Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1925-10-7, Page 7Canad'sBestPiano a ------Prices from $375,00 op TERMS TO SPIT ALL Do not waste time solvinguzzles l:)tit" et it) touch •with the 01(1 estalished and reliableBeni and get full 'value for` your munry, Mason: Risch Ontario St. Phone.l 97 7 ! Stratford Love,The Tyrant Y " (CHAPTER IV Continu'd- She inclined her head in the De. lady -of -the -manor style—and passe out; but Jack, undaunted, helped th lattice into the jingle and. closed th looking at the,glorious view from the 'terrace, and admiring the front of' st this grand old place.' d Now, he could not have hit upon' a e shorter cut to' Esther's favour; for e she was already proud of the Towers,. , ' and praise of it was sweet in her ears. So she smiled at him for the first time and Selby Layton felt that he had • said the right thing. "We will be very quick," said Es- g- ther. "Will you go into the drawing - or room, or wopld you rather wait a -i here?" They had reached the terrace by this time. • ,`Oh, here,, please, if I may," he said; softly. Esther ran' up' the stairs, followed more slowly and sedately by Miss Worcester, and Selby Layton looked after her before he turned back to the terrace. "She's more than pretty; she's l beautiful—will be very much so. A charming girl; but no fool, my dear Selby. There's a look in those grey eyes which I—don't= altogether like. I shall have to go slow and cautiously —very cautiously. What a place it is!" He looked' round hide slowly with a new expression in his eyes: the expression to which the command- ment, "Thou shalt not covet, is es- pecially applicable. "And all in the hands of a girl—a girl who was only a few weeks ago giving music -lessons to tradesmen's daughters! The old man's will was worse' than wicked: it was absurd. What could I not have. done with this? Well, who knows? lt's not too' late!" He stroked his fair and carefully cultivated moustache with a hand as white and slim and as small as a wom an's, and lighting a cigarette, leant his elbows on the rail and smoked, thoughtfully. In her eagerness for her seeming neglect of him, Miss Worcester was dressed first, and she went to Esther's door and knocked. Esther knew the • fool in agave "What a singular young man!' said Miss Worcester as they drove off "But he has behaved -remarkably. well I'm sure it was shocking the way at he and that dreadful hor?le strug I never saw such a thing! Fo common trai5rp, he displayed+ extra .ordinary heroism." "I don't fancy' he is a common tramp, aunt," said Esther thought fully. "No? Perhaps you didn't notice Zia clothes, my dear Esther. My 'ewes are sharp, and I am a particular- ly observant woman." Miss Esther had noticed a great deal more than the' young man's clothes; but she said nothing, and Miss Worcester: rambled on: "To tell you the truth, I was rather 'taken by the poor fellow; his manners were — almost—almost gentleman- . "I think he was rather—forward," said Esther, Beverly., "Yes? Well, perhaps he was. He is very good looldng. It strange low one sometimes sees a really high type of face among the quite corn- . mon people. And his voice—" Esther burst out laughing, but it was rather an impatient laugh. "My dear aunt, don't let;us talk :any more about .him, or the whole affair will get on my nerves; and you know what that means. Get up, you you: nurserytoy! Aunt, do you think you'd be afraid to ride in a dog- , "A, dog -cart!" echoed Miss Wor- cester, aghast. "My dear Esther, whatever put that into your head?" "I—I don't know," replied Miss V�tnvourt, turning her head away to lade the blush which caused her very much annoyance. "I—I just happen- ed to think of it. Ready, Toby is too ridiculous!" She was silent after this condem- xation of Toby. Presently Miss Wor- t aster remarked that they really were dreadfully late for dinner. "I wonder whether they will think to give him any?" said Esther, absent- ly. Esther colored again. "The -the young man," she said. "My dear Esther, why should you worry yourself about him; Of course they will, or he'll' ask for it; that class of people always do.