HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1900-09-21, Page 7V E
I"'�'• : ; ! [Ar {e ., q:a aud(1enly lost ail that timid nervous,
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atter-'--etessas - !rte
Copyright, 1899 11y aciennettq i . Walworth,
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'1► :•r !•r ,, . ii ' i' • ,.•i ' . ia,4tais.q," • Et i iia q Baal' ,q A • A,
night of the last: 80 years elgetnever" t Tree mother Imo nervi reeretieg v;t,'et•a
"Yes, but not"-. that belongecj to the Broxton estate!
g ; 1i'itlt never a thou tint as to the etllles
of ilia ease she spread out Impel' after
paper, mastering the character of each
cis it mother you Lire talekin
'-,about? YOU slant to knew 1f 1 ars
afraid to stay stere alone with another
Oh, not She ane I are used to it,"
Miss Laetltia gave a little gasp and
glanced toward the room for whose
passtvo tenant she ana Alrs, Lyons bad
done everything decently and le or,
der,
"Yes; but, Malaita, you know It is
different now."
"Yes; some things are different. It
is not a very far era to your house o>
to Mrs, Lyons' either, Letty, if
should need anybody, aur you have
both been awfully kind."
After that there was nothing to do
but to leave her alone with her dead.
The clock was striking , 10 as Aitss
Alatt•aua turned ti1,e key in ber •front
door, shutting out all, intruders effec-
tually. Lifting the lamp from the cen-
ter table. she passed with it into her
Mother's presence. Clasped in the fetl-
ed hands were some flowers that Oliv-
ia bad come back to bring as a peace
offering.
"1 wanted to bring them myself,"
she said, lifting heavy eyes to Miss
alalvina, "so that you should feel very
Sure that all the hardness bad gone
out of my heart. I could not stay at
home, Father still refuses to let me
Come into his room. 1 wanted some-
thing to do, so I came," Then she
had flitted out into the darkness again,
a. lonely pathetic figure.
Alalvina stood pondering, not the
flowers; but the stet she had resolved
upon,
"I night as well do it now as at any
other time. It will help me though
with my Iouely vigil. It is a simple
aet of justice to yell, mother. 1 am go-
ing to put that wild notion about those
papers to rest. 1 can't bear to have
other bands searching among your
things, though I did promise twat poor
unhappy child she might. Yon know it
Is not I that am mistrusting. you, moth-
' er, dear, sand I taink you are well •
pleased to have me clear your naive
from the suspicion of Biding papers
that diel not belong to you."
• With this apology to her dead for
what she was about to do she returned
to the sitting room. The gay chinas
covered chair had been pu lied back
against the wall. She advanced to-
ward it resolutely.
"I believe I'd rather have the plain
black horsehair showing anyhow. It is
more in koepfug with a funeral," she
said and went to work.
"The title «cels to Braxton Ilea!"
document with a clear, practical In-
' sight fol• details which had. been her
'.most marked mental attribute always,
1 "The inventories! foor, .clear moth-
er! She always maintained that there
were inventories of the Broxton plate
and jewels that Toru ought. to have.
Aiy, but what a lot of it there was!
"The title deed to Broxton Hall.
made out, I suppose, by that old ing-
ltsbinan who built the Hall aucl opened
c up the place! But" -she :had unfolded
a single small sheet of paper, yellow
with age, covered with writing in the
small, cramped letters in vogue in the
days of her remote ancestors -"what,
on earth?"
i Pushing all the other .papers aside,
the spread this one • Immediately un-
der the lamp and, with both elbows
• planted on the table, concentrated
every faculty of her brain upon it.
• Finally, with a deep sigh of relaxed
attention, site leaned back in her ante.
"This, then. is what' poor mother
meant when she lard that Broxton
Hall could not be sold; that she was
going to put Tom in the way of get-
ting it back. Why. Mr, Westorer's title
is not worth a shoe button. 1 see -I
see it all now. Slie kept her secret
from ole for fear I would • carry' the
papers straight to Ail'. Matthews,
which le just what I should •do xow,
only"_ .
