HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1926-3-10, Page 7Love, The Tyrant
He had risen earlYs mid he took
his straw hat from the stand in the
hall and sauntered out, intending to
stroll up and dawn the terrace untg
the breakfast bell rang; but he had
no sooner got outside than he felt
drawn to the accursed pool, He
fought against the occult influence
for a monient or two, then tuning
himself that it was imperative that
he should recover he. stylographic
pen and memorandum which he had
left behind him, he walked leisurely
to the wood.
It was a warm and lovely morn-
ing, the sun was shining brightly,
and the thrushes and linnets wore
filling the air with music; but the
wretched man felt cold and shivered
and the singing of the birds irritated
and jarred on him. As he approach-
ed the scene of last night's tragedy,
he began to tremble, and once he
stopped as if he could not go farth-
er; but he fought against the weak-
ness, and reached the spot where
Denzil had been struck clown.
It seemed hideously familiar to
him, as if, he had spent weeks of his
life there, and knew the aspect of
every tree and bush; and he gazed
at the pool with a fearful fascina-
tion. A light wind had risen in the
night and spread the green slime
over that portion of the water the
boat had disturbed, and the even
surface of green looked as if it had
never been broken. Weakened by
his horrible night's vigil, he had half
expected to see the body floating on
the top of the space of clear water,
and he drew a breath of relief.
Really, when he came to consider it
calmly and dispassionately, there
was no need for hint to be nervous
and apprehensive. The pool had
been probably undisturbed for near-
ly a century, and would remain so
for another one.
Then he sought; for the missing
articles; but he could not find them.
Though he had rearranged the
crushed bracken, he knew the exact
spot where the wretched man had
fallen, and he had expected to find
the pen and piece of paper without
any difficulty; but though he search-
ed with feverish eagerness and close-
ness he could not put his hand upon
them. The sweat began to stand
out upon his brow, but he assured
himself that there was no aause for
fear. Denzil had started to his feet
at the first blow, the pen and paper
might have been jerked from his
hand to some distanee, and he, Sel-
by Layton himself, in the course of
his subsequent movements, had pro-
bably trodden them into the ground.
At any rate, if they were so com-
pletely hidden from him no one else
was likely to find them; he could not
stay there all the morning searching
for them; lie would come another
. .
As he was leaving the woods by
one of the small gates which opened
on the road, a man was coming
along the path. ,Selby Layton look-
ed at him sharply and side-ways—
should he always eye every passer-
by with suspicion? was the question
which flashed through hs mind—
and he saw that It was a dark -faced
young fellow with rther long curly
hair. Selby Layton had had the
young man pointed out to him in
the village, and remembered his
name. It was Dick Reeve, the gyp-
sy.
He touched his hat to Selby Lay-
ton as he came abreast of him, and
Selby gave him "Good -morning"
pleasantly.
"Good -morning, sir. Can you
tell me the time?" responded Diek
Reeve, respectfully enough, but with
his bold, black eyes fixed on Selby
Layton's face,
Mr. Layton took out his watch.
"Half -past nine," he said. "Dear
me, I shall be late for breakfast!
Good -morning, Reeve."
"Thank you, Sir ; geed -morning,"
said Reeve. "It's fine in the woods,
now, Sir; just the time for 'etn."
"Yes, indeed, Good -morning,"
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assented Selby Layton, stuwely, and
he walked on.
Disk Reeve lonked after the re-
treating, well-dressed figure with a ,
curious expression in his dark eyes;
then he etopped and lit a short, cleY
pipe, and leaning ovey the gate gaz-
ed at the woods ruminatingly.
"A nice, well-spoken gent," he
muttered. "And as cool as a cucum-
ber. But they say all real gents Inc I
like that."
Esther had spent almost as bad a
night as Selby Layton; but she had
been haunted not by the face and
form of a murdered man, but by the
vision of Jack Gordon 011 his cheer-
less and solitary tramp. Bob, howl-
ing mournfully in the stable, would
have prevented her forgetting hie
master, even if she had tried, and
she rose pale and languid with two
facts predominant in her mind: Tack
Gordon was leaving, or had left
Vancourt forever 1—and the had
half -promised to marry Selby Lay-
ton. That gentleman had not re-
turned from his morning stroll when
the two ladies satdown to break-
fast, for that meat at most country
houses is a movable feast; but pr,. -
scaly he came in, looking all the
better for his `walk.
