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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1931-08-20, Page 600,4.7 yafieelist, PAGE SIX THE SEAFORTH NEWS. ree 'THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1931. JOAN or the SwordHand By S. R. erockett (Continued from Last Week)' Then a shriek, long and terrible, in- human and threatening, rang through the house. A light began to bent yel- low and steady through the crack; of he chamber door, not pulsing ane blue like the lightning without. Pres- ently, as Joan overboreher assailant upon the floor, the door opened, and glancing upwards she saw the Word- less .elan stand on the threshold, a candle in one hand and a ' naked sword in the other. The terrible cry which had rung in her ears had been his. At sight of him Joan unclasped her fingers from the' throat of the wo- man and rrose slowly to her feet. The old •man rushed forward and knelt be- side the prostrate body of his mis- tress. At the same moment there came' the sound of quick footsteps running up the stairway. The door flew open and Werner von Orseln burst in, also sword in hand. "What is the meaning of this?" he shotrted. "Who has dared to harm my lady?" Joan did not answer, but remained standing tall and straight by the hooded mantel of the fireplace. As was her custom before lying down she had clad herself in a loose gown of white silk which on all her jour- ney; she carried in a roll at her sad- dle -bow. She pointed to the mother of Mau- rice von Lynar, who lay on the floor, still unconscious, with the dumb man kneeling over her, chaffing her hands and murmuring unintelligible tendernesses, like a mother crooning. over a sick child. But the face of the chief captain grew stern and terrible as he saw on the floor a knife of curious design. Be stooped and lifted it:, It was a Danish toile knife, the edge a little curved outward and keen as a razor. "Go down and bring a cup of wine!" commanded Joan as soon as he ap- peared. And Werner van Orseln having glanced once at his mistress where she stood with the point of her !sword to the ground and her elbow on the corner of the mantel, turned on his heel and departed without a word to do her bidding. Meanwhile the Wordless Man had liaised his mistress up frons the ground. !Her eyes slowly opened and. began to wander vaguely round the roam, taking in the objects one by oine. (When they fell on Joan, stand- ing erect by the fireplace, a spasm seemed to pass across her face and she strove fiercely but ine'ffectual'ly to rise, 'Garry your mistress to that couch!" said the young Duchess, pointing to the tumbled bed front which a few minutes before she had so hastily launched herself. 'The dumb man either understood the worlds or the significant action of Joan's hand, for he stooped and lifted Von Lynar's mother in his arms. Whilst he was thus engaged Werner came in quickly with a silver cup in this hand. Joan took it inetantly and going for- ward she put it to the lips of the + man at the bed II er hair had es- caped from itsgathered coils and now flowed in luxuriant masses of red gold Dyer her shoulders and showered .itself on either side of the pillow before fall- ing in a shining cataract to the floor. (Putting out her hands the woman took the cup and drank it se'owle, pausing between the draughts to draw long breaths. "I must have strength," she said: "I have much to say. Then, Jean of 'GIoh'ensteiu, your:seif ,shalt• judge be- tween thee and mel" The fluttering of the lightning at The window seemed to disturb her,; for as Joan bowed her assent slightly and sternly, the tall woman kept looking towards the lattice as if .the pulsing fl'a'me fretted her, Joan moved her Brand, slightly without taking her eyes away, and the c'h'ief captain, used to, such silent orders from his mistress, strode over to the 'window and palled the curtains close. !The storm had by this time subsided to a rumble, and only round the edges of the arras could a faint occasional glow be seen, telling of the turmoil without 'But a certain faint tremulousness pervaded all the house, which was the Baltic thundering on the pebbly beaches and shaking the walls to their sandy foundations. IThe colour came slowly bank to the woman's'pale face, and, after a little, she raised herself on the pillows. Joan stood motionless andmtcompromisin.g by the great iron clogs of the chimney. "You are waiting for me to speak, and I will speak," said the woman. "You have a doable right to know all. (Shell it be told to yourself alone ell- in the presence of this man?" She rooked at Von Orse!'n as ` she spoke, "I. have no secrets in my life," said Joan; "there is nothing -that I would hide front hitt., Save one thing!" She added the last words in her heart. "I warn you