A sudden knock on her front door
brought her to her feet with a start.
t$he opened the big family Bible on
the table and swept the papers into It
for concealment. "It was nobody but
sista. Deb and Letty come back in
spite of her." She opened the door
with an unwelcoming smile.
Claretu;e Westover stood outslaw
Fier first thought was of the lawyer,
"Wily, Mr. Clarence. is he gone?"
"I have come to take Olivia home."
"Olivia! Why, she isn't hese."
"Not here? Then where?"
• He stepped inside with the words,
Ile was a young loan two cordially
resented being taken unawares.
• "Oh, it is all right. 1 presume she
went home by the line, and I missed
her by coming around tbe long way.
I. suppose she has shut herself up in
her own room. The old small still re-
fuses to admit iter to his room, and
it madq hoe restless. Reuben said she
told him she was going to bring yoti
some flowers. I am lawfully sorry for
you. :hiss Malvinas"
"Thank you: Mother was full of
years. and she was ready to go."
"Yes. exactly -perfect Cbrlstian and
ail that sort of thing. I suppose."
"I am sorry you were not watchful
enough to keep her from annoying M1•,
Matthews the other night. I'tn dread-
; fully sorry. es much on Olble's account
as anybody else's."
"Well, you see. It was this way: Dv-
erytliing Was so peaceful end quiet the.
first part of the night that I fell into a
sound sleep. When 1 waked up..the
first words t caught made me hesitate
to go in. I was afraid of mating mat-
ters worse and supposed she would go
away without any harm coming of it.
I was afraid of adding to Mr. Mat-
thews' exc•ltetuent by revealing my
presence at that bola' of the night.
Things were considerably mixed up.
yon see."
"Yes, dreadfully mixt'd up. 1 know
it:"
Ile addedan to on nous f
ettut to
Miss Al'tiwina's decorous little sitting
room with his high heed fare and ! 'sic
Amiable gat.'b. As long tis Olivia was
net there to Ile fetched iiotne he had
better be going. Ile offered 50010 tiiort"
ready Made tondolences anti turned to-
wnie"!
o-
wr r lthe1 lleivina stopped ped hits
ac doo , li ,
With a pleading look.
"Don't go yet, pleae0, Air. Ctat•etiee.
It loots its If Providence had sent you
herr: on purpose toulght. I have as fe•
vor to ttek of you,"
"Certltinl3", anything I ran de." he
saki, politely enough. but he'looked at
trifle beret). Ile Was net dct"oid of
kindly feelings, but !"tally the." -rater"'
old terrty who had just Angled off this
mortal eoll n.nd the unlmautlful spin-
ster upon t'hotn he land intruth'tl In
ecitreh of Olivia" lead never appealed
very strongly to the aesthettcc tilde of
lalm,
Miss Mativlritt etee4 with her hands
routing reverently on the big 'Bible. Ile
Itopi±cl'sbe tette not going to eel: lam to
react !t portion of S2cripturCe with her,
That w'ouirl be toe emelt for'[tienerveaf.
,fie if 'tilted eontnet with the book had
brought stroixetli to bo'. Miss :Mattioli
Kneeling before the old chair, she set
1 about untying the numerous tapes that
kept the slip cover in place, 'Many a
knot was Tendered all the more refrac-
tory by the tears she dropped upon it.
The old armchair was very intiinate-
Iy.associated with her life. As a child
she had watched her father's pen trav-
eling patiently by the hour over the pa-
per spread upon tae little shelf attach -
•ed to its right arm. She had a vague
'recollection of a mysterious drawer, lo-
tated somewhere • under tine ample
seat, which bad an incousidetate habit
of tumbling out of Its socket at the
most unexpected moments. scattering
its contents in the rnost unseemly fash-
ion. Many a time bad it compelled her
to go down. on her knees to recover the
disjecta nreutbra of the nest Sunday's
Sermon.
Later, when the Rev. Air. Spillman
had been transferred to a world where
there was neither writing nor prealch-
in„ of sermons, the chair had becotue
identified .completely with her mother.
