The Wingham Times, 1900-08-31, Page 7w
4
VE EINIS
0400•--++0►ele?-r,,44.4e
BY J t ANNETTE b4 W t, tlaVVOl N..
oto---0�0►+--.-ooe
Cenyrisht,. 1899, by Jeaariette $. Walworth,
Mumbling nonsense at everybody, as
'Mother' Spillman does."
"So shall I," said her lover with de-
seision,
" .A:nd 1 shall be looking back on lov-
er's vows and wedding clothes and
'fsuch trifles from the apex of an old
:woman's superior wisdom. 1 will call
.it all the foolish effervescence of im-
.mature youth."
"So shall I."
"That will be very nice, but a little
.monotonous, won't it, dear? Do you
`,intend doing everything I ehall do
When we get old together, Clarence?"
She pushed back the wide brim of
rials soft hat and, smiling lovingly into
his moody eyes, called him a "sulky
boy." -
But when planning for this tete-a-
'tete drive by harnessing up a vehicle
'too small to accommodate Jeanne Mr.
'Clarence had told himself severely
that it was time he was bringing this
;affair to a head, and he did not pro-
pose to be "jollied out of his purpose
by a •lot of whimsical ,nonsense or a
-coaxing senile or two. lie repaid 01-
lie's wistful glance with a fine as-
•sitmption of manly determination.
"See here, my dear. Let us come
down to a rational basis of discus -
?slot,"
• "31y! Now I know exactly how yoti
.are going to look and sound a dozen
.years hence, when we are an old mar -
_ sled couple and the grocer's bill seems
an.roasonably long."
Westover laughed, but persevered
in his efforts to get down to a rational
basis of discussion.
"Of course 1 know, ;you know, we
know, that it would be auawful
wrench for Mr. Matthews ever to give
you to anybody. That's the penalty of
being an only daughter." .
"And havialg, au only parent," 011ie
interjected gently.
"None of which condition's has been
of my producing or of my fostering,"
Westover replied sententiously.
011ie yawned noiselessly behind her •
handkerchief. She was 'tremendous -
4y fond of Clarence. She was quite
ure she should never love any one
.half so dearly as she did • him. But
'sometimes, sometimes only, he did
:seem a little wordy. I"atal moment
when love admits the critic!
"But I want to ask you one point
blank question. my love, and 1 must
insist upon your answering it frankly,
no matter what it costs."
"If It costs me my life," said 011ie
comfortably. "Go on, dear."
"Have you ever had any reason to
uspect that your father is purposely
tting impediments in the way of our
getting married??"
"Why, Clarence, no. never: You
ridiculous boy! Papa wants me to
have everything that makes me hap-
py. Ergo he wants me to have you."
"Not so ridiculous as it might seem.
I have never got over his start of sur-
prise when 1 asked biro for your hand
nor his unguarded expression."
"Unguarded expression?"
"Yes. Ile looked at ins in a startled
sort of Way and said: 'What! .You? 1
- had hoped—I had'— Then he stopped
in very evident confusion."
"Well," said 011ie, with partisan heat,
""be meant, poor old darling; he hoped
•that I wouldn't think of marrying for
at great many years to come."
.- "Your explanation does not dispose
of his startled 'What! You?'
"Ob, well, that just meant nothing
.at .a11!"
• She was glad that the light of the
Moon is not of a revealing character.
She blushed furiously, as she always
did when equivocating. By nature and
, . !habit she was a singularly direct and
'truth loving little body.
' "I am sorry not to be able to take
that view of it, my dear."
'"What, then? Do you know papa se
much better than T do?"
They were perilously near to a lovers'
quarrel.
"It meant—I thought so at the time,
and his evasion of the point whenever
I tried to consult with him as to the
.l,
v date of oar tnarrlage confirms me In
,,,the idea:—that he had other views for
you."
"Other views for hue?"
""Yes." Here 01r. Clarence swung
yhis long whip about the pointed ears of
his team with en irritated swish that
stimulated them to a brisk, trot. "lIes
It never occurr' d to you, •Dille, that
your father •1s holding rue" orf until
Broxton gets home; that he would
rather you sli0mitl marry his ward?
