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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1886-10-8, Page 2A VAGRANT WIPE. BY F. Wsiunet. Author of " a Hoose 5t TUE Musa," A.r sna Woare's ISIsnoy," Bro. ga they stood, ho with one arm round her, the still with homy, Harry came in, He sprang upon his brother and tore the trembling girl oat of his arms. " Oh, is this true Is it true? You heard what he said 1 " she cried with a shudder. "Th it a time to accuse me when I and you in another man's arms," he cried fiercely. "And by what right do yon object to her being anywhere she pleases ? " "Pleases? " " Yes. You swore to me two days ago that you did not know where Miss Lane lived. It was a lie." " It was not a lie. There is no such person as Miss Lane, This is Mrs. Harry Braithwaite, my wife 1 " CHAPTER VI. When Harry uttered the -words " My with 1" his brother looked from one to the other for a few moments without a word; then, in a low sullen voice, he said— "You have tricked rae and deceived me, both of you. It was very clever— very clever indeed, but hardly wise. I won't take up your time any longer now," Then, turning to Annie, he con - tinned, "1 am much obliged to you for your kind welcome. I must apologise for having brought down your husband's anger uponyou ; but, you see, you left me rather in the dark." Then to Harry --" You will hear from me in a day or two. Our father made me promise to provide for you, and I have a proposal to make which I don't 'think you will find magenerous. Send me an answer as quickly as yon can." He took his brother's hand and then Aenifes, and left the room. Harry turnedto his wife, looking rather anxious. "He is going to do something nasty, Annie—I am sure of it. I know George's manner when he is spiteful, and our chances look very bad, darling. No more Paris, no more pretty gowns for the present, at any rate 1" But Annie did not answer. With trembling Angers. she was pulling to pieces the flower which had. fallen from her throat. "Why, Annie, what is the matter 2 Yon look ill—you are crying 1" "I am =till," said she, repulsing him. "1 am heart -sick, miserable." "But you mustn't give way like that, my darling. George will have to come round. He sha'n't make my wife spoil her pretty eyes." "It is not George," said she, with fire. " Do you think I am such a coward as to mind not having pretty dresses ? What was that he said about forgery ?" " Oh, nothing to make such a faas about I"answered the young fellow sul- kily. " I was hard up, I had no money fox our wedding -trip, and I couldn't help it. It wasn't as if I committed. a crime, and. copied somebody else's name; it was my own father's. I knew it would be all right, and. so it was. He hushed. it up directly, 'and said hardly anything about it." " You call that nothing !" said Annie, raising eyes wide with horror to his face, "01 course I know it was wrong," re- plied he impatiently ; " but there was nothing else to be dope. I could not have married you without, or you would have had to pass your lioneymoon in an attic." " I would rather have passed it as a tramp on the highroad than as we did, if I had known." "Well, you are an ungrateful little cat! When I thought of nothing but pleasing you and buying you pretty things from morning till night I" "Pretty things that were bought with stolen money 1" "How dare you say such a thing to me ?" shouted he. "Don't you know I'm your husband; and do you suppose I am not the best judge of my own con- duct ? Do you suppose I should ever do anything a gentleman need be ashamed of ?" " I think yon have done a thing a beggar would be ashamed of." Thank you, thank you 1 You call me a beggar and you call me a thief, I shall be a murderer next, I suppose; and, by Jove, it would serve you right if I were 1 Haven't I behaved well to you ? Didn't I come to London with you just to stop you from crying? And didn't I marry you when I know very well that all my family would disapprove of it 2 " " Oh yes; you made a noble sacrifice 1 I am deeply grateful to you for throwing yourself away I It spoils the look of it it little, though, that your elder/arable-1r was willing to do so too, if yob hade's been beforehand with him." " You may say what you bks; lint it is a sacrifice ole than's liberty to run rry at twenty. Its for George, I believe you like him hatter than me all the tithe. Answer mo --do yon—did you over care for him ?" demanded he roaghly. "1 shall not answer your insulting questions," said the youngvice, in a very cabn voice; and, as quickly as she could, sho left, the room, to she felt aei slur aJ..0O vdze brodaing ; this sh.exp wrangle had made her almost hyeteri• cal, and she did not Want to break down before the husband whore, for the time at least, she despised and all but hated. Already, during the few weeks of their wedded life, it had, needed all this strength' of his outbursts of demonstree bis affection, all the bright content- ment Site Mit at her release from school. room drudgery, to cloak the fact that they had not ono taste, ono sympathy in pail:moon, that their tempore were 11_1 TRE BRUSSELS POST Our. 8, 188G, .111XtrirrAMEMOXYLOCRIMMINIIISIMMONC1121117419.11=0179:7=1.ffil...216%1!.