HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1926-1-20, Page 74*
4444(
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E BRUS'SELS POST WEDNESDAY, AN. 20, } 9211,
ger
Th Tyrant 11
Every now and them when his duty
supervislori took him to the eceta
of the hill, he glanced towards the
Thwers. had sent her an invite-
tisn, bet she had not come. She was
e'ith(cti:, too proud, toe indifferent.
All right! It did not matter; they
multi get in the hay without Miee'l
• .
Vaneourt.
Amongst the workers Was Kate
Trausom, She, like Esther, had hesi-
tated about canting; but she had n.(t
beim able to remain away. She had
etarted working in eampany with (‘‘'.1
three other girls, but elm bad e4;7;e4-
ually drifted away by herself. At
times jack came up to her and Ivolce
t() her. On the first occaeion Iti not -
heed that ehe was working with a
heavy hay fork.
"That'e too hig a weapon for You,
Miss Transom," he said, "Here, 111
ti el you a lighter one."
lie atm& across the field, found
emilee fork and brought it to her.
-Don't you work too hard, now,"
he said. "You're not strong, you
krow."
"1 ant very strong," she said.
"See!"
She lifted up forkloald of hay
anon: her head; but she had taken
more than she could hold and she
staggered and seemed about to fall.
Jack put his arm round her quickly,
as he would have put his arm round
the oldest mid plainest woman in the
field, and .prevented her from fall-
ing.
"You see!" be said. "Don't take
up too much. I should never forgive
inyself if you hurt yourself."
The red flooded her face. but it
was hidden by her sunbonnet as the
turned away.
Now, it eanced that this little epi-
sode was .(men by Esther as she en-
tered the &1d. She could not hear
jack Omelet* quite composed and
commonplace tone and words, but She
saw him put his arm round the girl,
and she stopped dead short with a
feeling of doubt and disgust. Had
she stayed away from the Braces'
dinner, donned rustic attire and came
down to the hay -making solely to wit-
ness Mr. Gordon caressing a rustic?
After a moment she went forward,
softly biting her lip; and jack from
the farther end of the field, noticing
with his qtriek eye, a new -comer,
strodel'up to her. He was so absorb-
ed in -his work, that he saw only an-
other country girl in a cotton frock
and sun -bonnet; she, glancing up at
hini almost shyly, saw a stalwart man
without coat or waistcoat, his hitt
open at the neck, a broad leather
belt round his waist. He looked ev-
ery inch it math with his sunburnt
face and quick, flashing eyes; and
the woman's adoration for strength
and grace rose reluctantly within
her; reluctantly because of what she
had just seen.
"Want something to do?" he ask-
ed. "Rake this hay into a heap for
the wain that's coming here. Here's
a ralte;" and he taught up ono anti
held it out to her; then he saw who
it was, and the blood rushed to his
:face. But it was only for a moment;
then he said coolly enough:
"Oh, you have come, Miss Van -
court! Do you only want to look on
or do you want to work like the
rest?"
"I want to work—like the rest,"
said Esther.
"All right," he said, in a matter: -
of -fact way. "Here's the rake; rake
that line into a heap, and I'll lift it
into the cart."
Esther made a weak and feeble
attempt to rake the hay into a mound
and 'he watched her her a moment or
two in silence, just as he had watch-
ed her attempt to notch the trees.
"That's not the way," he said,
quietly. "Hold your rake in this
fashion, and get hold of the hay like
this."
She shrugged her shoulders with
affected indifference; bat she tried to
obey his injunctions. The wale came
up, and jack With Inc huge fork,
gathered up hay and hoisted it into
the cart, and he took no more notice
of her than ii! she had been one of
the village gins, working in the field.
• It nettled her, and presently the
said:
"Give nm your fork, Ms. Gordon,
I want to hoist some hay up,"
He looked at her doubtfully:
"You can't; you'll make a mese of
"No; X shan't," she said; aed the
etuak her fork in the heap of hay
and tried to raise it. Though it look-
ed so light, it was so heavy that it
seemed to bear her back with it.'but
she etill persisted, and would have
fallen ignomingiusly if jack had not
steetched out Inc strong ann and sup-
ported her: just as he had sepported
Kate 1
"Now hoist!" he exclaimed. .•
He pat his hand to the handle of
the" fork as he spoke, and Up the hay
Went. But the Other band had gene
rowel her %vat inel had held her it
01. iron.