But"— •
"'there? Don't say another, word,
please, Clarence. bid ever I'expect
to hearpoen papa, who adores lee and
only asks to keep me by his side for-.
• firer and forever, accused of maneu-
v
likeany
'au 1r•
ridc.
n to get1 g
9e
g
i mamma? It l a
burdened society s
(laugh -
ie e s y
shame, a perfect shame!"
"Wlitt! Crying About it? I do won-
der Why a wom.tn's teas` duct 'was
mtlde so perilously convenient,"
"Clarence, I hate you! "There. now:
- • 1 tint -quite sure I • shall always hate
you!"
They had finally arrived at a lovers'
quarrel of generous proportions, ttud
the horses were permitted to 'sustain
their reputation n$ fast trotters until
the 1lattlhews gate was reached.
"i ou will come In?" 011ie asked, try -
Ing to be polite, in a smothered voice.
' "Not tonight, thhak you," the !man
she Bated answered haughtily, and she
ran up the walk elope,
The memory of Tom's unanswered
letter smote upon her conscience. Her
tiff with Westover primed her coat.
fortably for answering it just as she
did, and for fear of a softer mood and.
a less decided quietus she wrote it int.
mediately and ran out and mailed i.t.
Facing toward the house after drop-
ping her letter in the box, she observ-
ed a bright light still burning in her
father's study in the wing of the
house, Entering it, she found him
sitting in his office chair, surrounded
by a hopeless litter of loose papers.
Itis head had dropped forward en his
folded arms, Apparently be was
asleep. She laid her hand gently on
laic shoulder. .
"lather, this is not right, It is very.
very wrong. You know Dr. Govan has
positively forbidden you any night
work. You took advantage or my be-
ing away. You don't love me, or you
would not worry me so. You naughty
papa!"
The face that was lifted at the
sound of her voice was white and
drawn. The eyes that looked longingly
into hers were heavy and bloodshot.
"Don't love you? Don't love you?
Girl, it would have been better for us
both, far better, if I had loved you
less."
"Father!" She recoiled from him in
resentment.
He pushed his chafir back abruptly
and, standing up, frowned down upon
TEE WINGITAN TIMES, AUGUST 31, 100.4,.
sity incident to foreign travel,
neat this tempestuous inimmary waf
an uncertain and sllsalhpoialtiuip exist-
ence she passed straightway through
the gates of slumber into a !happier
world of deefune. She W, s sieophrg so
soundly that it was with seine diffi-
culty she was brought latch to the
world of realities by her father's voice.
She dreamed that she heard him
calling her In a harsh, strained voice.
With a start she Sat holt upright in
bed to fieri hhn standing over her
fully dressed,, Ile was saying sowe-
thing to her which her only half arous-
ed senses could not greep at nil.
"Get up and dress yourself quickly,
Olivia! My study is In !lames! A. cur
twin must have blown against the gas
jet while 1 closed, We tuay save the
house. Tho wing' is doomed. I auust
rouse Iteubeu, the town!"
Each one of these frightening sell'
tenses had dropped slowly from Ills
fins in a husky whisper. Olivia was
slipping into a dressing gown before
lie was half through. "You are safe,"
he said in another choked whisper and
rushed from the room like a madman.
Mandeville did not lack food for gos-
sip for weeks after the Matthews fire,
There were those who pitied the old
man for the loss of his books and pa-
pers, books he had been a lifetime col-
lecting end papers that bore directly
upon his business affairs,
'.!here were others who thought be
got oft well in losing only the wing
to his handsome !lout's. •
One set declared that the lawyer
had displayed the calmness and the
Indifference of a Stoic while the dames
.were Itcklug up bis tine library, others
that lac had looked and acted more like
a madman thou a rational human be -
tug.
As the days wore ou It was asserted
in some quarters that Hornoe Aiat-
thews looked 20 years older since his
mishap. In others that, having made
Iris plle anti secured Oiivia's future, he
could well afford, to act as if nothing
had happened.
