HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1886-7-2, Page 22 THE BRUSSELS POST
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ALINE RODNEY'S SECRET.
ere aim. AMEX. 11Z01711(G111 hale IIMii,
ADTnoil OP
. IImurei roue," "Il+ady Qi: .7'i A'rlde,"
etc., etc.
when she saw how kindly lie was re-
garding her with his attentive grey
eyes, e„io took heart of grace to talk to
him, because she believed that are did
not know. Same of her olcl impulsive-
ness returned to her. She, began to
take an interest in his conversation.
He, on his part, began to seo what a
charming girl she might have been if
this shadow of some uuknown sin had
not fallen ou the whiteness of her life.
Once or twice she oven laughed aloud,
and ho said to himself, even though he
was intensely practical, and not in the
least romantic, that her laughter was
as sweet as a chime of music.
He talked to her of the world, of the
gay cities, of the people he had met, of
the places he had visited, and she list.
ened with delight. She had never met
any ono like Mr. Lane before—any one
who had, seen the world and knew it
thoroughly in both its good and bad
phases. She became so interested that
she forgot momentarily the brooding
shadow of trouble that hung always
over her. Her old love of life and the
world returned to her. A soft color
glowed on her cheeks, her eyes beamed
as she cried out, vivaciously:
"Oh, how I envy you, Mr. Lane! You
have traveled, you•have seen the world,
you have enjoyed life 1 There is nothing
I should like better 1"
He looked at her with a smile. Her
beautiful face was momentarily radiant.
She was full of eager anticipation and
desire.
"You would like to travel?" he said.
"Oh, so much 1" she cried, clasping
hex shapely white hands together in
the earnestness of her feeliugs, and car-
ried out of herself by excitement.
"Have you ever been in New York,
Miss Rodney?" he inquired, with appa•
rent carelessness.
A little laugh that was half pity and
half self scorn rippled sweetly over her
Ripa She was evidently amused at his
'entire ignorance of her travelling record.
"New York I" she exclaimed. "Why,
Mr. Lane, would yonbelieve that I have
never been away from Chester, in my
life?"
CHAPTER XXXI.
The sweet, high-pitched voice reach-
ed every ear in the room distinctly.
Every one was surprised at the asser-
tion; but they saw that Aline had for-
gotten herself, and all were wise enough
not to take any apparent notice of the
admission. She continued, confiden-
tially :
"Yon see, Mr. Lane, we lived on a
farm in the country, about two miles
from Chester, while I was a child. Bo -
fore I was grown up papa sold the farm
and came to live at the cottage here :
and here we have been ever since, and
I have never been five miles from Ches-
ter in my life."
She saw some sort of a wonder on
his face, and added, gayly :
"I see that you are wondering at me,
Mr. Lane. Perhaps I should not have
confessed to such lamentable ignorance
of the world around mo 2"
"On the contrary. I am charmed to
have heard you confess it.
"wbore ianoranoe is brise,
'Tis folly to bo wise "'
She looked at him in some Iittie won-
der. The tone of his voice was peen.
liar; but when she looked at his face
it appeared perfectly calm and frank.
After a moment's silence, he continued:
"To one used to the lore of the world like
lam, it is refreshing to meet with one
so guileless and innocent of the evil of
the world. I am not so enviable as you
think, Miss Rodney. A knowledge of
the world is not conducive to love Of
life."
She had boon slowly gathering her
thoughts together while he talked.
Quite suddenly the memory of her own
knowledge of the world rushed over her
—the knowledge that had come too late
to save her from the evil.
Her face grew suddenly pale. She re-
called the admission she had made just
now, "I have never been away from
Chester in my life."
She grew frightened at the thought
that she had almost betrayed the secret
she was sworn to keep. Fortunately,
this man to whom she was talking knew
nothing and could make nothing of what
she had said. But Dr. Anthony and the
others—lead they hoard ?
She glanced furtively around her. I'lo
one was observing her. Effie's fingers
were still straying over the piano, wak-
ing low, soft chords, and the doctor's
head was close to here, as he whispered
love's delicious nothings in her willing
ears. Mr. and Mrs. Rodney were look-
ing over the pictures in the new maga-
zine. Max had fallen asleep, as usual,
an the convenient sofa, She thought,
with a sigh of relief, that no one except
Mr. Lane had been paying any atten-
tion to her.
"But I must be more careful next time.
I shall betray everything some time if
I suffer myself to relapse into my old
thoughtless self," she thought, and she
became so suddenly quiet and dixtrair
that Mr. Lane began to wonder in his
mind if ho had unwittingly offended her.
She did not give hini a chance to find
out, for just as he WAS on the point of
asking her whether ho had been so un-
fortunate, the made soma slight excuse
for leaving the them and did not retutn
that night.