She felt hie arm round 11,(r --••(
band of steel, it eeemode-and dr(
blood reelgel to her rave and hr
breis h an. se fa.A ae to half Alf(
fothte her. •
"'You took too inueh," he eehi,
quietly. "That's the way with wool-
en; they will tower be satisfied."
Ile left her at once, and ehe .rotw
hint e1/41(11:1g it<TUSA the field ti
other (gut A .foolish felling of it:-
de:nation and resentment thole, pas-
ee(gieu of her at hie, desertion. -Evi-
dently this Mr. Gordon considered
her of no MOVD innemtanee than any-
one else on the field, .And she Is
Miss Vaneort 'of the Thaws! Surely
he ought to have steered beelde her.
She, had given up a dinn(m-party t(i.
I e preeent at this hay -making of Id-.
and he treated her as if 4-10e were a
nobody. The blood mantled in 11.414
face, and she caught her breath; but
she still worked on.
Jack (lid not ciente to her (main .for
another half-hour. She'saw him strid-
ing hither and thither,' the tallest MID
amongst them all, his shoulders
thrown back, his head erect. Now
and again she heard his voice—the
yoke of the man who is accustomed
to command—giving directions, and
she noticed that hie directions were
promptly and Cheerfully obeyed by
everyone.
But still he did not come near her.
Was she of no account? She Was
the mistress of all; and yet here she
was working in the field like a com-
mon village girl; she, who might
have been queening it at the Bruces'
this very moment!
The wains were filling; evevythieg
was canted save one load. She saw
the wagons proceeding.elowly to the
fai, and presently Jack came upja
"We are all loaded, excepting the
last; which we reserve for after the
supper," he said. "Will you come to
the barn, or would you rather go
home, Miss Vancort?"
Esther would have liked to live
said that she would go home, but the
could not.
"I' will go to the barn, Mr. Gor-
don," she said.
"All right," he said. "They've got
the supper all laid, and they -re only
waiting for you. I said I thought
you'd come."
She walked besiele him and the
care which was already loaded, and
they entered. the barn. A hearty
cheer arose aa they entered, and Es-
ther paused, shy and 'uncertain; but
jack, quietly but masterfully, put her
at the head of the long table. Mrs.
Martin, assisted by her underlings,
brought in huge dishes of boiled beef
potatoes, greens, and cake. Every
man and woman stood expectantly.
"Say grace," said Jack to Esther.
Esther crimsoned and turned pale.
"I can't," she said. "You steeP it."
Perfectly self-possessed, Jack pro-
nounced the old-world grace:
"For what we are going to receive
may God make as truly thankfall"
- There was an instant clatter of
knife and fork( on plate. Jack seized
a piece of boiled beef and put it be -4
fore Esther.
"Eat," he said; '"they'll be offend-
ed if you don't."
She had had a very poor &etch,
and she tried to eat; but her heart
was beating :fast. This man had taken
full possession.- of her, and she was
trying to fight against his influence,
but in vain.
'But the rest of the hay -makers,
free of any such sentiment, at h�tu't-
ily When they had finished,
they :sang songs, and cracked jokes
as old as the Flood. They -were hap-
py with a happiness beyond words;
and Esther envied them. Why could
not site be hepnY? What was it she
wanted?
Suddenly Jack rose to his feet.
They were evidently expecting a
speech, and' they knocked the table
with the halidies of their }olives.
"My friends," he said, "I give you
the health of our Mistress, Miss Van-
eourt, She is. hue to -day, to share
oui labors and join in o)e. :feast.
Here's her health, and long life to
herr.,
They all rose to their feet and gave
a hearty cheer.
Esther, 'width and red by baths,
looked Sonnd her,
"What shall I' say'?" she asked of
Jack,:
"Say what you like,". he replied.
4She seise, her beautiful. face flush -
id, her eyes sparkling. PoS the firSt
time she realizedthat these people
belonged to her, lhat she was their
mistreee, almost.. their queen.
-"Thank you 'say much," she said,
"1-eetheadc You very muchl"
- The .slio• sat down .abruptly; 'Ma
itwas. enough. Cheer .after .theer
arose, and the sound rang in her oars
grateftilly:.• She turned to Sacks but
he had romenthoted the lag toad, And
had risen.