But the drawer, which had been voted
a fnmily nuisance when subject to
eaieless masculine bandlina, had never
pia5l;d any part in latter clays. "Moth-
er" Spillman had long ago tarried into
ofl"eet her threat to itx it so it should
cease from troubling -how, Atalvina
lead never thought to notice.
"Yes," she said, rising to her feet
after conquering the last knot, "I'd
rather never see this Old slip cover
aigniu. livery flower in It would set
Me to thinking about mother, and that
Won't be good for mc." .
With a skillful jerk she drew the
,cover from its Loosened moorings. A
loud noise necowpanied, the act. It
Startled 'her. corning so unexpectedly
Upon the solemn stillness. The old
!'Ira wer had fallen out once more,
"To a thi 1.
n 1Ot h i
s 1cIa `
h to foegotten
the ole drawer: Mother unist have
crisseroaeed aotneof these strings about
it`te keep itin lattice."
She stooped to repairthe mischief
[she had done. A paekttge of papers
hacb ['alien out ot'the drawer, She was
,
;suet, she had Hetet seen tbotir before.
,With a frightened try site gathered
therm into a parcel," A long envelope,
e.. nailed and unaddressed, bad fallen ottt
p ter the papers. Mistily repineing the,
d •alter and r'evereftTy folding the old
lav er 'u'n
a inthe x .,
I
yr deet, .
,• she carded
rt It c
1
tete package neater to the latish for es•
a.tulnation. With a strange souse of
rc?nctanee upon her slie drew a Chair
tip to the table and carefully arinnitplt-
yattedthe lamp. She WAS, dallying with '
the Itlotnerits. She sans sure lues' moth.
Lir had never tnafte tiny 11Se of that
drawer. Title pneknge Would prove to
Tse[ a lot of worthless ohl papers left,
over from the dilys of lice father's a;'.
et/Pettey. The tint paper w'ltielt her
• treniblltrg fingers tuifOlded settled that
point forever,
Then ail that tall: about ten ers that
toneerne(1 'fhotuns t i'ot:IOu Ibntl' riot
been the fancy of at rile:rt•ut'rea iuln:TT
Slit* t'iune in contact with this elegant.
tither ban„ bty young. Cellon, who
made her "feel like a milkmaid for
elmaeleess," Tills man al 011vttt it 8Ii1-
atteed husband and Lite ow'ne'r of Woe,
ton Hall .had a nxucli better t'Ight that
She had to knoll; about that pnrtesuler
!raper. Site enter(=ct atilruptly! Ripon the
tael; she batt) set lawsuit.
don't know that you ever heard of
it, Ur, Clarence, but My poor mother
bad Ti mania,"
"Spare yourself, Miss Splllntau, I
hear([ every word sl10'8a14 to Mi'. Mat-
thews last night,"
""stbouta-about-seine papers and
thiugs?"
"Yea, poor old lady: She WAS really
unsparing, dreadfully s'at),:ttc, Out of
course It trent rat' nolieut , We all
knew, don't you know,"
Miss Alallvitin flung back the ltd of
the big Bible and revealed. the." papers.
"TIere are the paper's my mother
Spoke about."
In life she bad helpedl the woridl to
caet diser'cc11t upon tier mother. '1'o
Shield Horace Mattiic'ws she Glib put at
naught her mother's words. 111 cleans
she wouki•111aka reparation, s0 far es
was possible, Westover welled au 00-
comprebendiug attire front the oid pa-
pers -to the plain, twitching face tit?oa
whicil the lamp clist uneanna shades.
"So then there were some bideen
documents. stay ltlriportapee, do you
Suppose?"
thililc s0, There aro tbe inventories.
of the jewels and the plate which I
suppose al•0-oha well. what do I. know
about any of it; I do trent you to
read just that one shirt paper, Me.
Westover,"
She banded to him the slip of paper
over which she hall pored in growing
perplexity for halt' an hour before las
corning, She ttatt:Mel hien while tie
react it, and she knew from the- quick
Mounting' of tete hot blood to itis tem-
ples that she had not overestimated its
import:wee.. He looked tip at tier pees-
entty with knitted brows,
"By Jove: And this Was among the
papers taint Matthews allowed to be
lost?"