"I am so sorry," he said. "I am
glad you have begun. I was tempt-
ed by the freshness of the morning
to take a stroll, It is a typically
English summer day."
He pressed Esther's hand and
looked at her with a barely -conceal-
ed devotion; but she scarcely raised
her eyes, which were bent upon her
letters.
"You are looking rather pale this
.morning, Mr. Layton," said Miss
Worcester, as he took his seat and
bottled himself to toasted ham with
ostentatious eagerness, though he
felt as if every mouthful would
choke him.
"Ain I?" he responded. "Are you
sure it is not your fancy, my dear
Miss Worcester, 1 feej in the most
perfect health, and I am as raven-
ous as the proverbiar hunter. And
no wonder! This air is so invigorat-
ing! I don't think there is anything
like a mixture of sea and moorland
air."
"You were rather late last night,
were you not?" she said, as she
poured out hie coffee.. "I was some-
what wakeful, and I heard you come
upstairs."
"Not very late, T think," he said,
smoothly . "It was a glorious night,
and I wandered on to the road and
got as far as the sign -post at the
cross-roads. Ah, yes; and I was de-
tained for a little time talking with
Hallett! but it was only half -pat
ten when I came in."
Miss Worcester looked up with
some surprise.
"Past eleven, I think, Mr. Lay-
ton?"
he insisted, gently, with his
persuasive smile. "I compared my
watch, which keeps excellent time,
with the hall clock."
"I thought it was later. I must
have been mistaken. What it num-
ber of letters you have this morn-
ing., Esther. Anything important o
of interest?"
"No," she replied, indifferently.
"Nothing. 011, yes; there is a letter
from Messrs. Grange & Woodruff,
the engineers, about the Hawk's
Pool."
Selby Layton was on the point of
raising his coffee cup, but he set it
down, and the blood ebbed from his
face. Coincidence has a long arm,
but who could have expected that it
would thrust it out so soon as this!
"The Hawk's Pool?" said Miss
Worcester, interrogatively. "I don't
know where that is."
"It is the pool or lake in the
woods," said Esther, languidly.
"You know #, surely?"
"011, yen, mean that stagnant
piece of water with the ,boat -house
bosiae it?" said Miss Worcester.
Esther nodded,
"Yes; that is it. It is stagnant,
and that is the trouble, Mr. Gordon"
sho hesitated 0 moment before she
pronounced the name—"said that it
was very unhealthy, and that it
might to be drained dry and the
space replanted; or, tit any rate, a
stream ought to eun from it to the.
sea. He said that it would irrigate
anti improve the park meadovis if
it were properly treated. Ho sug-
gested Mr. Grange St Woodruff, mid
I wrote to them"
"Quite right, my dear Esther,"
said Miss Worcester, "I remember
the place—a weird and ghastly spot.
Have' you seen it, Mr. Layton?"
looked up front his plate.
"I beg your paeclon, I was not
liseening, No, I have not A sheet
of water, isn't it? Rather a pity to
disturb it, I should think; especially
as it would 'cost a great deal of Ii1011-
4.
'ey."
"Would it?" asked Mint Woreetg
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" •
ter. Esther was reading her other
letters.
"Oh, yes," he said, with a busi-
ness -like air. "It is sure to do so.
I know those civil engineers: Once
you give them a footing in your
place •there is no getting rid of
them. They will not be content with
draining—what is it?"
"The Hawk's Pool," said Esther.
"Ah, yes, the Hawk's Pool—but
they will want to transform the
rest of the estate."
"I shouldn't like that," said Es-
ther, languidly.
"Then don't lot them gain a foot-
ing," he said, with a laugh. "It
would be as bad as letting a sani-
tary company survey the house;
'they always find innumerable 'death-
traps,' as they call them; and they
are never satisfied until they have
turned the place topsy-turvy."
"Oh, pray, let it alone, my dear
Esther!" said Miss Worcester.
Esther shrugged her shoulders.
"Mr. Gordon said that something
ought to be done with it," she said.
