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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1890-11-14, Page 2l H .13,t t U S SLLS .1 -JUST STRANGELY WEDDED. A THRILLING STORY OF ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE. (CONTINUED 1,11011 OCA 162Dli ok' o0Teaaa MET.) foot. She aped along drawing her long dark cloak closely around her as she uent. Her way was past Dennis's quarters and as Jaok reached the paling where the ivy and the sweet -peas were growing he saw Ethel is her loose pale gown with a fleecy white shawl about her shoulders, leaning over the rail. "Why, Jaok," she said iu sue - prise. He stopped short, "Didyou see that woman 2" be asked, "Why, yes." "Did you see her face 2 Would you know her again 2 I was just fol- lowing leer up." "Bat, Jack, surely you recognized her. That was the dark woman who followed us in the High Street one clay and then into the old china. shop, SDon't you remember 2" "Of—source 1" he gasped—"of— goer e I And, Ethel, who is she 2" "How should I know 2" wonder- ingly. She is Mademoiselle Valerie." „Jaok I" She stood looking at him for a moment, her face pale in the brit. Haut moon -light, her eyes scared and full of trouble. "What is ehe doing here 2" sbe asked scarce above a whisper. "I don't know—but I imagine she is following the Major up for some reason or other." "Tracking him about, do you mean ?" "Yes." "Oh 1 Jack -Jack," she Dried, "I do see snob trouble ahead. "I've been thinking—thinking to -night and I see nothing but trouble to come, look which way 1 will. Was ever such a husband and wife ? I feel half mad already," "But," he said tenderly—"you are happier than you were this morning, darling. I know it and surely that ie something. Why should you worry yourself about this woman or her business, what. ever it is, is not with you 1 You can do nothing to help your husband, and if you could he does not deserve Oa you should and probably would not wish it either.. You must leave him to manage such a piece of busi• nese by himself." "Yes, I suppose so," she replied. She rested her hand wearily on the top of the paling and Trevor laid one of lits large firm hands over her little cold one, "Dear," he said in a very low voice—"I'm so glad we went that walk to day." "Yes," ehe answered under her breath—"but I can see nothing but trouble to oome—nothing but trou- ble." "You are shivering, Ebbel—you had better go iu my dear little love —you must take care of yourself now, for my sake." He held her hand in a close pres- sure for an instant and watched her till she was safely within doors. Then he walked back across the bit of open ground to the mess -hut. Not that be stayed there long—in feet, he did libbte more than look in to see that Major Dennis was excit- ed and apparently enjoying himself very much, and then he went off to his own quarters and got into bed, thankful that "the fellows" were all too much occupied with their own business to trouble themselves, for Dna evening about his. About an hour later Major Dennis went home --the light was still burn. ing in the little drawing -room. and he found Ethel sitting there mak. ing a pretence of reeling. "Hello, aren't you gone to bed yet 2" he re marked. "All right." IIe took out his cigarette case and selected a cigar, etre. "Go on," he said, as ha struck a match. "Cosmo," she said—anal she sat forward in her chair looking at him earnestly—"Who' ie :Mademoiselle Valerie and what is or was she to you 2" Ile flung the match and cigarette into the fire•plaee and sprang to hie feet -"What the devil do you mean 2" lie cried roughly. "I mean nothing—I asked you a question, that was all," she ans- wered. It was the first time in her life Meet sho had seen him in a towering rage without being afraid of him. At that moment, however, although his eyes were blazing and his fade all a !isms, she knew absolutely no fear whatever. "Who is she, Cos• mo 2" she asked again, in her anx- iety, rising and going towards him, lis turned upon hos in a fury — "How dtro you ask me that 2" he cried, eatohing bold of her by the arm. "Cosmo, you are hurting me," she Dried. "Hurting you -1 fool like killing yon," he thundered—"Whet have you got in your head 2 What are CHAPTER XIII, EAU Ne r1EAli." "Love can neither be bought nor sold ; its only prioe is love." When Jaok Trevor went away from the Major's quarters that pleasant September evening under a pretence of