—Why dear Sae; what cart that be!" she broke off, staring before her, in her near :sighted fashion. They were jogging up the avenue by this time, and Esther looking up, saw a gentleman standing on the ter- race. He was in. evening dress and 'had the air.of having been waiting for some time. "Looks like a human man," she said, coolly; but she was' not without curiosity. Miss Worcester reddened with con- fusion and nervousness. "My dear Esther, it is Mr. Layton!" she gasped. Esther turned to her quickly. "But he does not come until to- morrow—the seventeenth," she said, Miss Worcester's. agony was painful to witness.' "Was it the seventeenth or the sbc- teenth? I thought it was the seven- teenth, but it may have been to -day! My dear Esther, what a dreadful mis- take! What shall we do?" . Esther laughed and glanced at the gentleman, He - was a young man, and good looking, distinguished look- ing rather than handsome, with'a smile that was almost too sweet for a man, but which was counterbalanc- ed, lounteraeted, by a peculiar twist of the upper lip, "Is it Mr. Layton!" she asked, in a low voice. "Yes—yes!" murmured Miss Wor- cester, agitatedly, "What will lie think, Esther?" t`That we're late for dinner, I should $ay'!? "Hc—Ireldoesn't look as if he were ill-tere eredt' about it—he's' smiling; so," said poor Miss Worcester, "Y -es" asserted Esther, in a low voice; ""I wish he wouldn't" Meanwhile, the man with the smile was saying to himself, as he came to meet them: "So she's' pretty,' is she? That makes it more difficult!" CHAPTER V. Mr. Layton stood, hat i�u hand, wait ing,with a lnile for the introduction. "This is Mr. Selby Layton, Esther," said Miss Worcester nervously. Mr. Layton bowed, but Esther held out her hand, "We cu'e very, glad to sae you, Mr. Layton," she said, "and you must be very glad to see us. 'I'm afraid you thought yott were not going to get any dinner, to -day+ I am 'sorry we are so late; but wo have had a chap ter—a whole volume—of accidents rr "Please don't a ologise," he said in a peculiarly soft voice which half something caressing In it. "I only arrived a short time age, and I was afraid that it was I who would bo late." Miss Worcester drew a breath of' relief. p "So nice of you to say Sol" she murmured; "and we will not keep you waiting a moment longer than we cap help--wll1 we, Esther?" "1 do hope you will not hurry," he responded, with almost unnecessary earnestness, "The Short time, I have Waited has been so pleflsantllr passed i,it, and Father had readily consented; M L k't' th nervous timid knock and saidt ) '"Come in!" The maid had gone down xO) a flower for Esther. "Beady already, aunt?" she said, "Sorry to keep you waiting; and it's my fault, not Marie's, You see, I'm not used to a maid, and, as Marie says, I don't 'keep quiet.' If I'd stand like a wooden image or a dress - block, she would get me dressed ever so much sooner. Poor Marie! . I'm afraid I try her dreadfully." "Yes, my dear, I daresay you do," said Miss Worcester. "What --what do you think of Mr, Layton, Esther?" ""I'm afraid I haven't' thought much about him, aunt," responded Esther. He seems very gentlemanly—how I hate_ the word! It's nearly as bad as 'respectable'• --•land if he wouldn't smile quite so,much and hadn't quite so soft a Yoice�--" "My dear Esther! I am sure, he has an exceedingly pleasant smile, not to say sweet, and his voice is very —refined---•" " 'Our,double refined oil,' " mur- mured Esther, quoting the grocer's advertisement, —"And he has been exceedingly kind: He is the only one of the fam- I h h fk t s n leo us! All'the rest have been most un- friendly." "Not unnaturally," remarked Es- ther. Indeed it was not unnatural that the Vancourts should be "unfriendly" to the young girl who had "stepped into" the vast estates and fortune of Sir Richard. It was not a large family, and all the members were only re- mote relations. But they had flocked to the funeral in the hope of receiv- ing .spme crumbs from the dead rich man's table and had gone away bit- terly disappointed. That Sir Richard should leave everything to his new how, Sir John, was bad enough, but that, this nephew having died out in Australia, the whole should go ,to a girl as distantly connected as the oth- ers, was infinitely worse. Some of them had maintained a sullen silence, others had threatened to upset the will—much to Messrs. Floss & Floss' amusement—but only one had extend- ed the hand of friendship to the heir- ess. This was Mr. Selby Layton.. He was a "thirty-second" cousin or some- thing of the sort, to Sir Richard, and had come down to the funeral with so little expectation of deriving. any benefit from the will that he was not in the least disappointed. But, where- as the rest had departed shaking the dust of the Towers from their feet, he had gone away cheerfully, if thoughtfully, and had written a letter of congratulation to Esther, and had even called at the little house in the dreary, dingy street in which Esther and Miss Worcester lived. Esther had been out teaching at the time, and had not had the pleas- ure of seeing Mr. Selby Layton; but Miss Worcester had seen him and beet very much impressed by his godd looks, his pleasant manner, and more than all by his charming smile and sweet voice. it was she who had suggested that he should be asked to pay them a s -is - Latest Coif tvrorbeGolf Fashions -1n M adea hcauandehadd Btallo-hat withoolk ipgt and the more readily by reason of Mr. Solby