HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1926-3-24, Page 7Love,
he Tyrant
THE BRUSSELS POST
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,WANTED
It was ten o'clock before he reaeh- "Dunne, mister. No, she airl't;
ed the place he was making for and
stopped before- one of the small
houses in a street near the deck
gates, It was—unlike its neighbors,
which were mostly email chandlers,
ironmongers, and oil shops—a pri-
vate house; cut the door was divid-
ed hatch fashion, and the upper balf
W013 still open, and in a small room
inside an old man was mending
boots by the light of an evil -smell-
ing paraffin lamp. It was the only
thing unclean in ;the room, which
was scrupniously neat, notwithstand-
ing its occupant's employment. A
teapot stood on the hob, and a cup
of that beverage which cheers rich
and pooralike was at the shoe -mak-
er's elbow. He was so engaged in
his work that .he did not -see Jack
until he leant over the lower half
of the door, and said, cheerily:
"Nano, jacobt"
"Oh, it's you, mister," said the old
man. "So you've come back?"
Jack nodded.
"You don't seem very surprised,
Jacob."
Jacob shook his head.
"No," he said, composedly. "Most
of you come back, I notice." He
looked through the doorway towards
• the docks dreamily. "I've seen scores
and scores come here; and many of
'ern go away, but most of 'ern come
back. It's something in the Mr of
the place, I reckon; it's fine and open
here, you see."
Jack smiled as he glanced up the
narrow and by no means over -clean
street, and sniffed the heavy air re-
dolent of an extraordinary mixture
of odours, in which that of tar and
bilge -water distinctly predominated,
and smiled again.
"And where have you been—hay-
making?" asked' the old cobbler.
"Right the first time!" respendmi
Jack, cheerfully.
"Ah 1 a good many of 'ern tries
that; but they seldom stick to it.
The country's a dull kind o' place—
at least, I should think so; I've nev-
er seen it myself. There's nothing
like London."
"You're right, there isn't!" assent-
ed Jack, with emphasis,
Jacob nodded.
"No, mister. Them as has once
lived in it can't keep away from it
for long. Walked far?"
"Pretty far; far enough to make
sne want to go to bed. Can I have
say old room, Jacob?" he asked, as
he opened the door and went in, his
stalwart figure seeming to "crowd"
the room.
Jacob shook his head.
"Sorry, mister," he said. "It's let.
You see, we didn't think you'd be
coming back so soon. Not that we
could have afforded, to keep it."
"Of eourse not; but I'm sorry; I
was very comfortable here. So far
as I've seen, it's the only house in
the place where they use soap and
Je a scrubbing -brush. Well, I must try
my moi,5 elsewhere."
The old cobbler scratched his
head with his awl, and surveysed s
Jack nrifinatingly.
"Your old room's gone," he said, b
"but there's the little 'un at the top;
a'aen could have that—if you could I
get into it."
Jack laughed.
"If it's smaller than the old one
it will be a bit of a squeeze," he
said, "but 111try it. Perhaps your
new lodger mayn't stay long."
Jacob shook his head doubtfully.
"Can't say, I'm sure. We ain't
partickler sweet on her, and we'll
- give her notice if you think of stay-
ing on; though she pays her sent
regular and is quiet enough—most
times."
"Oh, don't give her notice on my
account," spid Jack. "Especially as
my stay is uncertain. I'll manage,
I shouldn't like to turn a woman out.
Who is she, a sail -maker?" Nearly
all the women near the docks are
enmioyed in the sail -lofts, rope-
walks, or similes. places.
Jacob shook his head.
1 "That's all right," remarked Jack,
cheerfully, as he unslung hie knap-
i sack and dropped it on a char.
I "Nerdy Jane 'ull be in (tinkly,'
said Jacob. "She've been round to
get a bit o' something for supper.
You'll join us, mister? She'll be
glad to see you; you were a bit o' a
favorite o' hers."
was I?" said jack, with a
laugh. "I didn't know that; km
Mordy Jane was always pretty sharp
with me."
"She jaws everybody; It's her
way," Jacob remarked, composedly.
"It's in her bone."
"Yes, I've always suspected that
'Wordy Jane's bark Waa worse than
her bite," Jack said.
At this moment the door was
swung, back and a girl entered. It
was difficult to tell her age, becauee
though her face and figure were that
of a child, say, of fourteen, she ,,vore
a cast-off woman's dress of the most
mature type and a battered crepe -
trimmed bonnet, which might have
been built: for a widow of fifty; and
the face, though childish in some re-
spects, was marked with lines which
indicated the shrewdness with which
ene credits only the adult.
