick wood, abou'i the middle of
the heath, and half way between
Hounslow and the Magpie Inn, as near-
ly as I can judge." •
"Not dangerously wounded, I hope,
my lady?"
`"No, quite unhurt, I believe, but
bound and gagged, and desperately
frightened; besides being exposed tc
the damp night air that may of itself be •
the death of the woman. The coachman,
I hope, is more inured to exposure."
"We will drive immediately to the
magistrate's, and send assistance. I
will take the box."
"Will you first kindly inform me to
whom I am so deeply, indebted?" in.
qulred the lady.
"My name, madam, is McCarthy—
Colonel McCarthy, of the Eleventh In•
fantry, My companion here is Captain
Roberts. I must entreat you to be so
kind as to give him a seat in your car-
riage, as his testimony will be neces-
sary before the magistrate. Roberts,
come hither."
The person named had hitherto kept
in the background, but now advanced
to the side of the carriage.
It happened that the face of Lady
Etheridge was partly averted when-
Robertscame up. And Roberts no soon-
er caught•* sight of her face than he
started and retreated perceptibly.
"Excuse me one moment, madam,"
said the man who called himself Mc-
Carthy, bowing and hurrying after Rob-
erts. •
Lady Etheridge had seen nothing
that passed in that moment in which
her head was averted.
McCarthy hurried after Roberts.
"Roberts, what was the matter? you.
ran away as if from the face of a :con-
stable instead of that of a pretty wom-
an. What was the meaning of it?".
Roberts was too much agitated to an -
sorer :at once, ' but after .struggling
violently with some strong inward emo-
tion, he. asked: •
"Who is this lady whom we are ea -
gaged in deceiving?"
"She is the Baroness Etheridge of
Swinburne, in her own right. There,,
now, confound you, if you ever breathe
that, your tongue will have tied a knot
around your neck."
"The Baroness Etheridge of • Swift,:
Burne! Whe-Owl" exclaimed the man.
Roberts, sinking into thought.
"And now we must hurry back. to :the,
carriage: It is uncivil to leave the lady
alonefor a moment; but first tell me
why you ran away from her."
"Presently, presently, dear Mac. You
must .permit me to ride beside you on
the box, first, because ,it will not be
civil to thrust me in upon the lady;
and secondly, because I will not intrude
upon her.,,
"Durst not face. her,: you mean."
"As you please, dear Mac. You at -
way had . a finer ' appreciation of nice
shades of meaning than myself. At any
rate,. it would not only be uncivil, . but
it would be unwise, for either of us to
intrude upon the lady. She would be
wanting an explanation as to how we
happened to come to her rescue, and
neither you nor. I have a story ready to
tell."
"There is some truth in what you ad-
vance, so you may as well mount by naY
side. Well, here we are at the carriage, "
said McCarthy,
Roberts pulled his collar up and his
hat down, toobscure his face, and
keeping out of the range of view from
the carriage windows, went round and
mounted upon the box.
McCarthy went up to the carriage.
window, bowed, and said: ,
"Captain . Roberts will not intrude
Upon your ladyship; he will ride on the
box beside me.
"I thank him very much," replied
Lady Etheridge, very glad to be left
alone:
McCarthy then mounted the box, and
the carriage drove off. As they left the
spot, Lady Etheridge caught a glimpse
of two men leading away thehorses
that had brought these deliverers; and
with a pang of undefinable dread, she
thought they had very much the airof
the ruffians who had first attacked her
carriage.
The carriage rolled, rapidly on, and
soon entered a deep wood. The sky had
been overclouded all night, and now
the rain began to fall. Lady Etheridge
thought with anxiety of her servants,
and longed to reach her journey's end
that she might send relief to them. In
the thickest part of this wood the car-
riage at length drew up before an old-
fashioned, gloomy -looking countrY
house. McCarthy got down and knock-
ed.
After a little delay, the door was
opened by an old servant, in a very sus-
pieious state of readiness.