Layton •being one of the rola• tions being left out in the cold. She felt So much pity for thein that she was anxious to do something for therm, and would have been quite wil- ling to share, say, half Sir .liieharcl's money with them; but Mr. Floss, the senior partner of the firm,' had his own ideas on the project, and nipped It In the bud. But the desire still re f:mined with Esther; and while her aunt was singing the praises of Mr. Selby Layton, Esther was asking her. self whether that 'gentleman night ablehelpherinmta. natbeto! theair. "And I am sure he is very good. nnIused," said Mies Worcester. "There he jg.on the terrace smoking a cigarette quite eon tentedly, though we .are dreadfully late, and men do so hate being kept without their dinner. Don't you think he has a very distin- gaished appearance, Esther?"" Esther went to the. window as she and clunked hdowno at thehgentlemi toilette, lounging not ungracefully on the ter- race below. "Y -es, I suppose he has," she said, absently; then she flushed with a tinge of shame, for she had caught herself comparing the elegant' figure of Mr. Layton with that of the young man who had stopped the runaway mare. "And he looks so clever. But T suppose all barristers are clever," re- marked Miss Worcester. "I suppose so," said Esther; it's their only excuse. I don't like law- yers, aunt, since I've seen something of them," "But I don't think he practises," said Miss Worcester; "in fact I think 1 remember him saying so. I do hope you'll like him, my deal•." "Why, of course," assented Esther. "What a lovely spray, Marie! How did you manage to get it? Mr. Gib- son"—Mr. Gibson was the gardener, retained at a tremendous salary to grow flowers which he guarded jeal- ously from the attacks of even his mistress—"is so reluctant to cut his flowers." Mark hid a smile. "I told him that they were for yourself, miss," she said, "for you to wear, and I coaxed him into letting me choose them." Esther smiled. "I umrt t).. •'- ''t tn-morn,+• morning wh'r 1 i into the green- house." "Thank him for your own flowers, Esther!" c;lairir•1 Miss Worcester. I suppose— never f " +mi.'. -+m.; but I am sure that rib m,+ en' i' •• them his. Any- way, he grows them." Marie lin ci h "pray of delicate white hlosoms in Esther's dress, and looked at her young mistress with ap- proval and admiration, for the grace- ful figure in the soft folds of black net which threw up the clear pallor of the beautiful face and the deep grey of the eyes, made an exquisite picture of girlish loveliness. "All my war paint on, Marie? Well, then, we'll go down and face our nat- ural foe—Man," said Esther, smil- ing." F, tFy on wasaWaling tela in the drawing -room, and Palmer, the butler, with a snore -in -sorrow -than -in anger -air, at once announced dinner Mr. Layton gave his arm to lYlies Wor- cester,thedining-and Faroomther followed them into , The daylight was beginning to wane, and the candles had been lit, and the soft light fell pleasantly on theollandsome room with its rich but subdued decorations and upon. the magnificent plate and glass for which the Towers was as famous as for its pictures and collection of brie -a -brae. Esther, at the head of the oval table, was rather silent and absent- minded, and left most of the talking to Miss Worcester; but Mr. Selby Layton was quite at his veer, and conversed pleasantly and with that soft fluency which obtains in geed sotsiety.. Every now and then he glaneed at the young girl, and at every glance his admiration: increas- ed. There was something' impressive in the calm serenity of the violet eyel., an impressiveness whiehr was deepened by the, sudden animation with which she roused from abstraction and join- ed in the conversation when it touch- ed on a subject whi h interested her. Palmer and his tn'o footmen waited with perfectly trained assiduity, and the dinner, notwithstanding its postponement, was an admirable one; When the dessert had appeared and the servants had departed, Esther woke up to 'the duties of a hostess. "Would you like port or claret, Mr. Layton?" she said. "There, are both here—I'll pass them; and presently you will want to smoke, won't you? All men smoke after their meals, don't they? There is a billiard and smoking room at the end of the hall; but you won't care to sit there in soli- tude. Please smoke here. We will wait until you have lit your cigarette, because we like the scent of it, don't we, auntie?" Another man might have protested that he didn't wart to smoke; but Selby Layton was too clever for such a banality, and he presently took out his silver cigarette -case. Esther ling- erect for a moment or two, then rose. "You will find your way to the drawing -room, Mr. Layton? But plepte don't hurry," When he had opened the door for them, and returned