She carried a beer -jug in one
hand, and a dish of cold boiled beef
in the other, which had necessitated
the kick that she had administered
to the door.
so you're back!" she exclaim-
ed, in a shrill voice, as she eyed Jack
with a pair of eyes as sharp as a
magpie's.
"Yes, I'm back; and how do you
do, Mordy Jane," said Jack. "Let
me put the lug down."
"Ah, that's right! Go for the beer
first!" remarked Mordy Jane, not at
all mollified by his politeness. "Like
a inan that is! Always got one eye
on the beer. Now, don't put it so
near the fire! Can't you see the
table?—Pather, put them shoes
away! Didn't I tell you to knock
off before I went out!"
The old man obediently gathered
the boots and tools together and
laid. them in a box. a
"And there's the lamp smelling
like billy -ho!" she went on. "'Neagh
to stifle one! And you two men a -
sitting 'here and taking no notice!
But, there! you'd sit with your
thumbs in your mouth if the house
was a -burning."
She turned down the too -aspiring
lamp, and, as she got out a cloth and
spread it, addressed Jack.
"And where have you been? After
no good, I'll be bound! Trust you
for that. Been hop -picking, or
what? Bat you needn't trouble to
'cos she's out moat all lay and don't
come home till late. But she's re-
spectable enough, or we shouldn't
have her."
•
•
47
i
•
•
*
• aghest market prices
paid,
•
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an • See me or Phone No. 2x, Brunt- *
a sets, and T will call and get +
na
3 ow Hide, •
Me Yollick
which sent the ridiculous bonnet all
on one side. "I've heard that fairy
story before. You can have the
boots when you bring the money,
and not before!"
"Mother'll be in a fine way," re-
marked Sophia Maria, in a kind of
stolid resignation. "Most like she'll
come 'erself. She wants 'em to go
to Hopping Forest in to -morrow, and
she won't be able to go without them
boot. But I don't care. Don't you
think as I do, Tardy Jane: for I
don't. So there!"
"You tell your mother—" Mordy
Jane began to retort; then she stop-
ped and tossed the boots ever the
door. "Well, take 'ern! But mind!
If our mother wasn't gain' to Hep -
ping—"
Sophie Maria snatched up (he
hoots and fled; and, after sundry
snorts and ejaculations, Mordy Jane
cooled down sufficiently to superin-
tend the supper.
Jack looked on and listened with
a strange sense of unreality. Din'
such a place as Vancourt, *such peo-
ple as Esther, Mrs. Martin, Nettie
exist, or had he only dreamt of
them? He looked round the, tiny
room absently; neither its size or its
poverty troubled him:—had he not
roughed it in the bush, and pattaken
of worse fare than cokl boiled beef,
and had been in worse conniany than
this honest old shoemaker and his
wierdly precocious child?—but it
seemed as if he had never left Van -
court, 'as if the time he had spent
there were the freak of his imagin-
ation.
"An' what are you goin' to do?
Same old game; docks?" asked Mor-
dy Jane as she helped him liberally
meeting his remonstrance with; "01t
there's plenty for all of us, and I
ain't hungry—'aci shrimps for tea—
and you look as if you'd come off a
long tramp."
"So I have," said Jack. "Yes
same old game, Mordy Jane, I hope
there's plenty of work."
"Oh, yes," she said. "We're busy
just now, and you're all right;
though"—she eyed him with her
head on one side, like 'a particular-
ly sharp sparrow—"I should a
thought the likes of you could have
found something better than dock
work."
"Doesn't seem like it, Mordy
Jane, seeing that I've come back
answer; you wouldn't tell the truth, again," responded Jack, cheerfully.
'spectl—Father, what you ' done "Yes, that's what queer," she
vith the cheese?" said, still surveying him With the
"The cheese—the cheeso?—lemme supernatural shrewdness Of the
ee!" murmured the old roan, ab- cockney of her class. "But there!
tractedly. "Oh, yes, I remember. it's 110. business of /nine. I suppose.
ars. Jenkin's 'Vangeline came in 'au you're going to hava the top room?
orrowed it" • Your old 'un's let. Well, I'll go up
Mordy Jane turned upon him with and put it tidy for you, Have some
ler arms akimbo, her childish face more beer -1'm off. beer to -night,
full of indignation. . and pa prefers tea—and don't let
"There now! And Inc only been father sneak back to that old bench
one ten minutes at the most! Old of his while I'm gone.—You hear
lother Jenkins must have watched me, father!" she added, threateniag-
me go. She (night to be ashamed of ly.
herself; and as for laangeline—wall, "Yes, yes, Mordy Jane," he assent -
let me catch her comin' horrowin' ed, meekly,
again, that's ail— Well, -there'll be Jack and he lit their pipes and
no cheese, Mr. Gorhora that's one smoked in the silence which tobacco
thing.!" makes possible,. and ,prasently Mur -
"Don't worry on my account, dy Jane tame down with the inform-
Moedy Jane; never eat chem." ation that Jack's room was reculy.