"Well,' Janes, your master has been
in bed hours, of course?"
"Yes, please your honor." '
"And the housekeeper, Of course?"
"Yes, please your honor."
"Well, show us into the most cOtite
Portable room at hand, and then se
the horses put away, after which Come°
to Toe," said McCarthy, and he helped
Lady Etheridge to alight, and attended'
her into the house.
The old servant preceded them into.
the drawing—room. and retired to at-
tend to the Horses.
McCarthy seated Lady Etheridge up-
Ona sofa, and inquired what Tetretih•
mentos the would be pleased to take.
;!lose declined any. Soon the old ser-
vant showed hlmselt at the door, end
McCarthy went out to speak with him.
Atter a few temente lie returned to
the drawina•room, and %exit to Lady
Etherid:re. 'said'
with an easy, rapid motion through the
darkness, when suddenly and silently
the carriage was stopped and surround-
ed by dark, masked figures. Lady
Etheridge, her heart paralyzed with ex-
treme terror, sat transfixed and speech-
less, while her maid .uttered ;scream •
upon scream. The same instant the.
coachman .fired one shot from . his
double-barreled pistol, and was about
to fire another when he was mastered
and disarmed.
"Yield quietly, and no harm shall be-
fall you!" said one of the: assailants, as
they threw down and gagged and
bound the struggling man. •
The door of the re= rr iage was then
opened, and the inn,.,tcs summoned to
come forth.
Lady Etheridge, controlling her exces-
sive terror, drew off her diamond ring,
took off her watch and chain, drew out
her purse, and offering them all to the
men, besought them to set her coach-
man at liberty, and let her proceed
upon her journey.
But the loud .screamsof the maid
drowned at once her proffer and their
reply.
"Stop the mouth of that screeching
vixen, and let us hear what thelady
says," commanded a leader among the
assailants, and in . another instant the
poor screaming maid was seized,. gag-
ged, bound, and laid by' theside of the
helpless _coachman, with the taunting
words:
"Misery loves company, my lass."
Lady Etheridge•was again summoned
to come forth; but, controlling her
agitation, she said:
"Listen to me! Here is all them"ones.
and jewelry that I have aboutme;
take it all, free my servants, and let
us pursue our journey."
"Yes, my lady; certainly, your lady-
ship," said the leader, pocketing the
offered valuables, and gently, but for-
cibly, lifting Lady Etheridge from the
carriage.
Resistance on her part was perfect.
ly vain; expostulation was equally use-
less. Half fainting with terror, she was
borne along and forced into another
closed carriage, where she sank among
the cushions, utterly overcome by ter-
ror. The carriage started, and she left
herself borne swiftly onward through
the darkness ---whither, she dared not
even guess—she felt herself in the
power of unscrupulous ruffians, and she
prayed for speedy death as for the
least evil that could befall her. Intense
terror takes no account of time. It
seemed to her that dire had been driven
through the darkness for an eternity
of anguish, when suddenly the gallop
of -horses was heard, a pistol was fired,
torches blazed around the carriage,
and a sonorous voice cried out:
"Stop, villains, on your lives!"
At the same moment the heads of
the horses Were seized, andthe driver,
as if struck With panic, sprang from
the box and fled.
"This is deliverance! Oh, 'thank
Heaven!" cried Lady Etheridge, nearly
swooning under the strong reaction of
feeling.
Tho carriage door was then Opened,
and a tall, dark, military -looking an,
bolding a torch in his hand, appeared,
and, bowing respectfully, hoped that
the young lady Was quite uninjured.
"Oh, quite, I thank you," replied
Rose, still too stronglyagitated to rb-
quire an explanation of this Unexpect-
ed deliverance.
"The miscreants have tied, young
lady --even the fellow that was upon
the box; abut 11 you will 'Madly tell us
where yea with to be driven, t will
gladly perform the duty et your coach.
saw"
JON A'1N !fit ly ,NEXT 117 1.1L'i.