=.01rt4WM1,4701114.111.21.1,-.MAIRCSIEMIISIMIVAVIVIMI/VOMIN ---+ suited to each other, and the moral superblr handsome in her deep 1110Utll.. standard of the wife as different from ing, tve. king about examining the plc - that of the husband as light from dark- tu,'N e,id ni'namenbs. nose This crime, which Harry had made light of, Mrs down the last shred of illusion from before the eyes of the wife of eighteen. She had made an SW. fel raistake. Carried away by the pas- sionate pleading of a headstrong boy at a time when she felt herself to be utter- ly friendless, and when his impulsive remorse had seemed to her to show a high and generous nature, she had bound herself by a tie which world last her life to an ignorant,uncouth,unprinoipled lad who dol not even love her. Por al- ready the sensitive woman Mit that his caresses were growing careless; and she know that no husband of a few weeks could have used the words Harry had used to.day to a woman for whom ho oared deeply. Harry had., gone out; and. for three long home Annie knelt on the floor by the bed pondering what she should do with her life, and praying for help to show her where her duty lay. She (tame to a resolution strangely wise for so young a woman; and, when her hus- band returned, she was as nearly her usual bright self as she could manage H to be. arry of course did not appre- ciate the struggle she had gone through before she could do this, but came to the conclusion that she saw how silly she had been to make such a fuss about a trifle which did not concern her, and thought it was time for him to show a little just indignation at finding his brother's arm round her. But she stopped hina with surprising promptness, as if his remarks were be- neath argument. He begau to bluster a little. "1)0 you really doubt the' propriety of my conduct 2 " she asked coldly. Well, it is not a usual thing, is it, to find ono's wife—er—or like that " • "18 ib a usual thing for a wife to be requested by her husband to conceal the fact that she is married, especially from his relatives? " " Why, no, of course not 1 And it doesn't matter now, you see, since I told my father all about it," said Harry, trying to speak more good-humouredly, since lae saw by the steady look of his wife's eyes, as he had seen before in less serious discussions, that, if the argument went on, he would get very much the -worst of it. So the peace was keptbetween them, though the warmth of their feelings for each other was getting rapidly less. An incident happened, a few days later however which revived it for a time. George's promised proposal came, and Harry had scarcely read it before he was at his wife's feet, pressing his lips to her very dross with all the enthusiasm of a few weeks back. " He wants us to go to the Grange— not for my sake, though, but to got you there; but he sha'n't 1 Di sweep a crossing rather than let you go there! My generous brother—hang him 1" " To go to the Grange! To live there ?" " Yes ; that is his way of fulfilling his promise to our father. He says there are too many burdens on the estate for him to make a suitable allowance, un- less we go and live there. But I would- n't let you go there for the world 1" " But, Harry, I should be quite safe with you. You speak of your brother as if he were a savage." " So he is. We are all a set of sav- ages ; and, being a savage myself, you see, I know how to trust the rest. I tell you you shall nob go; and, if you try to persuade me, I shall think you don't love me." He flung his arm round her, and look. ad op into her face with an air of boyish authority which she did not attempt to resist, though it made her smile. A few months of self-dopendence had made her so muoh older, so much wiser than this spoilt child who was her lord and muter. She knew he could not live long in defiance of his elder brother; she knew he had no money of his own, and no ca. pabilities of making any, or thist, if he • had any capabilities, he had no intention of using them. He had, indeed, most of the qualities necessary in a groom and. some of those wanted by a jookey ; but, being a gentleman, though he could copy their manners and share their tastes, he could follow their occupation only as au amusement. He had given her money so reeklessly at first that she, though inclined to be extravagant, had, -without saying anything to him about it, put some by in case of an emergency ; so that, when his supplies to her stopped rather suddenly, she was e.,131e to go on paying their weekly bills without running into debt. But this could not last long; and she began to look out for some musks pupils, still without saying anything to her husband, whose pride would have oried out at the idea of his wife working for her living and his. It was easy enough by this time M leave some hours in the day unttocount. ea for. Harry had met some acquaint. maces in the town and picked up some others, and spent but little of his time with his wife, Who, he complained, did not take as much trouble to amuse him as at first, and who could always amuse herself