But liIr. Lane's brief interview with
her had given him material for grave
Tefheotion.
Ho had gnito decided in his own
mind that she was pure, trio, and
innocent, as she was beautiful.
Ho said to himself that her trouble,
whatever it was, might have eomo to
her through folly or waywardness, but
never through deliberate sin.
Ito was a close reader of human
nature, as his profession necessitated
ho amid be Iio knew that he had
flickered and disappeared with almost
the swiftness of a flash of lightning.
He was full of wonder over what he
Thad heard and seen.
"What a horrible voice!" ho said to
himself. "Ib was neither that of a man
nor woman, and yob it sounded distinctly
human. What was, it ? I have heard
clack shrieks within the walls of mad,
houses, nowhere oleo. Can it bo thatm
eoo unforbunato lunatic is confined in
Delaney House ?"
Ho stood still, lietening and watch -
made Aline temporarily forget her ing some time, but lie neither saw nor
trouble, and he believed that every heard anything moro. Tho mansion
word that elle lead spoken to hila had rehire/ el to its neral gloom and
had been the pure, unadulterated silence. It almost seemed to him as if
truth. Those frank blue oyes were
those fcarfel shrieks and that swift
the very well of truth and purity. They flash of light had been the figment 0f
had looked at him frankly and guild-- his own disordered imagination,
lessly, and they had no falsehood in Ho wout up to the front gate, which,
them, like the fence, was of tall, ornate, iron.
work, surmounted by bristling spear-
heads, and softly brie d the latch. It was
unlocked and yielded readily to his
touch. Ile entered the lovely neglected
grounds and strolled through the quiet
paths, careful to keep in the shadow
and well out of the patches of wintery
moonlight that gleamed on some of the
white, graveled walks. Ho did not,
himself understand the strange caprice
that had driven him to enter the private
grounds of one who was wholly a
stranger to him, but it led him blindly
on.
"If the owner should catch mo tres-
passing on his grounds Imight find my.
self rather de troy,," he thought,rimly,
but be did not turn back. He did not
think it likely that the master of De-
laney House would .wander in that
dreary, deserted garden on such a night.
Leaving the vicinity of the house, he
strolled slowly on and came out at that
end of the garden which was simply
walled by the gable end of Mr. Roduoy`s
cottage. Still in the shadow himeelf
he saw a sudden light thrown on the
ground by tbo reflection of the light
from a window. Ile glanced up quickly
and saw that it shone from the case-
ment of Aline Rodney's room.
He drew back further into the con-
venient shadow cast by. a tall, dark
evergreen -tree, and looked up. He saw
that the eurtain at the window had
Leen drawn aside by a small white
hand. The next moment lee saw a fair
young face gazing out wistfully through
the pane into the moonlit night whose
mystic shadows lay long and dark
around Delaney House.
It was Aline Rodney's face. Ho gazed
upon it,.oagerly, as it stared out with
parted lips and wide, despairing eyes
at the Clark, gloomy house.
"What is she doing there ? What
interest can she have ip Delaney
Mouse ?" Mr. Lana asked himself,
soberly.
The beautiful grayseyoung face gave
no answer to his question. There was
upon it an expression of wistful sad-
ness and pathetic sorrow that went to
his heart, strong man though he was.
She remained 'for some time gazing
sadly out into the wintery darkness,
then slowly retired and dropped the
heavy curtain between herself and the
dreary scene.
Mr. Lame retraced his steps back
through the shrubbery toward the
house again. He went around to the
front entrance and looked curiously at
the great carved oaken door.
Ho was struck by a coincidence with.
Dr. Anthony's story.
The front door was reached by a
flight of wide, marble steps.
"Strange!" he muttered to himself.
-what it this should peeve to be the
house 1"
Her frank and thooghtlese admission
had lot in such a flood of light upon hie
mind as would have frightened Aline
indeed could she only have known it.
"I have never been away from
Chester in my life," she had said, and
the words rung in his heating long after
her fair, bewildering face had vanished
from his sight.
If this worn true, and Mr. Lane did
not in the least doubt the assertion,
what became of Dr. Anthony's romantio
story ?
The place inhere Dr. Anthony had
been called to attend the mysteriously
wounded girl must have been about live
miles from Maywood, declared the
physician.
"Chester is five miles distant from
'Maywood."
Mr. Lane repeated these words to
Himself, and his face began to burn and
his heart to thump against his vest
pocket.
He seized hie hat and went out into
the night air to cool his glowing face.
Out under the cold, wintery sky, with
its host of gloaming stars, ho meutally
shook himself.
"I have been a stupid dolt, a stark,
staring idiot," he cried, vehemently.