"I don't know that we ought to say
that he 'allowed It to he lost: You
see, Aix'. Westover. it was ley fault that
his horse shied and Blade him drop Isis
bag just outside our gate. How moth-
er ever got bold of them is one of tbe
mysteries that •con never be solved
mile. It was only when that poor, 4b-
happjacllitd came Isere begging me` to
search for them that I did it just' to
quiet her." •
Westover made It clearer.,"She said
something the other night bout 'Tim,
tole Martin finding them ani her pur-
posely keeping you in, the dark for
feat' ;you would give the' papers. she
wanted Braxton to have to Alr. Mat-
thews." •
"Which Is ,Vest -het I should bar
done, just;; a:stat I shall do as soon a
he gets better."
""That is what he was never do." said
Westover gravely. "Covengives hint.
only a few clays amore."
"Dear Lor(]: And that poor cedar-
-avian not be left entirely trithour
friends," said 011ie's lover stiffly.
"Qh, T know it! I know thtlt silo is
lest as fond of .ecu as can be. flet
e
s
about these papers. What am I to 0o!
I don't even know where Tom Beoston
is."
"Neither do 1. But this paper" -he
was folding the oldest sheet of writing
into compact shape -"concerns my fa-
ther as purchaser of Broxton Hall
more nearly than it does.any one else
just at present. I should like to show
1t to him, Miss Malvin.."
Miss Afalvina looked wistfully teem
the pile of papers to the young loan.
Westover interpreted the look prompt-
ly.
"You are afraid you are not doing
the right tiling by your friend, Mr.
Broxton. 1 respect your anxiety rind
pledge you my word of honor as a gen-
tleman that hit, interests shall not suf-
fee in my hands. how such a weighty
paper as this should have been left to
'mischance it is useless to Conjecture
now. Mr. Matthews Is done with all
worldly cares and responsibilities. 'I
simply ask you to leu4 we this paper
long enough to show It to my father.
It it is genuine. his title to Broxton
Itall is not worth the paper it is writ.
ten ou."
Malvina locked her thlu tingers nerv-
ously about 'each other. "I was just
thinking that for 011ie's sake and
"fonts sake"---
"Alay I take this paper?" Westover
rose with it in his hands,
"Why. yes. It dou't belong to me,
does It?"
"Lly right of discovery, In the pres-
ent mixed State of alt'airs, 1 suppose
you could hold on to it. Possessiou is
nine" points of tae law. But" --here
511011 e. winning senile broke over the
young fellow's handsome face that
Miss ltalrina forgave. 011ie's 'Infatua-
tion for ltitn "If 1 pronilse you t':lat 110
use shall be made of It that does not
take Tote iBroston's best iuterestslnto
colsittered-on will yeti trust sue with
it •and believe le iii?"
"•1 trust in you, and t belIO're In you,"
t 11 Aliss Maisano, , ho ting out a rata
fying baud, "And the Inleutories
what Abell I do with there? 'There is a
Catalogue of paintings, too, end" -
Westover waved the proffered paper's
back,
"With them the Westovers hale
nothing to do. 1Keep there, or send them
to 1'Broxtou, rather, They have belong-
ed to him ever singe he tame of age.
Perhaps you might hold ate to them un-
til"-
IIe left the Sentence Uniltrished, Aires
111alt'liut knew that he meant until 11or",
nee Matthews should be beyond the
fret and worry of all things,
"Ah, well, just As you eheose ,"bout
the rent of the pews! 1 thought may.
be you could talk them all oyer" with
Tom. I)*ttr Mei Thu° inventories
etautl for tnoittatistlble wealth to me,
What ate extravagant fellow obi' deer
ri oitt mutt have been tis 4 •ealtette beer
-"College boys are not AA Wale cline#,.
its it rule," said Claming) and with It
"good night"
Ales Alaivina eat where be bad lett
bet' ti long Halle', She t'ouud the papers
describing Thomas"- departed glories
intensely Interesting reading, "Poor
old tnotheri Bite had been eight all the
way tili'ougil. even to the description of
Lueetta Ii,roxton's necklace," She bald
bee lunuls upon the package of papers:
and sighed,.