with a book—La most unamount. able taste in his eyes ; so that she could publiab an advertisement, answer others, go for the few replies she gob to ts noip,lauouring st,ttionces, and givo lesson three times it week in Onslow Square without exciting his suspicions. She knew that Lady Braithwaite and her daughter were now in town staying with a sister of the former's at Lances. ter Gate ; but, as she would have thought nothing loss likely than that they shotila take any notice of her, sire Stood for a moment in the/ doorway in silent astonishment when, corning into think you must be very comfort- able 'here," said she, coming forward, and kissing her, as if they had been a,f. fectionato Weeds of long standing. Liliaix's mammy, were charming when she ohoso, and the Waft at her best this afternoon—always queenly, but smiling and wining to be pleased with anything. Sho drew her tiny aister-in-law on to the sofa and sab down beside her. Annie, very glad of this visit, yet hardly daring to believe that Lilian could have beard of her marriage, scarcely knew what to say; but the other saved her the trouble of finding a remark. " I wish we lived like this. Those rooms are neither too large nor too small, while aunt Clonatantia's big rooms are so big that you lose your way in them, and the small ones HO small that, if the door opens inside, it scrapes the oppo- site wall. I am supposed to he still 0. child, and therefore of no conse- quent:a ; so I am put into a nice little clipboard, so compact that Jennings has to open the door and stand, in tho coal. dor to brash my hair." Annie laughed at the picture of self- willed, spoilt Miss Braithwaite as a vie. tire to neglect, and then asked after Lady Braithwaite. "Ob, she is quite well, thank you, though, of course, she hasn't got over poor papa's death yet 1 You heard all about it from Harry, of course ? " "Yes," said Annie, wondering at tbe easy 'say in which her proud sister-in- law thus alluded to their new relation. ship. She was still more surprised when the other continued— " It seems so strange to think of Harry as a married man ! I suppose he will think I ought not to box his ears any longer now ; but you will let ma, won't you ? 1 can't keep him in order in any other way, but I suppose yon can." Annie laughed—not very heartily. "I haven't tried that plan, certainly. It won't do for such a little woman as I am ; I think I am too small for him," she added, as if this really bad struck her suddenly as a grave objection. Lilian burst out laughing. " What an odd little creature you are! I have always beard that a little woman can snake a big man as submis- sive as a dog, and rule him with a rod of iron, while he thinks all the time that he is the master. I am sure you would not condescend to obey Harry." "Yes I do," said the young wife seri- ously—. at least, I do the things be tells me to do ; but he doesn't tell mo to do mealy thiugs." And. the thought flashed through her mind, " He doesn't take enough interest in me to mind what do.'' "And don't you ever want to do any. thing he doesn't wish you to do ? " "When I do, I do it without telling him about it." Lilian was delighted with this speeoh, which Annie rather regretted having made. "1 am glad you are not so superhu- manly good as I was beginning to fear. Don't you find him very dull company? He can hardly write his own name, he can't spell a bit, and he can talk about nothing but horses and guns." Annie would not own that she had not enough of her husband's company to mind it. " I don't want him to read when he is with me, and I haven't asked him to spell much. And. I like horses myself, though I don't know much about them." "Web, your life is not so dull as mine, at any rate," declared Lilian, "You are a married woman, and can go where you like and with whom yon bks; I wish I could," she added petulantly. " But I have nowhere to go to and no one to go with, except, of course, Harry," remarked Annie hastily. " You have got over the silly stage of newly -married life very soon," said Lili- an, amused, but rather surprised. " Now I want to go to a hundred places I ean't go. Aunt Constantia looks down as my black gown aud says, Too soon, ray doer, too soon!And the and moan. ma both disapprove of all the persons I like. I never was so wretched in my life—just tvhon I aan in mourning too and want cheering dreadfully 1" "Well, you will soon be able to go out znore, and then you will certainly leave off envying my quiet life." "011, but there will be far worse trigs for me then! Now that we nr,t in mourning, at least, no one can find fault with my dress; but, 'when we be- gin to go out again—end I am to bo pre- sented next season—I shall want money; and. George is so mean—he says ho is so poor, but that is nonsense 1 --that I know that he will open his eyes and say that a hundred a year ought to buy me everything I want, and the same day he will send a groora up to Tattereall's to buy him a couple of bunters, and won- der at the selfish extravagance of wo- men 1 It is so silly, boo; for tho very best thing he can do is to get me well married as soon as possible ; and who will