It was all in. the point of view, and
the point of view where Lawyer Mat-
thews was concerned had strange flue-
tuations in the town. .
1 �
r �C
3x��:ym�
4 ppwrcnttp he was asleep.
her wet uplifted face. For the first
tithe within her retoilection he put her
offered caresses away from him. •
"Go to bed. Olivia. Go at onee. 1
supposed you were asleep hours ago."
"Asleep without kissing you good
night, father? I never did such a
thing in all my life."
He strained her to his heart hrieily
and kissed her on the forehead. 'then
he dropped heavily back into This oliice
chair.
"`There! Good night. my darling.
Now go." Seeing a gleans of open re-
bellion in her eyes. he raised one band
imperiously. "Obey me, my daugh-
ter!"
"But. father. Dr. Govan"—
"Do not stay to argue the point with
me, Olivia. 1 know my own business
better than Govan sloes. 1 hare work
on hand that Must be done tonight."
"Cannot I help you with it. father?"
Ile smiled unpleasantly and pushed
away a pile of loose papers with one
hand.
"No: you cannot help me. my child.
It is' not the sort -of work I should like
to see you engaged in."
"But you are not going to dispose of
that greet pile of papers before you
sleep. father?"
He did not answer her immediately.
Presently, slowly, almost reluctantly.
he said:
"yes; they must all be disposed of to-
night." Again that short. unfamiliar
laugh, snore like the bark of nn animal.
It startled Olivia by its strange ttu-
1 ked nt him almost
rix crit . She a
feu f y o
inquiringly. He moved restlessly un-
der the scrutiny oi' bet clear, loving
eyes.
"We have exchanged our good nights.
my deur. I am welting foh''yeti to re-
"
resume my wail..
tate . 0 that I may l !.Sill Il
T3aflled. perplexed. sore et heart, she
bent to hiss !hint once More and went
away with the face of a clilthteu child
' and the anxious soul of a tender woin•
an. Tears came to iter relief when she
her
gainedown
hnd the shelter of
:room.
Whet a horrid clay it had been! Whet
between her hot tempered lover nuts
Ther inscrutable father it was enough
to make a woman wish there ryes no
1 thin as a man In the world.
Stich g
, Woman never harrowed tip your feel.
' ings nor tratvpied upon y out' erections,
And there were three of the wretches
to make her miserable.
comb
through
the g
Was.
She w drawing
her long thick hair with savage energy
as she arraigned the offenders one by
one.
"blather treating ere Us if 1 Sero a
crhriinal brought before him for trial;
Clarence saying all manner of things
that had no justice nor kindness in
them, then going off home in a huff;
'.Com Broxton writing silly letters that
it breaks my heart to answer."
Between them all they were making
life .tt burden to her. If "Another;' Spill-
man were not in the way, she would
take Miss Malvina and fly to the ends
of* the earth and never speak to an.
other man unless, indeed, to a ports
or a courier no some tmasetrline Ince
CHAPTEB SII.
Sin. MATTn1:WS CALLs•ron I1IS i'TIY sTCIA.N.
Mandeville bad the usual contingent
of charitable and uncharitable people,
of reticent thinkers and people given
to speaking their minds plainly in sea-
son and out. In short, humanity was
mixed there ns elsewhere. '
Dr: Govan had to rebuke old Mr.
Langdon, the druggist. quite sharply
more than once for asking him, "How
conies it Horace Matthews has got
rich practicing law In Melton county,
where no other man has ever been able
to more'n grabble a living at that busi-
ness?" Aud 1(r. Mills, the west pro-
gressive mail le Mandeville, who bad
actually had the temerity to import a
man who had something to do with an
electric light system, with a view to
seeing if Maudeville could not be se-
duced into discarding its old oil lamps,
actually heard Lawvyer Matthews talk-
ing to the electrician about his line of
business, wanting to know if he could
g , young
any
eu{u for a
point. out 0)
ot n
i
friend of his who would soou be re.
turning from the other side and world
want to go into that sort of business.
