HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1886-9-3, Page 22
SWORN TO SILENCE;
en,
ALINE RODNEY'S SECRET,
• ily XtIRbG.. ALISX. 1110/IGIGIa atutazault,
sumu00 01
*Laurel Vane," "Lndy Gay's$*ride,'"
etc„ etc,
au that •t3 as trails`pi±1g-bel ud-it, or
how bitterly the•girl wouidhave to suf-
fer for her silence. Man -like, he had
not thought of the world's busy tongues,
always wagging in cruel despite.
Well, it was all over now for Aline,
and all over for him. He would not
believe that she was dead. He could
not fancy those violet eyes closed in the
eternal sleep—those sweet lips silent
forever I God would not be so cruel
now when life was opening so fairly for
her, the shadows all gond from her sky,
and her pathway bright with the sun-
shine. She would come home and be
happy after he was dead.
Deeper and deeper grow the shadows
in the room. The fire sputtered and
sparkled, and a oinder fell noisily from
the grate. He had become so very noir
vous that oven that little thing made
him start and open his eyes.
He opened them and glanced about
the room. A cry broke from his lips.
He was not alone.
Just between him and the flickering
firelight stood a graceful, girlish figure,
with loosely falling hair, and a lovely
white face turned toward him. The
blood around his heart seemed suddenly
to turn to ice.
"What was it? A lying trick of the brain?
Yet X thought I saw hor stand,
A shadow, there at my feet,
}Iigh over the shadowing land.
The ghostly wraith of ono that X know."
THE BRUSSELS POST SEPT. 3, 1886.
CUSTOM TAILORING.
The undersigned. begs leave to intimate
to the public) that lie has opened a tailor
shop ill tho Garfield 'louse Meek, over
Powell's atom, where he is prepared to at-
tend to the wants of the public in cutting,
fitting and malting elotliing in the latest
and most fashionable stylon• My long ex-
perience together with a course of instruc-
tion under one of the hest °titters in Toron-
to is a gnersntee of being able to do sans.
factory work. Satisfaction guaranteed,
36.3111 G. A. BEER,
hand that lay passive in his. "I did
not deserve it. I thought that you
would hate and scorn me too bitterly
ever to speak to me again. Thank you
a thousand times for coming.
Something carnet into the wistful face
into which ho was anxiously gazing—
'kindness, pity, almost sadness.
"Yes, I have been very augry with
you," she said, with a curious catch in
her breath. "I meant thou you should
never, never see my face again. But
they told mo that you were—were ill,
and then I cams. You know we forgive
all things to the dying."
CHAPTER LXIV.
He had felt that he was slowly dying
ho knew that the physician and all the
others thought so, too. He had not
cared for it, He had rather exulted in
the thought, for he had grown weary of
his 'ruined life, •
But when Aline Rbdney, in those
few frank words told him that 11e was
dying, it touohed a chord in his heart
that thailled with the keenest pain.
There came to him a pang that was
like despair at the thought of leaving
the world with her in it.
For the first time since that horrible
night that had freed him from the bated
fetters that bound him to the deformed
maniac, he reoalled his freedom with a
vague, wild rush of happiness at all
that was possible to him now, if only—
if only that gaunt, black shadow of
death had not stretched out its dark
wings over him.
The pang was sharp and bitter. Ho
loved her, and to his fancy it seemed as
if fate had created this beautiful woman
to be his wife. They had been at war
with each other, and yet his heart had
gone out to her with its whole freight of
manly love and devotion. Must he die
now and leave her for some other happy
man ?—/32r. Lane, perhaps, of Wham he
was morbidly jealous.
A great longing for life took possesion
of him. Oh, if be only had battled
CHAPTER LXIII. I harder to save this existence, which
After that one cry of surprise and,ho now prized so much. He hated him,
wonder, Oran Delaney could not utter self when he remembered that the play -
another word. He stared speechlessly sioian had said that he had -recklessly
at the fair vision that had arisen, as it i flung away his life by his despondency
were, between him and the flickeringand hopelessness.
firelight. I He pressed closer in his the little
Until this moment he had an abiding hand, and looked yearningly into the
conviction that Aline Rodney was not sweet girl face with his hollow, burning,
dead. His conviction was staggered dark oyes.
now. How else had she come there, a I "So you forgive me all ?" he said, and
silent shadow in bis room, save from she answered, gravely, "Yes, all 1"
the worldo f s ha doivs ' ? "Forgiveness is the boon we grant to
r u
pillow,
Mrs, Griffin busied herself in proper.
ing the little table by the bedside,
which elle now wheeled forward with
the simple ropeneatly arranged
upon it.