"I shall never pride myself ou my skill
and acumen again. Only to think'that
I never reflected en that plain fact that
Chester is five miles from Maywood.
The girl has never been oat of Chester,
and oh, what a consummate stupid I
have been."
IIe was angry with himself, indeed.
He ' accused himself of the most in.
excusable stupidity. Only to think how
he had scoured the country for Milos
around Maywood and never thought of
Chester. It was the most natural
mistake in the world, but he was bit-
terly angry with himself for having
made it.
He walked along the pavement in
front of the cottage, so absorbed in
thought that he scarcely heeded the
cold winter wind that eighed among the
leafless trees and around the gables of
the cottage. With the sight of Aline's
beautiful, innocent face had come an
even deeper desire to fathom the eooret
of that strange absence.
"I will find it out this time ; but will
she thank me for it? Will any one
thank me ?" ho asked himself, soberly,
and he decided that it could not hurt
Aline Rodney to have the truth re-
vealed. He did not believe that any
wilful guilt could hide behind that
smooth white brow and thoseclear,
true oyes.
"She would undoubtedly reveal it
herself but for the vow of silence that
binds her," he said bn himself. "I may
even be doing her a favor by tracing
out the secret and revealing le to her
parents. Anyhow, I shall make it con-
venient to remain down here a week or
two, and we shall see what we shall
see.'"
Absorbed in his thonghts be walked
on past the strip of fence in front of tho
cottage a few paces down the street,
without observing that he was directly
before the tall, Imposing graystone
mansion known as Delaney House. It
stoodwell back among its leafless trees
and ghost-like evergreen shrubberies
and cedars that showed like sober -
suited sentinels in the cold, white light
of the moon. Tho house lookedgloomy
enough with its closed doors and
heavily shuttered windows from whence
no friendly light streamed forth to
cheer the weary passerby, but Mr.
Lane did not notice it as he walked
slowly past absorbed in his own vexing
thoughts,
Absorbing as they were they were
doomed to have a sudden and startling
interruption.
' The nighthad been intenselystill save
for the lw whisperings of te winter
wind as it swept past in restless sighs,
but suddenly its °elm was broken by a
long, low wail that broke shuddoringly
upon the silence and repose of the hour,
and swelled high and still higher until
it became a fearful shriek of mad rage
and impotent anger most terrible to
hear:
"Ah—h--11 1 Ah—h—h f"
That loud, terrible, prolonged shriek
fell suddenly and startlingly upon tbo
ears of the detective. He sprung back-
ward with a smothered cry and stared
upward to whore the sound seemed to
issueforth.
IIis eyes fell upon the dark, silent
facade of Dulaney House.
"Alit" he breathed, and like a hor-
rible echo mime that fearful shriek
again :
"Ah—h--13. ! Ah -13—h 1 Ah—h -h 1"
It seemed to float over his head and
dio away in the wandering breeze.
Again be glanced up at the dark, lower-
ing front of Delaney House. This time
its darkness was illumined by a line of
light that glanced momentarily througk
the shutters, then abruptly disappeared.
CHAPTER XXXII.
He stood silently gazing at the win,
down where the light had- so etraugoly
He gazed longingly at the dark stone
walls. He would have .given anything
could his gaze have pierced through
them in quest of the hidden blue room
of Dr. Anthony's story. A dozen vague
suspicions were floating formlessly
through his mind, but each thought
hovbred like a dark.winged bird of
omen around Delaney Honed.
"Can it be that the secret is hidden
here ?" he asked himself. "Have we
all been searching far and wide for
Aline Rodney while she lay wounded
and hidden ab her father's very door 2"
The suspicion took hold upon his
mind with startling pertinacity. • It
grew into a settled belief even while ho
stood there gaging fixedly ab the close.
Shut, forbidding -looking door.
"Wolf, if it be so or not, I shall find
it opt before I leave Chester again," he
said to himself, with a pertain resolu-
tion in his tone, as he let himself out of
the gate into the street again.
He want back to the cottage and met
Dr. Anthony coming out to loolefor him.
"I thought you had run away„;.,ane.
Where have you been ?” asked the
doctor.
"I came out to smoke a cigar. You
know my old bachelor Imbibe," Mr.
Lane answered indifferently.
"You must be half frozen. It fe a
very cold night. Come in and warm
your fingers before we go," said his
friend. -
They went in, and though they rallied
Mr. Lane on his long absence in the
cold night air, he did not say one word
of what he had seen and heard. The
time had not come yet.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The next night was the wedding -
night. It was the first day of January.
Dr. Anthony and Effie had chosen to
be ria •their new life with the now year.
No invitations had been issued for
the marriage, but the church doors had
boon thrown open for the accommodation
of those who oared to attend. When
the bridal patty entered the church, they
were surprised tp find that itwas closely
packed by the population of Chester.