"In spite of all this,Tlioras Broxton
is a pauper. The Hall could not be
scold, but It Is sold. How do wen man -
"
to blunder so?"
Not yet was her loyal soul ready to
Indorse her mother's; w01'st susptol0ne
or Hlorace Matthews' stewardship,
CIU;tPTLR X I.
A n'rx a r vriti;ii's [loaaat l ttD,
'"Ho Is tt•auting to see you.""
I, altlit"i':f„
"Who else?"
never conspicuous for suavity, lose
or rest awl the universal upheaval of
his long estabilshea routine had.
brought oil Reuben to a pitch of surli-
ness bordering 00 bearishness. Dr, Go-
van's Revere reprimand fat' Itis deser-
tion of bis post the night before added
the last drop of bitterness to his cut?,
and it overflowed upon poor little
Olive's unoffendiug bead.
Ou his tenure from the Spillman cot-
tage Clarence Westover had come In
for a share of the old man's amanita
lated acrimony, after which be had
monntod 1a1s horse and riddeu home
to ax frame of natal scarcely less cynic-
al than Peuben's own. Said the old
servitor:
'"Tliei'e ain't a mite of common sense
in emu' goln; all to pieces about that
child, I've boon kuowing her ever
since she was big enough to be strap-
ped into a baby earrings., which she
generally was trying to kick all to
paces like an unbroken colt, If any-
body crossed her, she would just go off
and hide. Many a bad scare bas she
given us all, just to :wind up by walk -
lug In its smiling as a May morning
and laughing at us for the pack of
fools we undoubtedly was. She is bid -
On somewhere about the hoose now.
She won't turn up smiling this time,
but you may as well stop worrying
about her."
Westover looked sea;-ebingly into the
old man's face. He would much prefer
to tbluk that "that old hag's" arraign-
tnent or Olivia's father bad beenbeard
by no outsider but himself. As he was
going to Marry Horace Matthews'
daughter he should like the name to
bre kept as clean as possible, With the
paper «•bleb Miss Ai(tivina bad con-
fided td lits care .i-ciposiug la his poc::et
he was in a combative mood. Ile owed
It to himself to see that the local gos-
sip niel was supplied witb no more
grist.
"Who bas crossed her this tune?" he
asked sharply.
"Pm not saying anybody has, sir. I
Was just telling you what her custom
was. I guess she's gone off to have a cry
where nobody can't hear lint•. De. Co -
Tau don't give the old man vouch of a
,show."
""BBut Miss Matthews has not been
told that?"
"No. sir. no: but she Ls mlgbty Sharp
. at forming her own conclusions. She
is mighty fretted over being kept out
of• the old man's room. I don't see
into that myself. I should think, es
fond as he is of her, he couldn't keep
her close enough for the little time
that's left. But the old man always
had his own way of doing things."
"And you have searched the house
all over, Reuben?"
"All over, sir, but that don't prove
anything. Tbere ain't but two plaices
for her to be -Miss Malvina's and
here. She is. somewberc about, but I
think she has made it plain enough
that she wants to be left to herself.
If 1 was you, Alr. Clarence, I'd take
things easier."
"That last piece of advice is rather
good, Reuben. I will try to follow it.
I shall gallop over home and back
again by midnight. I 'do not believe
I shall be wanted:'
Reuben had gladly seen him carry
this resolution into effect. Perbaps
the one soft spot in the old man's
indurated heart was for Horace Mat -
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mans face.
thews. They .find grown up together,
they had come t8 MandeVille together,
and he was not as 48,8011 in the dark
as Clarence Westordr 'Would have
liked blur to be, Ile closed the front
door Capon the 'young 811tH pude shut-
fled batch to the sickroom muttering tb
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"i'd Alit its lief ata not nobody ehbutd
be Spyieg on him in. bis Net hours. He
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stuff with the 'fever in his pool" head»
tut the fever• Stag All mit of Marilee
Matthews' head when he turned to-
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"Reuben, whets was Thomas tele-
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