that the matter con- cerns yourself very closely," answered the w'om'an somewhat urgently. "Wenner von Orseln is my chief captain!" answered Joan. "It concerns also your father's honour!" "He was my father's chief captain 'before he was nine, and had charge of his honour on twenty fields," Gratefully and silently Von Orseln lifted his mistress's hand to his lips. The tall woman on the bed smiled faintly. "It is well that your Highness is so happy in her servants. T also have one who can hold his peace." ,She pointed to the Wordless Man, .who now stood With the candelabra in his hand, mute and immu4•alb'le'by his mistress's bedheed, as if watching that none should do her harm. There was an interval of silence in the room, fitted up by the hoarse per- sistent booming of the storm without and the shuddering shooks of the, wind on the lonely house. Then the wonnan spoke again in a low, distinct voice. "Since it is your right to .know my name, I ant Theresa von Lynar who have also a right to call myself 'of IHahenstein'—and your dead father's widow!" In an instant the reserve of Joan's sternly equal mind was broken up. She dropped her sword clattering on the floor and started angrily forward to- wards the bed. "It is a lie most foul," she cried; "nty father lived unwed for many years—nay, ever since my mother's death, who died in giving me life, he never so much as looked on woman, It is a thing well known in. the 'DuchyI° The woman did not answer directly. "Max Ulrich, bring the silver cas- ket," she said, taking from her neck a little silver key. The Wordless Man, seeing her ac- tion, came lor'ward and took the key. Be went out of the room, iand after an interval which seemed interminable he returned with a peculiarly shaped cas- ket. It was formed like a heart, and, upon it, curiously worked in .gold and precious stones, Joan saw her father's motto and .the armorial bearings of 'Rubenstein. t henstem. a The woman touched. a setting with well practised hand, the silver heart divided, and a roll of parch'men't feel upon the bed, With a strange smile she gave it to Joan, 'beokoniteg her with an upward nod to a,pgraacih. "I give :chis precious docu'iiic at with- out .fearinto your hands.' It is my very soul. But it is safe with the daughter of Henry the Lion:' Joan took the tr+ackil'ing parchment. It had three seals attached to it and the first part was in her father's own handwriting. I declare by these presents that I have married according to the cus- toms of Hohenstein and the laws of the Empire, Theresa vont Lynar, dam - kilter of the 'Count von Lynar of Jut- land. But this marriage shall not, by any of: its occasions or consequents, affect the succession of my datagther ifoania to the Duchy of Hohenste'in and the Principalities of Kernsbcrg and Marienfeld. To which we sub- scribe our names as conjointly ;agree- ing thereto in the .presence of witness," Ten followed the =three sigpatffes, and beneath; in another, handwriting, Joan road the follbw^i og:— "These persons, henry Dunce of Ho- heinsteiti arta Theresa von ,Lynar, were married by, me subject to the above conditions mutually agreed upon in the Church of Olsen near to the Kurische (Hoff, itt the presence of Julius Cott t von Lynar and Itis Sons Wo'l'f and Mark, in the year e4--, the day being the eve of St. john." 'A'fter her first shock of surprise se `a s oven Joan noted carefully the date, It was one year after her otwn birth, and therefore the like perio� after the death of her mother, tote openly ace knawledged Duchess of Hahenstein. The' quick eyes of the waotn'an on the bed had followed hers as they read carefully down theparch'nnent, eagerly and apprehensively, like those of a mother who for some weighty reason has ,placed her child in peril, Joan folded the parchment and handed it back. Then site stood sil- ent waiting for an e eetareation, The woman took up Iter parable calmly, like one .who has long compre- ltcaided that such a crisis must one day arrive, and who knows her part thoroughly. "1, who speak to you, anti Theresa von Lynar. Your father saw me first at the coronation of our fate sover- eign, Christian, Ping of Denmark. And we }owed• •oate another, For this cause I moved my brother and his sons to build Castle, Lynar on the s'h'ores of the Northern Sea. For this cause I accompanied him thither. For many years at•Cas'tie''Lyna'r, and also at this place, called the Hermitage of the Dunes, Henry of Kernsberg and I dwelt in such happiness as mortals seldom know, I` loved your father, obeyed him, adored him, lived only for ]rim. Bet there came a springwhen my hrother,,,beiug like your father a phot and passionate man, quarrelled with Duke Henry; threatening to go before the Diet of the Empire if rI were net inunediatteiy