"But other people do!" ,she re- "Hata-past five and a cup of col' -
toted. "Bring up Timc'nair-- fee, as usual, I suppose?" she said. '
rather, thin that apron 'off! If you "Thanks, yes," replied Jack. "I'll
think you're going to work age n to- turn in now. Good -night, Jacob;
night, you're mistaken—Now, whet good -night, Aaordy Jane; it's very
is it?" kind oa you to take me in."
A mite of tender years, but with Mordy Jane nodded.
a precociously aged face, peered over "Oh, web, as to that," she said,
the doer, ancl tn thin treble, said in sharply, "we've had worse and we've
monotonous voice, as if it were re- had better. , Don't dusturb yourself
peating a lesson: if you hear a noise about 'alf-past
"Please, Mister Jacob, mother eleven; it's only our °thee lodger
says will you please et 'er hale Ler combs' in."
boots, as she wants 'em partickler." Jack laughed.
"Eh?" murmured the old num, ab "Am earthquake wouldn't diatueb
sently. "Yes—yes. Lemma see! lin toareight, Mordy Jane," he said.
WS. IVIurpay's boots. Whore did I "r shall sleep like a top,"
—Mt, yes; here they are," Neverthelese, he was lying awake
Ile runnnaged them out from a thinking of Esther when the dock
collection, in the corner, and was clock—how different was its sound
handing them to the child; but Mor- o that of the Vancourt one l—
ay Jane was too quick for him, and struck eleven; and something after,
inatehed them out of his hand. as he strove to thrust his thoughts
"Where's the money, Sophie aside and loae them in sleep, he
Meetia?" she inquired. "How nuieh heard a light but dragging step mil-
ls it, father?" ing up the stairs, and the sound Of
"Bighteenpence," replied jacob, some person moving about' in the
Sophie Maria dem back her town beneath.
grimy little paw, Mordy Jane hamaacred at the (loot
"Pleaee, mother says she 11 pay at hall pa five the next moraing,
yeti on Saturday night, isnot faith, aud Nitwit a eup of coffee rosind it;
ae—an arid jack got UP /OM his restless
"No, yell (IWO" brat in Moray dream -haunted deep; and, ptepitted
Janes With a Alike of het head, for the day's toil. As he dresiled
Letterheads
Envelopes
Billheads
And all kinds of Business
Stationery printed at The
Post Publishing House.
We will do a job that will
do credit to your business.
Look olio your stock of
Office Stationery arid i
requiree replenishing cal
us by telephone ill.
The Post Publisidsg Ioust
himself he thought that, after till,
he had acted wisely in rushing at
once at work. If labour is Praior.
it Is also solace; and his life woakt
be unendurable but for the hard
physical toil which permits of no
"mooning," and compels the heavy
slumber of bodily fatigue,
He went down to the (leeks, nild
Wag at once taken on by the fore-
man, who recognized his stalwart
figure; and for the whole of the
day, barring his short meal -times,
Sir John Vancourt, baronet, of Van -
court Towers, hauled melon, lifted
great weights, and earned his bread
with the sweat of his brow. When-
ever he found himself pausing ab-
sently and wandering mentally to-
wards Vancourt ind the girl who
reigned there, he made a dash for.
O sack or a bale as if it were his
mortal foe, and hauled and lifted un-
til he had deadened the aching pain
at his heart.
It answerea fairly well while he
was at it; but he knew that when
the doses work was over the reaction
would set in, and° the aching pain
and longing, would rise to torment
him.
He went home to "clean" and
have his tea—whicla,Mordy Jane en-
livened with an altercation with a
neighbor who condunted her side of
the argument over the lower half of
the door—then he lit his pipe and
strolled out.
'Until he had met Esther he had
found London amusing and interest-
ing enough, but to -night the great
city weighed. upon him like an in-
cubus, and he tvalked up one street
and down another in an absent, pre-
occupied Manner, thinking of Van -
court woods and all Etat had happen-
ed there.