MO me if I never go out, and who will look at me 111 am dressed, with tasteful econoray '? As if economy was ever tasteful—as if I did not do my dressmaker credit too! I assure you look quite nice when I am well dressed." She throw back her graceful head and stalled at Annie with playful insolence which ivas charming in such a beautiful girl; and, having got, for a Limo, t.) thy end of her grievances, she gavo a plain- tive sigh, and then laughed at herself. "I have been taking the privilege of a relative in boring you to death ; but really my wrongs were getting too heavy to be borne in eilence. It is very good of you to listen without yawning." "Ob, you don't know how glad I am to see you and listen to you! I was afraid you would be so angry about her sitting.room, after hgiven a ts. Harry'marrying mo." ;;imusic-lesson, sho mnd Lli iaving an, looking "I won't pretend we wore glad to hear MONUY TO LOAN. money to Lona an Farm Property at LOWEST RATES, AND COMPANY FUNDS. PRIVATE W. B. DICESON, Solicitor, l3russels, Out. Money to PETELLTE Loan. FUNDS. EB2O, 000 of Private rends have just boon placed in my hands for Investment A.T 7 PER CENT. Borrowers onn have their loans complete in three days if title is satisfactory. Apply to E. E. WADE. HURON AND BRUCE Loan & Investment Co. This Company is Loaning Money on Farm Security at nownsm RATES of Interest. MOBT GA.G-E S PUB CHASE P SAVINGS BANK BRANDE. 8, 4 and 5 per cent. Interest Al - owed on Deposits, according to amount and time left. OFrren.--On corner • of Market Square and North s tre et, Goderich. Horace Horton, 111ANAGER, Ooderich ,Aug.5 th ,I8S6 BABY &REHABS • - have a nice lot of Baby Car- riages on hand that the Public should see. They are Well made, nicely finished and will bo Soli at Reasonable Prices, S 7E3 rjHM I-Eavnessl Collars! and everything in the harness line on hand. Also Trunks, Valises, Satchels, &c., &C. H. DENNIS. 71ARN1 IN G11,1?,Y 100B SALE BE. on the 10th con.oOntaining 100 acros, South part 10115 on 10 enn,, qoptaining 40 %ores, bob 1410 partly cleared, the bal. amen veil timbered. A. never tailing orook crosses the le b 11.11d 1010 well adapted for farm. log or gracing. Lot 15 1, MOW), cleared aud under good milt] ration, the baloney well tim. beied with bleak noli. Will sell all i0g01,11.0): or in +080010 suit the-I:arab:war. Vox fettlier partioulars apply to the proprietor on into nremf pro, This lot is well drained, tf (+100,C11,01V2 OUSTOU TAILORING, Tho undersigned begs leave to intimate to the p-ablio that lie has opened a tailor shop in the Garfield Holm Woes, over Powell's store, whore ho is prepared to at- tend le the wants of the public in outting, fitting and making clothing in the latest and most fashionable styles. My long ex- perience together with a eourse of instruc- tion under one of the boat cutters in Torou- to ie a guarantee of being able to do satis• factory work, BatisIttotion guaranteed, 06-11m A•BE lilt . MONEY TO LEND. Any amount of Money to Loon on Perm or 'Village property at 6 & 6i PER CENT. YEABLY. Straight Loans with privilege of repaying when required. Apply to • A.EHUNTEE, Division Court Clerk, Brussels. BRUSSELS PUMP WORKS. The undersigned begs to inform the public that they have manufactured and ready for use PUMPS OF ALL KHIOS, WOOD IRON. Cisterns of Any dimension, GATES OF ALL SIZES. CLO'fIIES REELS of a superior construction. Examine our stook before purchasing elsewhere. A Call solicited. 'We aro sleo Agents for illeDnugall's Celebrated Windmill. Wilson & Pelton, Shop oppo9i to P. Soott's Blacksmith B11011 P. B.—Prompt attention paid to all re. 0 pairing of pinups 00. ETEALTI IS YEALTH, De. 10. 0. Wims,e's Nerve and Brain Treat. meet, guaranteed Beech:le for Hysteria, Dia - einem Oonyulsions, Vito, Nervous, Neuralgia, Headache, Nervous Prostration caused by tho nse of raeohol or tobacco, Wakefulness, Mout- Depreesion, Softening of the 'Brain result- ing in insanity, leading to misery, decay and death. Premature Old Age,Barroness, Loss 01 Power it either sex, Involuntary Lessee cud Elpormotorrb(1111L caused by over-exertion of illy Bruin, self-abuse or over-indulgonce. Bach box contains ono month's treatment. 51 a box, or six boxes for 01,5501 by mail, prepaid, on receipt of price. WI* VII ltANTEE 5110 BONES To cure any cruse. With nob order received by no Or six boxes, =palpitated with 50, we will mond the purchaser our written guarantee to refund the money it tho treatment cloee not offset sours, Guaranis es issued only by John Oargroares it 00.113=801S. TIONAL LLE 4 ILLS, T_T SS 1:-+ 01\7T. CHANGE OF PROPRIETORS. ....."111•11,1=1•Mr Having leased the well known and splendidly.equippod Roller Flouring Mill from Messrs. 'Wm. Vanstone & Sons for a term of years, we desire to intimate to the farmers of Enron Co. and the public generally that we are prepared to turn out the bostbrands 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 and our long expurionco in this husilivnb iV0,4 IotiJidiae000 10 saying Wu guarantee satisfaction, Flour and Feed Always on hand. ItGristing and Chopping promptly attended to. A CALL SOLICITED. Stevamt Lovriok, PROPRIETORS.