writing lettere before dinner -time, he bad not the very emalleet intention of doing any- thing of the kind. But he wanted to be quiet—to think it all over with a help of a pipe—so he went into his room and turned the key in the lock feeling fairly sure, at that hour of the day, of being left alone. And then he began to think— well, to think that at least he had spoken out all that was in Ins mind, and now Ethel knew that be loved her and would love her for all time. He bad not meant to tell her—he had fully made up hie mind never to let her know all that was raging in his heart, but the sight of her dear little slender wrist blackened and bruised by the cruel grip of Dennis's drunken fingers, had been too much for him and now that the truth was out, be was not sorry for it. Sorry—wby, he was glad— glad 1 He felta sort of poseeeeive eight in her now, as if it was a dreadful mistake that, legally she belonged to anotber man, aa if—if he only waited long enough and patiently enough it would all come right by and by—by and by. As yet, he hardly knew whether he was disappointed at the turn of events or not. Of course he loved her, loved her with all his heart and soul, and still he felt a wild trinm- pbant joy that sho had been good enough and strong enough to resist him and had refused to listen to his plan for amending the mistakes and misfortunes of her life. I think it was somewhat remark. able that at this time, Jack Trevor only thought of the present and not of the future at all. He never thought of the footing on which it eves likely their friendship world be, he only was filled with one thought —"sue loves me—she loves me." He got up suddenly and went pipe iu hand across the little room to the fireplace over which there hung the portraits dins nearest re• Miens. Lady Gascoigne looked out from a neat oak frame, and his father's handsome eyes seemed to see into his inmost soul. Jack Tre- vor stood and looked at them for a long time. "I wonder what you would say to all this 2" he said aloud at last, "you knew my dear little girl, Dad —'Darling Bishop,' ehe used to call you—I wonder what you'd ray if you were here now and I could go and tell you all about it. How I wish I ennld, Dad, how I wish I could. I know what you'd say though—'patience, my lad, patience' —wouldn't that be about it ? Some- how, I feel as if I wanted to tell somebody or other about it and I've got nobody—nobody. Monty Carl. ton will only jibe and jeer at me for a fool and an idiot—Granny will get a wrong impression of my dear little love—so what can I do 2 I must just come and tell you, Dad, when I can't keep quiet any longer." He was still standing there when his man (same to dress him for din- ner—he looked at his watch as he took it off, "It's ever so late," he said. "I shall have to hurry up." And hurry he did, and even Hien was but barely in time for mess— but as he slipped into the room at the tail of the file of men just pass- ing from ante -xoom to messroom, he notioecl a good way on ahead of him, Major Dennis. There were several guests that evening and Trevor happened to find himself nearly opposite to the Major, who, refreshed by hie long sleep during the afternoon, was in his best form that night. Now, Major Dennis's best form was sim- ply enough at any tome to matte Jack Trevor very ill, and that even• ing, after an afternoon SO tragic, lie was less inolinad than usual to take or seem to take any interest in the stale jokes and Iumbering wittioisins with which Major t'Dennis loved to regale the officers of the Fifteenth when he dined at mess, Therefore as eon as they loft the table for the ante room, he slipped one into the quiet night air and malted across to the Major's quarters. And as he passed through the gate of the mess. hut, be saw or thought bo saw, a familiar figure turn and flit quickly away. "By Jove, I've seen that woman somewhere—the walk, height, car- riage, everything—who is ebe ? What's she doing Isere, I wonder 2" Already he was giving ellen but the stranger was quick and light of yea trying to find out ? Answer me instantly or I obeli do eomebhing desperate," In spite of the meroilese grip on her arm, Ethel still was not in feae --for one thing sho knew that he had been drinking and was not en his right mind, for another she knew tbat what she had to tell him would probably bring him down to the practical side of the question without the delay of a moment. "I