At last, tired of aimless wander-
ing, he made for home. It was past
eleven as he entered Chase Street,
Os the street in which he lodged
was ealled, anti the streets were
slather noisy, for the public -houses
were in full swing, doing a brisk
trade with the people who had just
come out from the theatres and the
music halls.
Jack made his way through the
various groups, and letting himself
in, groped his "?'ay upstairs; for it
was a rule of Mordy Jane's that no
bedroom candles be lit downstairs,
and Mordy Janes's rules were as un-
alterable as those of the Medes and
Persians.
He was feeling for a match -box
which lm remembered seeing on the
mantel -shelf as he went out, when he
heard the street door open and close
again and footsteps ascending the
stairs. It was, no doubt, the othes
lodger, the lady who was respectable
though "given to late hours."
Jack's door was open, and, natur-
ally enough, he went to it and look-
ed down.
A woman—young he judged, bilt
with a lined and faded face, made
all the more faded looking by a.
mass of yellow hair which obviously
owed its canary hue to art—was com
ing up the stairs with slow and tired
gait, holding on by the baluster and
stopping now and again to get her
breath.
Just as Jack looked down her loot
slipped, she staggered, and, losing
her hold of the rail, fell against the
wall and sank on to the stairs..
jack went down to her quickly
and quietly.
"Have you hurt yourself?" he ask
ed.
She looked up with a startled ex-
pression on her face, which was pale
beneath its paint.
"No—no! oh, no!" she said, and
jack was relieved to find that her
voice had not the slightest indication
of Inebalety. "I—my foot slipped,
and I fell. 3 am very tired—"
' She 'rose, but with difficulty, and
Jack took her men and drew it with-
in his.
"Let me help you," he said, gen-
tly. "There are only a fesv steps
further."
"Thank you!" she faltered, with
an attempt at a laugh—the vacant
laugh of the lower class London girl;
but the laugh died away, and she
winced.
"I've gone and sprained my foot,"
she said. "That's what. I'va done."
"I liape not," said Jack.
"Well, perhaps not--enly strained
it Good -night, and thank you," she
added, as she opened her door.
Jack returned the good -night, and
was turning away, Nelsen he saw
something—it looked Jike a small
square bundle—slipping from under
her arm. He stopped, and made to
prevent its falling; but, with a quick
cry, so low as to he scarcely more
than a gasp, she caught the bundle
to bei' as if it were aomething:seetet
and precious, atd, stepping into her
room, shut the door en him qu skly
but noiselessly.
CHAPTER XXVIII. '
While Jack had tramped off
into action in the battle of li
to speak, the two WOreert who
hint Were left behind to fret
'him In that inarioit whieh
80
ela
loss and grief so hard to bear; it is but unsuccessfully, find, ad daring
thos who are lef t behind who suffer to stay long lest he ahould In seen
he was returning to the house When
leather saw him. Oppresaed by guil-
ty forebodings, he was pale and hag-
gard, and he started slightly as, rais-
ing his head, he antw Esther; Ind hp
forced a smile and greeted her in
his softest and most tender voice.
"What a lovely day!" he said
"You have been down to the via
d age .
Esther assented rather coldly, with
tile xeserve which had marked her
• manner since she had yielded to his
persuasion and become half engagea
to him. 05
moat.
Kate gave way to her grief, but
Esther fought against hers with the
iiritie of her class and station. She
was greetly puzzled by Kate Tran-
som's strange words anti strange
manner when she learned from Es-
ther that Jack had gone; and Eathir,
as she walked home, inwardly as
mueli agitated as the girl she ba
just left, asked herself the meaning
of ICate's reception of the news.
Had the girl only pretended ig
norance of Mr. Gordon's departui e?
Was there no engagement betwerni
then? Why had the girl declared
so vehemently that Mr, Gordon end
his proceedings were nothing to her?
Surely Marie could not have been
mistaken when she said that
Gordon and Kate were engaged? If
they were not, if there was nothing
between them, why had Kate Tran-
som been so agitated, so vehement?
. She tried to put the whole thing
away from her, calling her pride to
her aid, After all, it was nothing
to her whether Mr. Gordon was en-
g.aged to Kate Transom or isot. What
she.. had to do was to forget him as
quickly and as completely as pos-
sible. He had passed out of her life,
and she hoped, for her own peace of
mind, that she should not see him
again.