"But there is no hurry, I •suppose."
Selby Layton breathed' more free-
ly.
"I am afraid Mr. Gordon is a bit
of an iconoclast and reformer," he
said, with a slight sneer. "The pool
does not appear to have done much
harm up to the present; and it cer•
tainly is picturesque."
"I thought you said you had net
seen it," remarked Esther, easuelly.
"I have not," he returned,
smoothly. "I am relying on my im-
agination and Miss Worcester's de-
scription."
"Well, there is no hurry," said
Esther, indifferently. "I will go and
look at it."
"What are we going to do to-
day?" asked Miss Worcester, who
liked to have her plans eat and
dried,
Esther rose with an expression of
determination 011 her face. She had
resolved that nothing would induce
her to go through another tete-a-
tete with Mr. Layton.
There was something in her toile
which forbade him to offer to ac-
company her, and he was afraid to
make the suggestion. And, indeed,
he wanted to be alone to face the
situation, to consider his position.
It was not an uncompromising one
by any means: Denzil was—was out
of the way, silenced forever, and he;
Selby Layton, was almost the affi-
anced of the mistress of Vancourt
Towers.
Esther put on her hat, and, al-
most mechanically, walked to the
home' fulls. She assured herself
hat she wanted to see Nettie, be-
tween whom and herself a very
strong affection. had grown up; but
she knew in her innermost heart
that she wanted to know whether
Mr. Gordon was still at Vaneourt.
She went up the garden path of
the lodge and knocked at the door,
and Mrs. Martin's voice crying
"C.oine in!" entered.
Mes. Martin was folding some
snowy linen on the table; but at Es-
ther's entrance she drew a chair: for-
aed for the young mistress,
"And how is Martin?" asked Es-
ther; as she seated herself,.
"He's getting on, miss," replied
Mrs. Martin. "He's about the farm
somewhere. I don't know as he's
strong enough yet."
"Then it is very unwise of bine,"
said Esther.. `He will probably make
himself bad again,"
'"Yes, miss; very likely," respond-
ed Mrs. Martin. "But, you see, he's
obliged to get about now, for MT.
Gordon has gone." •
Esther's hemt sank, and the atm -
light that poured in through the Win-
dow seemed suddenly to grow pale
and lose its warmth.
"lift. Gorden gone?" she asked, in
15 still voice.
"Yes, miss. He went last night,
(mite sudden -like as you may StlY.
I had no idea he was going to loam
and 'yet I, wasn't suremieed."
"Why?" asked Esther.
"Well, you see, miss; I always
suspicioned that Me. ,Gorden wash%
like one of ourselves; that he was
what you might cell it gentleman,
end that he would get tired ef work-
ing on a farm; •and when he came
last night •and said that he was go-
ing, though I was mortally grieved,
I wasn't surprised." • •
'Esther was 811ent foe it• trionteat,
Ee eefitie of lees titede her Speech -
Wee. • •
"You will miss him?" she said.
weakly.
Mrs. Martin nodded.
"Yes, miss, we ehall; all of us. I
don't know what Martin. will do
without him. He"•—ximaning Mar-
tin—"emens &A if he had Jost hie
right hand, -which he has; and Net-
tie --well, there, Nettie is male
mazed."
"Mazecl" is the word i Vaneourt
which mune "dazed" and "bewild-
ered."
At this moment Nettie _came in.
She ran to Esther with a seriouli
wee -begone face, and uttered her
plaint at once and without pream-
ble:
"I want Jack!" she wailed.
"Mother says he's gone. But I want
him, I want him!"
Esther's heart echoed the child's
cry.
"You mustn't fret, Nettie," she
said, as she lifted the child on her
knee. "He may come back present-
ly!"
"But I want him new!" said Net-
tie, with infantile insistence. "Moth-
er says he tissed me 8doo-bye;' but
what's the use of that when I want
}tine!"
Esther tried to console the child,
but Nettle's grief was not to be ae-
suaged, and Esther, as the left the
holm, found herself still echoing
Nettie's cry: "I want him, 1 want
him!"
She lingered at the gate talking
to Mrs. Martin.
"At what time did Mr. Gordon
go?" she asked, with affected indif-
ference.