want to find out nothing," she said looking at him steadily—"did 1 try to find out who gave you that embroidery!? Not I 1 I don't care— you are a free agent, so far as 1 am oonoerned-1 don't even take any interest in your doings. But I am your wife and I live with you, and when I see Is great danger or a great annayanee coming upon you, am I not to tell you of it 2 Last year I was afraid of you, Oosmo, but I am not afraid of yunnow--I obeli never be afraid of you again, not even when you are drank." He stood etaeiug at her in amaze- ment, reeognizicg that some new element had come into her life ; and in hie eurpriee he tightened his grip upon her arm, until she could have shrieked in the agony of her pain. "What do you mean 2" he asked, but he spoke in a quieter tone than before and his eyes were filled with a naw tear. "That woman has been prowling round here this evening,"- Ethel said. "What, yeoman 2" "The woman whose card you had the other day—Mademoiselle Val- ervie." He started violently and let ber arm go free—"She has been here 1" he cried increduogs ly. "Not in this house --no. But elle has been watching your movements outside the mesa -hut, for Jaok Tre- vor caught her." "And how did he know who she was 2" suepiciouely. "People are not all blind, Cosmo —most of us see more of other folk's business than is always palatable to them, and we have seen a good deal lately." "And you have been talking me over with --with that boy 2" he;de. mended. as was getting sober rapidly now. "Not at all ! Sit down, Cosmo, and I will tell you everything that I know. You know." she went on -- "when you went to town Last you told my old friend Jack to look after me—and lie did so." "Oh, of course. Well 2" "Well, we wont dowu to the Re- creation Grounds one afternoon to hear the band and then I saw that woman first. We noticed her be cause she was alone, quite alone. She is a handsome woman and not in the least commou-looking, and we wondered that she should not know a soul, not hsve a single man salute her. When we went home, she left the Grounds and she passed and remained us several times. At last we wont into a shop, really that we might lose sight of her—she fol- lowed us in there also and asked 10 see some miniatures that were en the window, and we at last got rid of her. Well, I have seen her about pretty often since then, and to. day it has come back to me that she passed up the High Street that day we went to Highlligbb and the gray horse bolted. 1 did not understand at the time wby you cut at him with the whip—tbiak 1 do now. This afternoon I could not imagine why you should make such a fuss about a dressmaker's card—but tonight I realized, and so did Jack, that Made- moiselle Valerie and the woman who has been prowling round here to• night are the same." "Bub about to night ?" he asked anxiously. 'l'onigbt I was feeling tired and lonely—my head ached e. little and I wrapped a shawl round me and went out for a few minutes among the flowere, as I often do. Whilat I was there I saw that woman come quickly from the direction of the mess and pass along towards the ,gates, followed by Jack Trevor, who had just come out of the mess. Ho asked me if I saw her—said he had surprised her watching through the windows, and added ab once that he bad Beau her somewhere, and when I told him, that is reminded him of the Recreation Grounds and the High Street, he said at once, 'She is Mademoiselle Valeria.' " "And be is right enough—alio is Mademoisolle Valerie," said the Major gloomily, "And what is sho to you 2 What has she been to you?" :Ltliol asked, a certain stern dignity in her tones. "Nothing --- absolutely nothing," he answered. "1 swear to you, Ethel, that Valerie Dever was anything but my deadly enemy, aucl hover will "But liow 2 --why 2" "I can't toll you all that now ; 1 will some day–not to -night, I'm too knocked over and all to pieces." "And what dons she hope to gait by tracking you down in this way 2" "I haven't an idea." "Why dont you see her and have it out with her 2" Y "I'd rather fano the devil in per- son; be answered promptly, "1 daresay you would—you're e dreadful coward at the best of times." "A coward—I," he cried, blazing up again—"Ethel—" 'I spoke quite plainiy,did I not ?' 