As she went along the edge of the
wood, she saw Selby Layton coming
out from the midst of the trees. Ile
had been to pay another visit to the
scene of his crime, drawn thither
not only by the fascination of the
fatal spot but in search of the artic-
les which he had so perilously for-
gotten. In the terrible confusion of
his mind he had forgotten that with
the stylographie pen and the memor-
andum, he had also left the photo-
graph which Denzil had shown him.
He had returned the photograph to
Denzia—he was pretty clear On that
point—but he could not remember
what Denzil had dope with it, 3n
his hasty search he had not found it
on the body of the murdered man,
and it was quite possible that at the
moment of. the murder it might have
fallen amongst the bracken with the
other missing things.
On hie present visit he had made
diligent search in the undergrowth,
"Have you been into the wood?"
she asked, absently.
"Yes," he replied. "I though 1
would go and look at the Hawk's
Pool. It is an c-xtremely pictures -
quo spot."
"Yes," said Esther: "but it always
seems to me weird and uncanny."
"Well, so it is," he admitted; "bat
it is very characteristic. I suppose
every old place like the Towers has
O somewhat similar spot. You
wouldn't find it in the' newly -made
grounds of a modern estute; and I
think it would be a great pity to in-
terfere with it in any way; it seems
to me, as I said at breakfast, that it
would be a piece of vandalism. It
may not be altogether salubrious;
but it's far away from the house
and none of the cottages are near
it. If I were an artist, I should im-
plore you to spare it."
Be said all this with a pleasant .prsamexc
smile, and as if his interest were GrP47.3&Pjf
merely an artistic one; but his eyes &meal*
watched Esther's downcast face dith
a terrible earnestness. DM. SCOTT
.
-Esther shrugged her shoulders kles.Tvszo davertexsco
slightly, The matter seemed to her Wo
ref .re.P.R.1.0°E.SsuitMany
D pEeRr Tu E
r who,e
eaie
of no importance whatever, rheas officiated at. Phone 2828
"011, very well," she said. "We
will let it remain as it is, at any rate T. M' RAE
M. S., 04. O. P., .0 S. O.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 240, 1020
ther only smiled in a preoccupied
manner and seemed rather pale and
distrait, Miss Worcester was mon
than ever charmed with Mr. Selby
Layton, and Bang his praises When
she and Esther had retiaed to the
drawing -room.
He joined them very soon, and
presently going to the piano, played
and sang in his most charming man-
ner.
(To Be Continued),
BUSINESS CARDS
_
erHE industrial Mortgage and
N Savings Company, of Sarnia,
Ontario, are prepared to advance money on
Mortgages on good lands. Parties desiring
money on ferm mortgages will please apply to
James (Iowan, Searorth, Ont., who will far.
ni.b rates and other partici-dare.
The Industrial Mortgago
and aavfnge Company
azzaw 0. Aamer
AGENT FOR
fire, Automobile and Wind los.
IOOMPANIES
For Brasses and vieintty Phone 647
JAMES M' FADZEAN
Agent llowlek Mutual fire Insurance Company
Mao
Hartford Windstorm end Tornado insurance
Phone 42 Box 1 Turnherry Street, Brussels
JNO, SUTHERLAND fit SONS
LIMITED
:or the present." M.
o. .1.8„ Village of, Brussels.
He glided smoothly into another Physician, Surgeon, Acootiohear
subject; and when they had reached Ooe at residence, opposite Melville Church,
the house lm left her at once and William street.
went to the library on the preteace
of writing a letter: for he was too DF. WAROL.Aw
wise to make• his presence a burden r rall n /Oh
to her. They did not meet again un- SiFe7:*Zsg:airallle=le
131 dinner -time, when he was as ser-
ene and smiling as usual; and during ire entra SaieVea&Rafti
. BARRIsTER, SOLICITOR,
1 . mse out to
the
CONVEYANCER. NOTARY PUBLIC
amuse the two ladies; and though Es- LECKIE BLOCK - BRUSSELS
4-14m s ammo
0
Et.
Can You
11 Visit them all 1
Have you, Mr. Business Man, the
time to get out and call on all of your
customers and prospective customers
each week ? If you could do so, it
would be a fine thing for you and for
your business.
The next best thing to a personal
call from you is to send out your
business message each week in THE
POST, which covers the local com-
munity ,and will carry your ,inessage
to old friends and new friends, alike.
Advertising in THE POST is an
economical, efficient way to reach the
people in your trade territory and let
them know of the buying opportun-
ities offered in yOur business -estab-
lishment.
=Mb.*
THE BRUSSELS POST
V..)11Aftity)
T•