acknowledged Duchess and my son Maurice von .Lynar made' the their of tHohenstein. IBu't T(,being true to my oath and ,pro- mise, left my brotherandabode here alone with nay husband .when he could escape +from his Dukedom, living like a simple squire and his dame. Those .were happy days and made up for much. Then in an evil day I sent any SO -11 to ney brother to train' as his cern soil in a'rins wttdthe arts of war. But he, being at enmety with my hus- band, made ready to carry the lad before the Diet of the Enilpire, that he might be declared heir to his father, When, in .his anger, Henry the Lion rose and swept Castle Lynar with fire and sword, leaving none alive but this boy only, whom ire meant to take back and train with his captains. But on the way home, even as he rode soutihwardthrough the forest towards. Kernsberg, he reeled in the saddle and passed ere he could speak a word, even' the name of those Ile loved. So the boy remained -a captive at Kerns - berg, called by my brother's name, and knowing even to this day nothing of his father." And as the woman ceased: speaking Werner von Orseln nodded gravely and sadly. "This thing concerning my lord's death is true," he said; "I_ was present. These arliis received him as he fell: He was dead ere we laid 'him on the ground!" Theresa von Lynar raised herself. She had spoken thus far reclining on the bed front which Joan had risen. Now she sat Lip and for a little space rested her hands on her lap ere she went on. - . "Then my son, whom, not kit owitt g, you had taken pity upon and raised to honour, and who is now your faith- ful servant, sent a secret messenger that you would conte to abide secretly with ime till a certain dark day had overpassed itr Kcrnslberg. And then there sprang up in my heart' a dreadful' conceit that he loved you, knowing young blood and hearing the fame of your beauty, and II was afraid for the greatness of the sip—that one should love his sister. Joan made a quick gesture of dis- sect bu t11e .worn an an went an.. I thoughtbeing a woman alone, and one also who had given all freely up for love's sake, that he would cer- tainly love you even as 117ace loved. And when I sa'w you in my house, so cold and so proud, and when I thought within Inc that but for you my son would have been 'a mighty prince, a strange terrible anger and madness cane over lite, darkening my soul. For' a moment I would have San you. But ,T, could not, because you were asleep. And, even as you stirred, I heard you speak the name of a man, as only one who loves can speak it. 1 know right 'well how that is, having lisltened to it .with a glad heart in the night. The name was—" "'Iiold 1" cried Joan :of the Sword Mand. 'I believe you -0 forgive youl" "The name," continrued. Theresa von Lear, "was not that hat of my soil And now-," she went on slowly rising from ,the couch to height, "I am ready. I bid you slay me for the evil deed my heart was willing for a 'no'ntent to dor" Joan looked at her full in the eyes for the space of a breath, Then sud- denly she held out her hand and ans- wered eke her father's daughter. "Nay," she said, "I only marvel' that you did not spike me to the heart, 'because of your son's loss and� father's' Sell!" at chanced that in ,the ,chamber from which viienter- von Orseln had coarse so sweetly' at the cry ob the Wordless sFaat, Boris and Jor'!an, after ,sleeping through the disturbances eboyethen an41 the first burst of the storm, were: waled by the blotting open of the let- tice as the wind reached its height. Jlorian lay 'stile on his pallet and slily kicked Boris, hoping that he would rise and take upon hien the task of shutting Then fo Boris, struggling upward to the oceetn ;of sleep, came the same charitable thought with regard to Jorier. So, kicking out at the same time, their feet encountered with clash of iron footgear, and then with surly snarls they hent them on their feet, abusing each other in voices weich could be heard above the humming oe the stone without. It was tall Boris who, having curs- ed himself empty, first made his way to the window. 'The lattice hung by one leathern thong The other had been torn away, and indeed it was a wonder that the whole framework had not been. blown bodily into -the Too/11. For the tempest pressed against' it straight from the 'meth, and the sticky spray from ,the waves which broke on the shingle drove stingingly into the eyes of the matt at 'antis. • Nevertheless he thrust his head out, looked'' a moment through half •closed eyelids :and then cried, "Dorian, we are surely ;lost! 'The sea is 'breaking in upon us. 'Itt has Passed the beach of shingle out ,ther•el" And seizing lJorian by the aunt 'Boris made his way to the door by which. they had entered, and, undoing the bolts, they reac'hed the walled 'court yard, where, however, 'they found themselves in the open air, but shelter- ed from the utmost violence of the tempest. 