''W 4• hvt't ttit 14111,414 -d;
frleads," he :mid; "there'e etill :ta-
ming load."
fie %mut out of the been followed
by the ITSt. A wain . stood in the
inoenlit"field beeide a heap of hay.
lie (eine& up a fork lied begau the
ine(lieg; We ;example wee followLel ity
others, :gal the wagon was gnat fin-
ed.
-NoW, Who',1 ti t luMie DO her?"
Old Man.
"The faireet in the field!" throe
the exp(mted ,:bout from the ermed.
Jaek turned to Esther.
"Get up," he said, in his maeter-
ful venv.
She heeitated, but he put Inc arlD
land M.), and hoieted her no,
Titi; was bad ‘mough, but wore'
wet tit follow. The cart had been
badly packed, 'and Esther, as she sat
on the top of the load, felt it sway
alw,rta it'll,- beneath her. She ezdd
neehlog, and sat tight, but US it nenr.
ed the riek towarde whieh it was go -
ht. felt the bay move dangeraue-
Iv, ae if it were going to fall. As it
happened there was no one beside
her but Jack Gordon; the rest had
gone on' fop 111,tO.tlt she looked
down nt him uneertainly.
"Mr. Gordon—" she said.
Then the hay beneath her began to
slide, and eln, 1,41 hereelf
"Mr. Gorden! 1 am falling!" she
.exelaimed; and he stretched out 11 'te
arms and caught her as she slid down
the slippery side.
She was to .helpleee that she fell
like a bundle of strawinto hie arme,
and they closed round her ,tightly,
firmly. They were face to face, lip
to lip, so to speak. For an instant
they stood thus; then suddenly, with
the .blood flaming in his face, his lips
met hers. and he kissed her.
CHAPTER XIX. -
He had kissed her. •Had he sud-
denly gone mad?. For a Moment it
seemed to him that lw had been ber-
eft of reason; and in that moment lie
stood and looked at her as a man
might look who expects the heavens
to open and the lightning to flash
out and strike him dead. He felt her
quiver in his arms, then they fell
from -her and hung at his sides, as if
he were waiting for the doom he de-
served.
As his lips had touched Esther's
her amazement had dominated evety
other emotion; then, following on
the instant was a strange feeling that
should have been one entirely of an-
ger and indignation at the outrage,
but she was not. - She had quivered
at the shock, but the thrill had not
been- altogether a shudder of resent-
ment and stricken pride.
The blood had flown to her face,
and a sense of helplessness,'almost.of
:faintness, had swept down upon her
and enveloped her dike a cloud.
Wrath and indignation would come
presently and swiftly, but in that one
electric moment the emotion that shot
through her was compounded of
neither. The red slowly ebbed away
from her face, she grew white to the
lips he had assaulted, the mist clear-
ed from her eyes and they shone out
4011 hint with passionate resentment,
and she stood and leased at him, her
bosom -heaving with the breath that
was too labored. came too painfully
to permit her to ppeak.
His eyes bit before the anger that
burnt in hers, and he, too, could not
speak, though every fibre in his body
clamoured mutely for her 1orgive-
310SS. Suddenly as if the incapacity
of speech maddened her she raised
her hand; and be waited patiently
for the blow; but tier hand Tell to her
side, and without a word she turned
and walked 'away, not quickly—he
might have ventured to follow her
then—but slowly with theair of an
.outraged queen; and yet with some-
thing in the droop of her head that
was sweetly womanly, something that
hurt him more than the blow would
have .done.
She walked slowly •Antil the had
left the field, and reached the shelter
of the wood; thenshe stopped and
with an impatient action pushed the
bonnet from her head and novered
her oyes with or hands: She was
trembling now, trembling so that
half -unconsciously, she sank to the
ground and leant againat the trunk
of a tree for support.
It was hard to realize it. This man,
this stranger, her. own servant, had
(lased to touch her lips with his, had
treated her as if site were no higher,
no mom account than one of the
farntegins! Hadhe gone mad—had
he ...gen drinking heavily: no; she
could find no such excuse, if excuse
it email be. lie was neither mod nor
intoxicated; -and yet, .at the moment
he eed bent in:award to Ides her,
something like madness, intoxication
had shone in his dark eyes) The an -
goy .swelled her bosom and yet—•
There had been something of wor-
ship .and reverenee. in his eyes, the
kiss had been gentle and tender, not
tengh or insolent, and, the moneesit
he had done the deed, the had seen
hie face grow white with remorse and
self-Sepeoftelt and the rote proYor
for • foegiveneee, It WM the.' find
thee in her life that a man's lintieee
'-e
.0117,e,
yh,,,t,altsl 424' fil•St
irnr44%-1,4 :10.1
1.4er, CfCC: " CtiLiCarIS
OUr
If yati Nava lost a f3111.3e MI't
you Ca In% th,: fin:Lar would do Via
c:mo.