1We/i ty had drayen hither all those
among whom Effie had formerly moved,
and who had scornfully, dropped her
because of the mysterious secret that
had darkened her sister's lifts
HURON 'ANDD jiltUOE
Loan & Investment Co.
rarna
This Company is Loaning Money
on Faris Security at LOWEST RATES
- of lntt'rest.
DIORTGAC:!El± 31UlIO11ASED,
BAVIN ,g BANK nnANCII.
3,4 and 11 per cent. Interest Al-
lowed on Deposits, according to
'amount .and time left.
•
Orrlos.--On corner: of Market
Square and Northstreat, Goderich.
Horace Horton,
i1IAitAGRa'
Goderich,Aug.bth,1886
MONEY TO LOAN.
eteneyto oen o•I arm pro' arty at
LOWEST RATES.
PRIVATE ANC COMPANY FUNDS
W. B. DIcicSON, .
Solicitor,
Brussels, Ont.
Money to Loan.
PRIVATE FUNDS.
$20,000
of2r.vateFundohavejustbocn placed in
myhandsfor Invostment
AT 7 PER CENT.
Borrowers can havetheirloanscomplete
in three dao s if title is satisfactory,
Apply to E. E. WADE.
JULY 2, ISM.
CUSTOM '!?AILOi.RIN(1.
The undersigned bets Leave to intimate
to the public that he has opened a tailor
011 p in the Garfield IIouse bloc, "over
I'owell's store, whore he is prepared to at-
tend lo the wants of the public) in cutting,
fitting and malting clothing in tbo Latest
and most fasbionablu styles, My long ex-
perience together with a course of instruc-
tion under one of the beet cutters in Toron-
to is a guarantee of Tieing able to do satis-
factory work. Satisfaction guaranteed. llf,
11-3m G. A. flIilal.
MONEY TO LEND.
Any amount of Money to Loan on
Farm or 'Village property at
(3 ,1. G?, PER CENT. YEARLY.
Straight Loans with priiiloge of
repaying when required. Apply
to
A. HUNTER,
Division Court Clerk, Brussels.
BRUSSELS PUIIP WORKS.
The undersigned begs to inform the public
that they have manufactured and ready
for use
PUMPS OF ALL KINDS,
WOOD . IRON.
•
Cisterns of
Any dimension.
GATES 01' ALL SIZES.
CLOTHES REELS
of it superior construction. Examine our
stock before purchasing elsewhere. A Call
solicited. We are also Agents for
,'llc'Dougall's Celebrated Windmill.
Wilson & Pelton,
Shop Opposite P. Scott's Blacksmith Sliop
P. S.—Prompt attention paid to all re-
pairing of Pumps, &c.
UUSTOW L WOOLEN MILLS.
. } yF R t.11y1acjli
t.liT °S
VITOOL ,
For the Season 1886.
742
Cash Paid.
I am prepared to pay the highest cash price for good fleece wool delivered,at the Lis-
towel Woolen Mills. Having been eleven years in busineee hero, it has always beenmy
endeavor to pay higher than the market allows, and in the past- years have paid city
market prides. Wool being so low in price, ib will afford me pleasure to pay the highest
price going. In oxolianging wool for goods will allow a few cents more. Will also guar-
antee to sell my goods at Cash prices. T don't have two prices—cash and trade—my
rale is ono price only. Bunning the year round enables mo to carry a large shock. This
year having a larger stock than usual, will offer you
The best Stock of Tweeds in the Dominion to choose front. Double and
Twisted Full"Cloths, Flctnnels, Blankets,. all Goods of
the Newest and Latest Designs.
Como early with your wool and you will find us ready end willing to give you our
bust attention. We will bo happy for you to Inspect Goods mod Prides before disposing
of your wool. I remain, yours respectfully,
JB. F(. 'HIRJ001.
ATI
AL R LLE ' TILLS,.
3�C'..TTSS HMS, Olq-.'T.
CHANGE OF PROPRIETORS'.
Having leased the well known and splendidly equipped Boller Flouring
IvIill'from Alossrs. SVIn• Slanstono cC Sons for tt terra of years, we desire
to intirnato to the farmer's of Huron Co. and the public gene; ally
that wo are prepared to turn out the best brands of Flour, look after
the Gristing Traclo, supply any quantity of Bran, Chopped sniff, &o.,
incl buy Any Quantity of Wheat.
7.ibbe mill is reeogliizeel as one of the hest in the County and our long
experionco_ in this business gives. us confidence in saying do guarallteo
satisfaction,
Flour .and Feed Always on hand. •
li Gristing and Chopping promptly attended to.
A' CALL SOLICITED.
Stewart az board,
PROPRIETORS.