"Do you know. thoh I could not
swallow a mouthful now ?" ho said,
looking at her with a slight smile. "I
am so impatient to hear Aline's story,
that I can think of nothing else."
"But ho mueb keep up his strength,
mustn't he, Miss Rodney?" said Mrs.
Griffin, anxiously.
"Most certainly l And I shall not
begin the telling of my story until after
he has eaten every bite of his toast and
swallowed every mouthful of his tea,"
answered that young person, with her
usual cruel directness.
He looked at her imploringly.
"Do you not know that I am far too
much excited to eat ?" he said.
"If that is the case, I am very sorry
that I came," exclaimed Miss Rodney.
"I was told, particularly, that you must
not bo excited. So 1 will take myself
off at once."
"Do not go, Miss Rodney" . pleaded
the nurse, while the invabd Cried out,
anxiously:
"Stay, Aline, and I will at (moo pro-
ceed to devour every morsel on the
plate."
"Verylwell. In that case I may per.
mit myself to remain awhile longer,"
she replied.
She sat down again and watched him
taking his tea. There was a very sober,
grave expression on her face while sho
did so.
She was shocked at the change that
had taken plane in Mr. Delaney since
that snowy night, barely five weeks
agoras, when she had asked him to
marry her and he had refused her re-
quest.
Then he had been tall, strong, hand-
some, full of life and health. Now how
pale, how wan, how shadowy, appeared
the wasted face in which the great
burning black eyes appeared so large
and solemn.
follow I he will not be here
long. How dreadful to think that my
papa should be the canoe of his death,"
said the girl to herself, with a great
wave of pity and regret sweeping over
her heart.
Ho finished his toast and looked at
her with a wan smile.
"Now, Aline, you will tell me where
you went when you left me that Light,"
he said, pleadingly.
A wave of orimson swept over her
"She is not of us, as I divine: death," he said, mon of lly "But if I face. She recalled the mission upon
5ho comps from another stiller world of the wore going to live, Aline, would you be which she had gone to him that time.
dead." loss kind.? Would you refuse to forgive "I know what you are thinking of,"
He lay still and awe-stricken, gazing me, then 2" be said, "But it was a noble motive
at the fair, young face that shone so Ile waited anxiously to hear what she that prompted you that night. You
ld sa though he knew they, could would have saved me from.. the oonse-
whitely in the dim light. It was turned
fully toward hien, and the large blue
oyes were fixed in an intent gaze. He
quivered under it, and keen arrows of
Pain shot along his nerves, but he could
not turn his eyes from the vision. Not
a feature, not a curve, not an outline
escaped him. He noted how soft and
long were the dark, curling tresses that
fellin loose waves upon her shoulders,
how gracefully the plain dark robe was atonement you could, and I thank you that
" the hasty, simpu sive action without
fitted to the slender figure, how Fondly for it
her white throat rose from the dark "You know all ; they have told you He gazed at her with sorrowful eyes
folds, all," he said, with a faint flush creeping and an aching heart. Ah, how soon the
Death had not robbed her of that , into his wan cheeks. grave would hide him from the sight of
"Yes, I have heard all. It was very those sweet, blue orbs 1
While the blush still burned her fair
face she sad to him with a half smile :
"Did you think I should be rendered
so desperate by your refusal that night,
that I should go away and drown my-
self 1"
"I thought you would go back home,
and I was horrified when I found that
you had not done so," he replied.
"No, I was too wretched to go back,"
she said. "I was in a fever of unrest
and trouble when I came to you that
night. My brain was on Are. I had
not stopped to think or to reason. 1
acted on impulse wholly. But your
sarcasm, your sternness, stunned me,
cooled me. When I staggered out of
Delaney House I was almost dead with
shame and despair for what I had done."
She put up her hand a moment to
hide the sensitive quiver of her lips,
then resumed:
My first thought was to get away
from my home. I longed to break
loose from old' associations and hide my-
self from all who know me. I turned
my steps away from Delaney House,
ana staggered along in the snow until
my sense of physical discomfort cooled
my reckless mood. I began to think
that I must stop somewhere or I should
perish in the cold. Then I remembered
my sister Effie, who had gone South on
a bridal tour,"
She looked from him to Mrs. Grif%tu,
with a smile in her blue eyes.