yriti tsist) ti find tho fintiPte
ill, eeettete teg.nt age. r:
-71337-
other than her father's—had touched
hers, foe Esther had had no dirta-
done, no "past" to make her famil-
ial( with a carese.' The thing had
fallen like a bolt from the blue, sud-
denly, without warning. He had al-
ways been tied and gentle with her,
but he had never by word or look
eenveyed the preeence of any wann-
er feeling than respectful friendship.
Indeed, he had often offended her
by his brusqueness and the , curt,
masterful manner which in another
man in his positionwould have been
considered disrespectful.
Why. had he done it? He had
seemed the least impulsive- of men,
so singularly self-possessed and cool;
and, yet in that instant as his arm
had tightened around her, his self-
possession had fled and he appeared
to have been swayed by an uncontrol-
lable Impulse. As she was trying 10
a confused and bewildered way to
solve the problem, to find some salve
for her outraged pride, she suddenly
remembered Nettie's prattle about
the handkerchief: was it possible that
he had gone back for the handker-
chief and carried it in his bosom be -
cense he loved her?
The color rose slowly to her face,
and a thrill of surprise and subtle jey
ran through her. She tried to put
the thoUght from her, to thrust it
away as of 00 importance to the
question; but she could not; it came
hack upon hes with a persistence
that forced all other thoughts from
her mind. Did he love her? Wes
that the reason why, finding her in
his arms, he had lost all sell -control?
She made an impatient, self -scornful
gesture with her hand, as id ashamed
of dwelling upon the thought, asham-
ed of the strange sense of joy which
nestled.warnely about her heart,
And it was shameful that this man,
this—this tramp, who had come from
no one knew where, should dare to
love her, should dare to kist her!
She put up her handkerchief to
clash St across the lips he had profane
ed; but her hand faltered half -way
and it fell in hes lap; and her head
drooped, bowed down with the tor-
turing sense that the kiss had been
sweet to her, that awl.). the remem-
brance was sweet with a joy, a de-
light, which overwhelmed and bore
down the anger and resentment with
which she .ought to be burning.
What should she do? He must go
away at once, She must not see him
again. Instantly her heart grew
heavy as lead, and a feeling of ir-
reparable loss, of crushing sorrow
came over her. She fought against
it as a woman fights against the sus-
picion that she loves a man whom -she
should not love, that her heart is
stealing front her to one unworthy of
it; but the struggle was a franc one.
She knew that it was too late.
4. The pang of pain, almost of agony
whieh had smitten her at the prospect
of never seeing him again, was a rev-
elation:( She knew now why she had
alWays been so happy when he was
near her why the sight of him, the
sound of his deep, musical Voice had
filled her with a peace, a sensation of
yest and serenity which took the
place of the restlessness which con-
sumed her When he was absent.
"Is it possible that I—love him?"
the mut:mused., her breath laboring
.under the strese of the thought,
"TATA I love this man, this stranger
of whOrn I know Malting? Oh, it is
shameful, shameful!"
Her hand flew to her face as if
she would hide fromherself tbe blush
that &treed .her; then. She looked
straight befote her with knitted.
brows and tightly streined. lips.
4If 11 wete eee she must crush it
down, tear this Itve out of her 'bos-
om, must hide it from overy eye,
must kill it with selfeacnsit and ridi-
She would remind herself, 4
&mired ttnies a day, if necessary,
that she WM a Vancourt, the Mistress
of the Towel', :and this man wae no
better than one of hor .servants.
It was a ggand resolve; Met, alto!
as the made it the"wioli that site Was
a laborer's daughter Welt Atteas
her. And' the know, too, that tramp.
though he bach matted, the num .was
444001)1min; that in Manner and
apeeeli. and bearing he had always
seemed her.
1 when had so strangely last self-con-
trol. Yes, she must foeget him, and
he must go; but how hard that for-
getfulness would be (the knew with
(te alumet fierce bitterness, Every
I hone of the (lay ,4,11(: would miss him,
1 (-eery honr ((i' the waking night ----ami
it seemed to iter as If ehe emadd nev-
e)) enem ngein. 11 he hed emo gone
herore---tiefere tesday!
sho l'enWtnin•-red the Inv..