01' course his youug friend must be
Tom Broxton. Mr. Mills was one of
the reticent thinkers, so he did not con-
fide even to his wile his great astonisb-
meut at hearing that Rafe Broxton's
son would have to go into any sort of
business. But although he discreetly
refrained from proclnithlug it upon the
house tops. his private conviction MIR
that "Horace Matthews' end of t 1hn
seesaw had gone up as fast as Tam
Broxton's had ;one clown."
Dr. (loran would have scored Mande-
ville's most progressive man with the
same severity lie visited upon the irre-
sponsible old druggist—"a quacking
quack." as he bitingly called him—
only it is impracticable to wage active
hostilities against a man who simply
raises his - eyebrows and shrugs his
shoulders.
Dr. Govan's broad catholicity and
gentle judgment of his fellow nem
were the logical reflex of his own
sweetness of nature and abaund.!tig
good health._ It was natural that Ilor-
ace Matthews should have come .in
for a goodly share of diseussion at the
time of the tire, for Maudeville was
never so rich in sensations as to let one
slip too rapidly through Its mill. But
it was time to create a diversion. The
doctor began his missionary work at
home. If the could convert \Irs. Govan
into a partisati, Matthews would be re-
instated with his neighbors. Al man's
wife is his best and surest safety
valve. Mrs. Govan Innocently immo-
lated herself:
"I was down to see the old lady yes-
terday. John. Maivina says she wishes
you would stop in the first time you
pass �. their 'Ir gate,"
i
"What's 'Mother' Spillman up to
now?"
"Nothing new. Malvtna just gets
fretted over the way the old lady pecks
on !Iorace Matthews. She says It's a
regular monomanin She says she Is
g
almost afraid to let and of the neigh.
„.
hors mention Mr. Matthews' name in
her mother's presence ter fear she Will
blotto "+tit eoniethini ugly about hin3."
"And yet," the doctor said gravely,
"Matthews has been consistently hind
to the old ereature, go has kept up all
the friendly serviees Broxton used to
render her." s
"I know it. I know that, John, bat
'Mother' Splllman's a Woman of strong
convictions, and she is not to be bought
over by any amount of flattery or stab.
stantial help."
"Bought over?" lir. Ciovaa gave his
wife au "et tu, Brute," look .'ted epeit-
ed his battery Without the preliminary
Of a curt chalir'hge.
"Now, see here,. Matilda! gave you
gone over to the -enemy?"
"Gone over to the enemy? Whish
er enemy, ,'lolin Govan?" She smoothed
1aerv0USay. john tad 'Sesta A tweg•-
ly incisive pale of (Wee. Ire was using
them, just then asIle used that sharp,
Shining prone amang Die surgical iu-
strim s.
a ent
"Well, I should stay pretty lnuelt all
Mandeville Stood for the enemy at WS
juncture, and I should be sorry to see
my wife aligning herself with thele
and sitting in judgment upon a axion
who l,aas never committed one overt act
that na a'an or woman could point to and
sal', "rbat is wrong."
"Well, but, John"—
"Let ane have the floor a litle while
Longer, If you please, any dear. I really
feel as if Alattbows needed a friend, a
champion, if you choose. I will say to
yon in strict confidence I don't think
he will be here many years longer."
"What, John? Qh, Haat poor girl:"
• "Of course this is for no ear but
yoursha."
"Ihave been a doctor's wife M2 years,
John.it'
""And better= one never doctor hard."
An air kiss was floated from the doc-
tor's mature fingers to bring a smile
to• .liatilcla's mature lips.
"But about Mr. Matthews?"
"Yes, about Matthews. 1 believe be
is not unaware of the hostile attitude
sone of itis old neighbors have as-
tI• tiro. white bttthds o lata' orf her tenrVrp
MQMULLEWS POULTRY NETTINGS
Aid i F OINGS
are not a.Izpas: ed in the WO1tI41l.
Their Woven. Wire ;Pensitsss have stood
stood over fifteen yearc-1' rf "•y t nece:sftt%
tt'a>•anf on :WARM and k,. IL1r,A.Y.