"Quite late, miss. Martin had
gone to bed. Oh, it might be eleven
or thereabouts. I was just thinking
of shutting up, and in he came; and
he looked so pale and upset that I
thought something was the matter;
and I up and asked him. Then he
said he was going—and he went.
It's terrible sudden, and I don't
know what Martin will do. he's so
lame still; and as fOr Nettie—well,
you've seen her, miss."
Esther tried to look indifferent
and at ease.
"Oh, Martin must get another
foreman," she said.
She evalked on aimlessly, Nettie's
cry still in her ears—and in her
heart. The brightness seemed to
have gone out of the sunshine, a
sadness seemed to reign over every-
, thing. The thought, that perhaps
she should never see him again,
brought a dull agony to her heart.
Presently she found herself at
the end of the village, opposite the
dilapidated cottages, and she saw
Kate Transom shaking a table -cloth
at the door. The sight of the girl
was not welcome to her—for wet:
not Kate Transom engaged to Jack
Gordon ?—but she hesitated, then
quickly opened the gate and walked
up the path.
Kate stood, with the table -cloth
in her hand, waiting the approach
of the young mistress of Vaneourt
Towers, and Esther was again
struck, not only by the girl's un-
doubted beauty, with her wealth of
bronze hair and her large eyes, but
the pallor and weary expression of
Kate's face.
"How do you do, Mies Transom?"
she said, as pleasantly and careless-
ly as she could. "What a lovely
day 1., Why did you not come up to
see inc on Saturday? I was afraid
you were not well."
Kate's pale face Rushed, and she
averted her eyes from Esther's gaze.
"I was busy," she said, not sul-
lenly, but in a still, expressionless
voice.
"I am sorry," said Esther, "Per-
hapse you will come next Wednes.
day?"
Kate made no response, but fold-
ed the table -cloth and stood aside.
"Won't you come in, miss?" the
said, not over-pressinglY.
Hut Esther went in. The girl wes
the fiance of Jack Gordon, and Es-
ther felt that morning attracted by
anything connected with him. She
disliked—she would rather have
died than admitted that she was
jealous of—Kate Transom; and yet
she felt constrained t� speak to her,
"I spoke to Mr. Pulford about the
repairs to your cottage," she said,
"and they will be seen to. He has
been very husy, or they would have
been done before-, I am very sor-
ry they have been neglected. Ts
your father at home?"
"No, miss," said Kate, in a dull,
lifeless voice, "He has gone to
market with some steers for Mr.
Gordon,"
"For Mr. Martin, you mean," said
Esther, quietly. "Mr. Gordon has
gone, you know,"
Kate was bending over the Are,
but at these words she straightened
herself and turn.ed her head.
"Gone! Mr. Gordon—' -gone!" the
echoed, in a still voice, her faee
growing paler.
"Yes," said Esther. "He left lest
night."
"Last night? Why?"
Esther adored ot the question,
"To • better • himself, 1 etippoze,"
she thid,-tryieg. thespeak Cateleealy,
"Ho Was Only' 'engaged While, '
Martin was ill, you know,"
"Gone! Last night!" vehoed
Kate. She stood erect, her eyes fix-
ed vacantly on the window, her fave
white and strained. "Why lest
night? Why didn't he wait until
the morning?"
Esther lihragged lier ehoulders
with an aesumption of indifferenee
which might luive deceived 13 snore
sophisticated girl than Kate,. .
"1 don't know, Valley, I suppose.
He left quite late, and quite sudden-
ly. Mrs. Martin 'did not know tint
he was going."
Kate turned her eyee upon Es -
the'r'e face.
"Did you know?" she asked.
Esther felt herself coloring, and
told a white lie.
she said. "Did you?"
"No, miss," said Kate, vacantly.
"Left last night, last night."
Then suddenly she uttered a cry
and covered hex face with her hands
ae if to shut out some unwelcome
sight.
Esther rose and approached her,
"What is the matter?" she asked.
"Why do you say that? I know you
must be sorry; but—why are you
so frightened?"
Kate tore her hands from her
face and looked at Esther almost de-
fiantly.
"I'm not frightened!" she. said,
.fiercely. "Why should I be? What's
Mr. Gordon to me; and why
shouldn't he go sudden -like and
when he wanted to!"