.,•tory 0)) 01' ltajdfs. The ‘4!Itt
Was ont: of those gentle, placid, saint-
ly ereaturee, apperently as void its
Diana; absorbed in her grey' and col-
orless life, with no thought of or &-
elm: for love. Then the man had
(gime, and wooed her, but in vain.
"I could not care for him," she had
said to Esther, in her placid, maiden-
ly way. "I am told that he is—not
good, and I do not think he is. I
hope I shall not SeP him again."
And a fortnight later elle had told
Eerie), ae they sat at (he pi•mo, that
itt woe ..4'1.41144' to marry him: and that
loved hull!
Eether bed -stared at her in ameeee •
mad, The girl was transformed;
there was a light in her dreamy eyes
a faint smile on leer lips. A suhtle
change had been wrought in her.
"Why, you teld me you mulct nev-
er possibly care for him!" Esther had
exclaimed.
"Yes—I remember," remonded the
girl, simply. -"And I meant it. But
it was this way: He came in here.,
into this roOm"—she had looked
round as if the room had also been
transformed from a common -place
drawing -room to the ante -chamber
of Paradise—" and told me that he
loved me. Then, even while I said
`No!' he took Inc in his arms and
kissed me—and that changed it .all,
somehow— Oh, yes, I told you that
I should never care for him: but he
hadn't kissed Inc then."
Esther had not understood it, had
been puzzled and contemptuous; but
she understood now as the satfee,:
to face with her own heart in the
stillness of the wood. She knew now!
"But I am different!" she exclaim-
ed, almost aloud. "I will not yield
as that silly girl did. I will fight
against it to the death, will crush it
out whatever it may cost me." ,
She rose as she uttered the words
through her clenched teeth, intend-
ing to go home and begin the fight
In her own room; but While She was
dragging her sun -bonnet on .elie
; heard footsteps approathing.. She
knew Been too well, .altis! txml with
'ti beating- heakt she leant againet the
• tree and waited till they should -paeie
Jack had had cton a Worsa Ulna
than EStaer. One of the digniven-
tages of being a gentlemen is tint
remome which he euffere when le.
forget; the faet :eel sine, against hie
(geed. And Jaek Ignee that he had
0' l'3 deeply, heinously, (triode -
ally.
As Esther walked away he wiAl.,d
that someone wooltl he hind (mown
to shoot him, and felt very much in-
clined to go home witi shoot him3•.q.
onie time pet he had Mot fight-
ittp agaiest his love for Enber, arid
had llatt(oyd /1.1MS,tir that It W11,;
eeeding; but that love had serum; up
(41 giant, like a deepotic tyrent,
he reit her -in his arme; and in thet
momeet paesion had .wept away all
reeteninte of self-riwieet, of his qein-
it0.' fer weillen, 01' the. instincts of
civilization even!
a ruffian, than; what I Ma,"
be said to himself, grimly. "Pin as
lead ae the worst of the men I used to
look down upon there in the bueli.
Poor little girll 1 with elte'd istreek
me. 1 des-erre:b. Dee(wve lel"- He
swore under his, breath. '"There'e
nothing too bad for me. What am I
to do? There's only the thing; I
meet clear out at once. I mustn't
run the chance of meeting her again.
The mere sight of me would be an
insult to her. And I promised poor
Jack that I'd take care of his little
sister!—I must have been mad for
the moment. Yes, I ought to be shot
as eoniething to be too dangerous to
.be left at large."
He leant on a hay -fork and shoolc
with the conflicting emotions that
racked him.
"How I love her!" In: muttered.
"And I Audi Bever see her again!
That's bad to bear—never sea her
again—"
He started and raised his head as
one of the men came up, and the man
stopped short and stared at him.
"Do 'et: feel queer, master?" he
asked..
Jack laughed, and the laugh made
the man shrink back it step.
"What the devil do you mean?
Why don't you finish up? What are
you loafing about for? Then he bit
hie lip and set his teeth hard. "All
right, YeS, I'm rather queer: but
itts all right iiow. What (I() you
want?"
(To Ili' Continued).
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JNO, SUTHERLAND & SONS
Ltii/lITED
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epszply (2.4,4,41 zo
-----
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Office at residence. oppoaite Steto ille Church,
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