tohis place, Selby Layton leant back and smoked in err. ;m.rr br.c he +rzs very thoughtful as his eyes wandered round the room and rested on the pictures and the plate, the bronzes and the antique glass. "Yes, she's lovely," he murmured, "and a lady_ Strange how she man- ages to look,and speak as if she'd been used to this from her birth. Scarcely spoke to me through dinner, and wasn't even listening half the time. Wonder what she was thinking of? The old lady will be easy enough —soft as putty—but the girl—! I've got my work cut out for me. Any- how, I've got a fair start. There can't be anyone else, yet—and—" He did not finish the sentence, but turned his head and surveyed his re- flection in the old mirror on the wall at his side. Esther went straight to the piano �%�I!eddin Gift if you have a -Gift to ohoose for a, Wide rl 11 III (G„(fiflllill,llllllllll,,,,,, Visit Our Gift She p In our store you will firicl suitable Wedding Gifts, A new stock. of Cut Glass has just arrived consisting of Sherbett Sets, Goblets, Water Sets. Cake Plates, Vases, Butter Tubs, Sugars and Creams, etc. Also a nice assortment of Silverware, New useful pieces, 41 Tambour and Black Clocks: Call and see the assortment, Diamond Wedding Rings Rings J. R. . WE �.1q�. D . T JEWELER WROXETER and began to play softly and dreamily, so softly that Miss Worcester could "talk through” the music. "Remarkably pleasant he seems, Esther," she said, taking up the knit- ting with which Esther had been fam- iliar since she was a child. "H'+a is a barrister, and he doesn't practise. I think he has a small income of his own. And he moves in very good society. Did you hear him mention Lady Blankyre?" "No; I wasn't listening all the time," said Esther, absently. How sternly, almost roughly, that young man, "the tramp," had ordered her to standawe from t are—"I y he m was thinking about something. else." "You are so tl:;eanay, 1n.+ a u Es- ther," said Miss Worcester, with gen- tle reproof. "I remember I used to call your attention to that failing as a child. Ile lives in rooms in Clare- mont Street, May Fair, and he is fond of music and—er—art generally. I think he is a highly cultivated young man." Is he?" said Esther. How quiet- ly "the tramp" had spoken to his dog. Perhaps, if she, Esther, had been a dog he wouldn't have spoken so roughly to her? "Yes, oh, remarkably so. And did you notice his hands, Esther?" "I'm afraid I didn't, aunt," "They are really beautiful hands; almost like a woman's." "Don't think I like small hands in a man—sign of weakness. Anyway, it's poaching on our preserves." "Nonsense, Esther! And he really is very kind and thoughtful. He has been making enquiries about the young baronet, poor Sir John—" Esther stopped talking and looked round with sudden interest, "Yes? . Why did he do that? What has he discovered?" "Discovered? Nothing more than we know; but you can ask him. Here he comes, Now, would he like a liq- uer with his cogee, or not, Esther? I've heard that men like a liquer—" i Esther shrugged her shoulders. `Then I daresay'Pahner has given i4 4 1.•,.. I, She turned as Selby Layton came in with the slnw s-lf-roeseeeion of a man : who is conscious of his good: looks, "You have found out something a- bout my cousin—is he my cousin Sir John Vancourt, Mr. Layton?" she., said, with her characteristic direct- ness. He went to the piano and leant a- gainst it, his legs crossed, his head bent, with a nice mixture of ease and respect. L have been making some inquir- ies," he said; "but I have discovered little that is new—very little beyond what is already known. Sir Sohn— he is your cousin, but ever so made times removed—certainly died in Au- stralia. He was shot by bushrangers,. and was discovered immediately after his death—his murder—by the police, (Continued Next Week) nehina Denote Whd p, t(an- taplo pose In an of .tr d I'JppeUoe car an In London.nrtj Their Ma- jesties King George en Qdeen Mary Seated on the in Iniature C anadlan Paoific train which makes the tour of Treasure Is- land at the Wembley Ex. hil>ition. Group of iapenoe-o tlskha0 nosed en■ with bro tlnmtufoci in Tokio Dirk. The pI tdro was taken during the re- cent world mina of tho Canadian Pacific s:s. Emprcis of Prance. "E. P.. of Cape- town, South Aldan, standing 51 attention flanked , byy officers of . tho Girl Guides duringthe playing of God Save the King. The minratnre Canadian 1 PoelfIp tral Na Teeeagre i Talmud 01 ambito Ex. blbltloq. fifty' tbone. ands of de ghted kiddies agnd thmervolo ofR 1115 rordande and throo5h taw Canadian Pacifla a Rockies, Alitvu,,•: ll to 1151 silYt • fi'ns'Ff:A'•�I� gtllDEVI- Blrair Ingham 'k1 leirx 4104410441:4 ii I�n•itetN tart• �w` Atergl, The rdihoditteat trhees ge4iwon11,,lelrtay«raa� thee• n8ltendeet CChetean take zt GrtMb atiba� a