Esther recoiled from the sudden
outburst of passion.
"I'm very sorry if I've said any-
thing to make you angry," she said,
"anything to wound you. I thought
you knew, that you had seen Mr.
Gordon lately."
"It's 'a lie! I've not!" • Kate
burst out. "I've not seen him since
—for days! Why do you say I have?
I know nothing about him! I don't
knew why he's gone, and—and
don't Avant to know! If you've come
to ask me questions, that's my ans-
wer. I've nothing to tell, nothing.
Please go, Miss Vancourt!"
Esther rose, pale end troubled,
and with a strong sense of resent-
ment,
"I did not come to ask you any
questions," she said, with quiet dig-
nity. "I merely mentioned that Mr.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10th, 1023
Gordon had gone. 1 thought you
would know it, seeing that you and
he Were—were such friends."
She could not bring herself to
say "engaged."
Kate stared beyond her visitor
with a Vacant, half -terrified gaze.
"I don't know what you mean,"
she fetid, houreely. "Mr, Gordon'e
veining and going is nothing to me.
I wish you'd. go; you—you fret me!"
Esther rote:, flushed and troubled.
"Of course I will go," elle said.
"I am sorry 1 have upset you; bet
I thought you knew—"
"1 know nothing, nothing!" broke
in Kate, vehemently; and the worth;
followed Ether as she left the cot-
tage,
CHAPTER XXVI.
When Esther had gone, Kate sank
into a chair as if all her strength
had left her. Her face was white,
San breath came in quick, labored
gasps, and her hands, clasped tight-
ly, worked and writhed as if she
were in physical pain.
The bare fact that Jack had gone,
that she might never see him again,
brought her misery enough; but the
manner of his going, its suddennees
and some of the incidents attending
it, of which she alone was cognisant,
caused her an additional agony --an
agony of terror and dread.
She knew that he had gone into
the woods; she had seen him after-
wards: his hands were red with
blood, his manner had been that of
a man upset and ill at ease; he had
tried to conceal himself from her;
and when she had been shocked by '
the blood upon his hands, he had
given an explanation which, in the
light of his sudden departure, seem-
ed insufficient and far-fetched.
Every word of the conversation
betweeen her father and the stran-
ger, which she had heard as she
crouched behind the door, recurred
to her—indeed, it was burned into
her brain never to be forgotten. Had
Mr. Gordon and the strange trial'
met? If such a meeting between
these two foes had taken place in
the woods—!
She shuddered and covered hee
face with her hands. The man ha.d
uttered threats against Mr. Gordon;
it was almost impossible for them to
meet without coming to blows. Had
the man attathed Mr. Gordon whom
he feered and hated? If se, Slut
knew jack too well not to feel con-
vinced that he would defend him -
wit, that he would return .a bloW,
and with interest.
Her heated brein pictured the
seem which her fears created. Mr.
Gordon .would be attathed by the
man, would strike back; would flght
(To Be Continued),.
ROSINESS GAHM
THE Ondustria.1 Morvgage and
Savings Company, of Sarnia
Ontario, am prepired to advance Ineney on
Ortgage. On gr. d 11171dS. Parties desiring
nwney on farm 1(It0500 npoly to
Smut.. 'ONVFITI. sk,nfol th. Ont., Who will f or-
si.11 rateN fine other jartlechirs.
Tho Industrial Mortgago
and Sayindv Company
dzzaw g5ka„Veaer
AGENT FOR
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ICOMPANIES
For Brussels and vicinity Phone 647
JAMES NI' FADZEAN
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Also
Hartford Windstorm and Tornado Insurance
Phone 44 Box 1 Turnberry 8treet, Brussels
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T. T. M'RAE
M.B..MC.P..&S.O.
M. 0. H., Village of BrusselS
Physician, Burgeon, Aecouche'r
Office at residence. opposite Melt file Church,
William street.
oFe. WAROLAW
[Tenor graduate of the Ontario VeterInart
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Flour Mill, Ethel.
W?. N. Siovezaz
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR,
CONVEYANCER, NOTARY PUBLIC
LECKIE BLOCK • BRUSSELS
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