11.10 asked—"and you know, it is true or it would not have put you into a passion as it hoe done, Would any man with the strength of a Hemline as you have, put out your great strength against such a thing as I have acme to be 2 "Look," holding out her little snowflake hand against his great red one— "Look at your hand and mine— and look at those, too." She dragged leer sleeve back and allowed him where the soft white flesh was bruised and blackened, "Did I do that 2" he asked in gen. nine surprise. "You did." "Upon my word, Ethel, I'm awfully sorry," he said after a moment's silence. "Yon see I've beau so beside myself the last few weeks I've hardly known what I was doing and I've drunk more than was good for me. But I'd no idea I'd been such a brute as that and I'm sorry. You know I never laid a finger on you except when I was half drunk 1 Come, make up with me, old woman—give' me a kiss." She held out her hand to him and' permitted ' h'im. just to touch the edge of her 'cheek. Major Den- nie, however; caught her in his arms 'and' held he oloae. "No,' glee me a real kiss; Ethel," he cried. "But Ethel put her head back and looked at lain -with such cold con- t'edept in her eyes that his arms, re- laxed their hold and he set her free. The next moment, however, he tried to laugh the awkwardness of the situation away—" Oh 1 well, if it's like that," he said, with a would be jaunty air—"it's no use asking you for it. All the same I am very much in your debt." CHAPTER XIV. -Arriso. "If thy hand be in the lion's mouth, got it out as fast as thou canat." I thiok if Major Dennis had been younger or if Ethel had been older, that circumstances at this time would have drawn them closer to- gether than they had ever beau be. fore. But the Major had bad a fair chance of winning hie wife's love and had in his carelessness and violence, lost it forever. Truth to tell, his admiration for her had never been so great as when she held herself back from the clasp pf his arms and by a single look in- dicated that she did not mean to kiss him. "Pon my word," he said to himself when she bad gone to bed and he was smoking his last cigarette—"there's more, far more in the little woman than I thought —how she rounded on me—what a little spit -fire she looked—and liow pretty. As for Valerie—ob 1--" The door opened again, and Ethel Dame in—Major Denials looked aside --"what is it 7" ha caked. "I left my purse here—that was all," she answered. She mined to the fire -place and tools her purse from the chimney. shelf. "Ethel," be said holding out hos hand—"I say little woman—I am real sorry I herb your poor little wrist–you'll forgive nee, won't you 7' "Oh 1 yes—pray don't any any- thing mare about it." "But I can't help saying some- thing about it because—oh I hang it all, Ethel, I feel such a brute— such a brute. Poor, dear little wrist" and then he oaugbb her band and kissed the ugly black bruise ,lusb where Trevor's lips had touched it a few hour's before. She wrenched her band away with an exclamation of—what 2 Annoyance—pain—an gar—clieguat? He did not know. "Whnt have I done 2" he asked. "You hurt me," she answered, "Is it so bad as that 2" "Yes—bub please, Came, don't speak of it again. It was bad enough at the time but I knew that you did nob mean to do it, I don't want to think about 11 any more," and aha turned away and was gone out of the room before be could speak again. "By Jove, how peatty she is," be said to himself—a eight prettier than sho ever was before. I al- ways did litre a bit of spirit le a woman—always. And its good of her not to lot it stand between rte and to say she did not want to hear or think anything more about it." 1f he hail only known bow mach more insurmountable a barrier had risen up between them—how Pre. vat's bright face was oushrined in Ms wife's heart, how Trevor had taken the white neglected flower of (ao rtnI rtri) ON PA811 8 ) Noy. 14, 1890, Values that Talk NO HUMBUG, BUT GENUINE BARGAINS ALEX. STRACHAN'S. Don't be Deceived, Come and see for yourself. An examination of our stock will not take you long, and may save you dollars, OUR -PRICES - ARE - RIGHT. In DRESS Goons we have something Now and Hand- some, — SILtc BieuoitormsiuoD DRESS BORES. To have an idea of the beauty of these Goods you most see them. B. 6' C. CORSETS. This is the age for Novel- ties. Who ever heard of Paper Clothing. Come in and see them. We have PAPER VESTS for Ladies or Gents. Something that will keep you warm and com- fortable on a cold clay, and prevent you from catching c old. 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