"Yon were expecting to hear some-
thing tragic, but my story is the most
prosaic one imaginable. 1 was not
meant for a heroine at all; I am too
afraid of discomfort and trouble," she
said, with a soft little laugh. "When I
started I was quite desperate ; I did not
care whore I went. But when the
snow beat into my face and chilled my
feet, I became discouraged. I did not
want to go back, but I longed intensely
won y,
not greatly matter now whether ebe an- quences of your fathers wrath. Ah,
swered him yea or not. It was too late Aline, I was horribly tempted 'to take
now. He was drifting too near to the you at your word ; but if I had done so
borders of the Shadow -Land. I should but have done you deeper
She looked at him with a faint, almost tt io g."
tender smile on her exquisite redmouth.
"I would forgive you if you lived just
as freely as I forgive you dying,"she
answered. "You have made all the
• n
"Yes, I know now, and I thank you
for what seemed cruel then," she
answered, simply, but the blush still
burned her face. She could not recall
superlative beauty that charmed the
eyes of all beholders. The frank, violet
eyes, the arch red mouth, the adorable
little nose, the cream -white skin, the
dark waving Bair all were here as of
yore, and thrilled his heart again with a
passion of love and despair.
He gazed and gazed, his nerves
strained to their utmosttension, and she
stoodthero moveless, stirless, breathless,
it almost seemed, fox his own tense,
heavy breathing drowned all other
sounds iii the room.
At length with a great effort of will, he
broke the bonds that held' him, and
cried out, hoarsely :
"Aline, Aline, have you comp back
from the dead to reproach me?"
It was like an electric shock galvaniz-
ing the seeming ghost into life. The
girl started and made a step forward.
hard for you, Mr, Delaney. You must
have been half mad with your trouble ;
so I forgive you now all that you have
made me suffer. Perhaps it will make
your dying -bed easier," said Aline, with
the wonderful pity and forgiveness of a
true woman's heart.
"Easier 1" he repeated with a groan,
and she did not know that it only made
it harder. "For if I lived, and she for-
gave me, I might win her yet," he said
to himself. "Oh, how hard it is to die,
knowing all this I"
The door opened softly, andthe nurse
entered with the inevitable tea and
toast. She laid fresh coal on the fixe
and lighted the lamp. Then she nodded
at Miss Rodney, with a smile.
"He will get well, now that you have
come back and forgiven him," she said.
"I hope that he may," Aline answered,
he came nearer and nearer until she with frank simplicity.
was leaning toward him and her sweet, 1 And again she did notknow how much
warm breath floating over his cheek. harder those words of hers made it for
This was no ghost, but a living, breath. the man who knew that he was sinking
ing, sentient woman 3 daily, in the Valley of the Shadow of
"Oh, Mi'. Delaney," she cried, with Death.
something like awe in her voice, "is it "What would I not give to live 2" he
possible that you take me for a ghost 2" inwardly groaned.
He could not spook for joy. His brain "I must go back to mamma now,"
reeled. delirously. Could it be Aliue said Aline, moving to the door.
Rodney in the flesh? Aline Rodney,
His dark eyes followed her entreat,
come back to him before he died, look.
ing at him kindly, speaking to him
gently ? Should he not awaken pre-
sently and find it all a delusive dream?
He put out his wasted hand and
tonched her warm, white wrist.
"Let mo touch you, for I cannot be.
lieve my eyes," be said, wistfully. "Is
it really you, Aline, or only the blessed -
est dream that ever dazed a man's
senses 2"
She did not repulse him. She letbim
hold her hand in his a moment that he
might assure himself of the reality of
this vision.
Yes, it is really I," she said, reassur.
ingly, and then she added, curiously,
"Why didou take me for a ghost? Did
any one tellyyou I was dead?"
"No, no, it was only my fanny. I was
dazed when I opened my eyes and saw
you there. I bad not heard a sound
except the cinders falling from the grate.
What could I think but that you were a
ghostly visitant from another world?
She stood gazing down at him, seem-
ing to forget that her hand still lay
lightly in the clasp of his:
They told me to come in softly," she
said. "They thought that you mightbe
asleep. So I turned the knob softly and
came in. Brit when I saw that your
me were closed I was just going away
quietly again when you awakened."
"It was very good of yqu to come,"
be said. softly pressing the warm, white
ba"Do not go so soon," he pleaded.