Special oilers grade tills yeas on 11.00
ti .'i'".`x' CJ a i4;1>h
ThcSe goods »re all n:nna.;u•tnrec, by
The Ontario Wire Fencing Co., Limited, of Piston, Ont.
For sale by the Hardwaae lvlerclhants and General Dealers throughout Canada.
Also by the Can. hardware Jobbers.
Gen. Agents --Tire 13. Greening Wire Co., of Irandilton and Mentrttai.
Agent for Railway Fencing—James Cooper, Montreal.
ger Correspondence with the manufacturers invited.
ante
snored. Not all of them. The solid
men of this community, the men who
do their own thinking and eau look at
a subject all around.. see 'Matthews as
I do, a shrewd, close mouthed business
man, with one objeet, and only one, to
life.
"011 via."
"Precisely—Olivia. I doubt if there's
any man In Melton county who knows
Matthews as well ns I do. I knew hitn
before his shell developed, knew him.
whet) he was to love with Lucetta
Braxton and looked forward to marry-
ing her. Matthews was all right then.
He was changed by her death into a
silent. almost morose, man. He was a
fairly devoted husband to Olivia's
mother, but nothing has ever come be-
tween him and his first love. All the
pent up forces of his nature have ex-
pended themselves on this girl. He'
has slaved to make her rich. He would
die to make her happy."
Mrs. Govan moved restlessly in tier
chair. John really was not telling her
a single thing she slid not know al-
ready. •
"Yes; but, John, nobody has—that is,
nobody should"—
She started and opened her mild blue
eyes to their widest extent. John was
positively pounding the arms of his
chair with his clinched fist.
"I say It is au inhuman shame to
damn Matthews because Tom Brox-
ton's property has depreciated and his
father's investments 'turned out badly.
Are Broxton's riches the first that ever
took wings to themselves? And be-
cause, by close attention to his bust-
uess, Matthews has amassed a little
bit bigger pile than the common. run
of Melton county attorneys the wise
ones of the earth have added two and
two together, with malicious chuck-
lings, and decided that Matthews is a
scoundrel of the blackest shade."
"..UI the same, it is a great pity that
all of his papers are burned," • said
1ii•s.• Govan quietly.
"An ,,
he d star re
awful pity, t lied o p
solemnly. "I do believe that it is the
loss of those papers which has preyed
on Matthews' mind until he is almost
ready to take to his bed. You see, all
of his vouchers as Tom Broxton's
guardian went up in that fire."
"But Torn"
"Oh, Tom is all right! Matthews
showed me a letter he got from him in
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--i ��• '' rim.; ,.,,.
"1 do so want to hear how the dear boy
took it."
answer to the announcement that all
the papers were gone. He Is a grand
"
fellow. Rufus Broxton's own son.
"1 wish 1, could have seen it."
"Oh, it was short! But it had point
to it—by Jove, it had! 1 do not sup-
pose 1 could repeat it verbatim, but
I could give you the sense of It."
""Try, John, just to give me the sense
of it. 1 do so want to heat' how the
dear boy took it. I don't mean about
the fire, but about his losses. tie Is
so young."
The old man threw back his head
with an air of pride in the son of his
old friend.
"Ile took It grnndly. 1 could not
help thinking, when I was reading that
letter. how Laroud it would have made
Rufus. Ile said he did not suppose
let with
hewas the first man who had n
dlsappointtnents Just as great on the
threshold of life; that 'the blow was
softemtd in his ease by the reflection
that no one would suffer' by his losses
but, himself; that if he could not pro-
vide for his individual wants the mon-
ey expended on his education had been
poorly placed. A's It Was not itt ail
probable he should ever" marry, the t'u•
ture did not cost blot au anxious
thought,"
"• ,a_ u.. to
"Never mart. ! 'Why, ho was p
his eyes In love with Olivia Matthews
before Ii left here."
"Yes, but Westover got 10 the way of
that."
Mrs. Govan pursued her own line of
thought lo an aggrieved veto.
"That would 'have made things tt lit+
tie more even, and sourebow 1 have -a1•
ways 'looked forward to seeing an -
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