"You have not told me yet where you
have been and how you came back, and
I am so anxious to hear."
"Do stay a little longer, Miss Rod.
ney," pleaded Mrs. Griffin, and Aline
readily consented to do 50.
MONEY TO LOAN.
Money to Loan on Farm Property at
LOWEST RATES.
PRIVATE AND COMPANY
W. B. DICKSON,
Solicitor,
Brussels, Ont.
CHAPTER LXV.
16 looked very pleasant and cozy in
the sick -room, with the curtains drawn
and the bright fire. Aline sat down
in the easy chair Mrs, Griffin wheel-
ed forward for her, and was quite
unconscious what a pioturo of fair,
girlish beauty she sitting there, in her
pretty dark -blue arose with her dark
hair falling over her slight, pretty
figure.
"Do you know," sho said, looking at
the nurse, "that this reminds me of the
time when I was at Delaney House 2-
only that it was 1 who was ill tbeas, and
not Mr. Delaney."
"Can you recall those times without
being angry with me, Aline 2" inquired
Mr. Delaney, half fearfully.
"I told you I had forgiven you all,
Mr. Delaney," answered Aline, se if
that implied everything.
"Thank you," he answered, dropping
his head back, with a sigh, noon the
FUNDS.
MONEY ONEY TO LEND.
oney to LOan.
PRIV'4TE FUNDS.
$20,000
of Private Punas have just been placed in
my hands for Investment
AT 7 PER CENT.
Borrowers can have their loans complete
in three days if title is satisfactory.
Apply to E. E:,\NA BE.
HURON AND DRUOE
Loan & Investment Co•
This Company is Loaning Money
on Farm Security at Low)s'T BATES
of Interest.
MORTGAGES PUROEASEt'.
SAVINGS BANII l3BANCII.
3, 4 and 5 per cent. Interest A1 -
lowed on Deposits, according to
amount and time left.
OPTICE.--On corner of Market
Square and North street,Goderich,
Horace Horton,
MANAGER.
Godorich,Aug.ith,18S?
Any amount of Money to Loan on
Perin or Village property at
6 & 6? PER CENT. YEARLY.
Straight Loans with privilege of
repaying when required. Appy
to
A. HUNTER,
Division Court Clerk, Brussels.
BRUSSELS PUMP WORKS.
The undersigned begs to inform the publio
that they have manufactured and ready
for use
PUMPS OF ALL KINDS,
WOOD t4 IRON.
Cisterns of ,
Any dimension.
GATES OF ALL SIZES..
CLOTHE$ REELS
of a superior construction. Examine our
stock before purchasing elsewhere. A Call
solicited. We are also Agents for
tl1•cDougall's Celebrated Windmill.
Wilson & Pelton,
Skop Opposite P. Scott's Blacksmith Shop
P. S.—Prompt attention paid to all re-
pairing of pumps kc.
ATM
AL
13 E T SS HILLS, 0INTT.
CHANGE OF PROPmET RE:y.
•
Having leased the well known and splendidly equippoclRoller Flouring
Mill from Messrs. Wm. Vanstone & Sons for it term of years, wo desire
to intimate to the farmers of Huron Co. and the public generally
that we are prepared to turn out the bust brands of Flour, look after •
the Gristing Trade, supply any quantity of Bran, Chopped stuff, &c.,
and buy Any Quantity of Wheat.
The mill is recognized as one of the best in the County aucl our long
experience in this business gives us confidence in saying we guarantee
satisfaction,
Flour and Feed Always on hand.
gGristing and Chopping promptly attended to.
A CALL SOLICITED.
to be with some one who loved me, and
to be warm and comfortable."
"Poor dear 3" sighed Mrs. Griffin,
sympathetically,
"I had some money in my pocket,"
continued Aline, "Papa had given it Inc
to buy a black silk dross. I walker.' to
the next station from here, bought a
ticket to Florida, and went to Effie and
Doctor Anthony. You see, Mr. Delaney,.
there was nothing remarkable at all in
my second disappearance from home,'
she said.
"You should have written to your
parents," he said.
"I am ashamed to say that 1 would
'not do so," she aloswerod, "I thought
that if I let them all think that I was
dead, my father would drop the snbjeet
of the threatened duel. I did not want
2
Stewart & Lowick,
PROPRIETORS.
--A`1'--
OTTOM PRICE.
•ae Paris g : ` .A en.
KiMITOr BLIWOULIMN
All Kinds of Harvest
13. GE