'There was a momentary dif- ficulty here, because neither could find' the key of the heavy door in the 'boundary wall. 'Bub Boris, ever fer- tile in expedient, discovered a ladder tinder a kind of shed, and setting it against the northern wall he 'climbed to the tori !While he remained under the shelter of the wall his body was com'fortab'ly .warm; only an. occasional veering flaw set a purl downwards o'f What he was to meet. IBut the in- stant his head was above the cope- stone, .and the ice coed northerly blast . met him like a wail, he Fahey gasped, for the furious onslaught of the Storm `seemed ito Ibilow every particle of breath clean out of .his body. The spindrift flew smoking past, momentarily white in the c'ou:stan't lightning !flashes, and 'before him, and apparently almost at the foot .of the wall, tames saw a wonderful sight. The sea appeared to be climbing, climbing, climbing upwards over a narrow belt of sand and shingle which separated the scarcely fretted (Haff from the tumbling milk of the. outer IBal'tic. In another motnetnt'Dorian was (be- side him, crouching on the top of the wall to save himself from being car- ried away. And 'there, in the •steamy smother of the sea, backed by the blue electric flame of the lightning, they sate the slanf masts of a vessel labouring to beat against the wind. "Poor souls, they are gonel" said Boris, trying to ',shield 'his eyes with Itis patio, as the black :hull disappe'a'red bodily, and the, masts seemed to lurch forward into the milky turmoil. "We shall never see her again." For one moment all Was dark as pitch, and :elle next a dozen flashes of lightning burst every way, as many appearing to rise uip;wards as coiuhd be seen to fall downwards. A black• speck poised itself on the crest of a wave. "It is a boat! It can never live! cr`ie'd the .two nett together, and drop- ping 'lrom the top ofthewall they ran down to the shore, going as near as they dared eo the surf which arched and fellP w ith ponderous roar ooar on tin's narrow strip of shingle, Here Jorrian and Boris ran this way Jana that, trying to pierce the blackness of the sly with their spray- blinded eyes, but nothing more, either of the ship or of the float ;which had pint out front it, did they 'see, The mountainous roll and.ceaseless iter ance of the oncoming breakers hid the surface of the sea from ,their sight, while the slcy, changing wraith: each pulse of the lightning from 'densest black togreen shot with v'iole't, told nothing of the atet) 's lives which were being 'riven ,from their' bodies. 'beneath it, "Back, IBoris, bac:kl" cried Jorian. suddenly, as after a succession of smaller waves' a .gigantic and majestic roller,arolied along the whole seaward' front, stood for a moment black and' imminent above them, Mai 'then fell like a• whole mountain=range in a snowy avalacnhe of troubled' water which rushed seavragely mp dee 'beach. rhhe two •soldiers,-.waho would have faced ttinbiane'h'eci any line of living enemies in, the world, fled terror- stricken ''a't that clutching ourushr of that sea of nnilit The wet sand seem- ed to eemed.to catch and hold their feet as they ran, so that they felt in their hearts the terrible sensation of one wile flees in ilresnes from Some laideous imagined terror and who finds his powers fail him as his pursuer ap- proaches. Upward and still upfward the wave swept'with• a soft universal tiss`whic'ia and drowned n' d ' , i e a otnutaled the iataplair of she thunder -peals above the coiner ons diapason of the surf around theme, It rushed in a ceeanvistg sunothea• about their :ankles, panicked 'at tlne'ir knees, but could rise no 'higher, Yet so fierce was the back draugtiat, that wihen the water retreated, dragging the 'pe'blbles with it down the shingly shore with the rattle of annillion cast-, wets, the two stout captains roi Peas- esttibur,g were thrown on their faces and lay 'as dead cn the wet and s't'icky stones, each c'lutc'hing a dou- blebanditti of broken ,shell's and oozy sand 'which streamed through his numbed finger 's. IBeris was the first to rise, and. find iitg IJorian still on leis face he caught the collar of his dou'bl'et and pulled 'him with little ceremony up the slop ing bank out of tide reach, throwing him dowa on the siningly summit with As litrtle tenderness or cotnpuaetioat as if he, had been a bag of wet salt. Bis this time the morning was ad- vancing and the storm growing s'o'mewdtat less cointinuotts. Instead. -9 PROFESSIONAL .CARDS Medical DR. I -I. HUIGIH ROSS, Physician and Surgeon. Late of London Hos- pital, London, England. Special attention to diseases of the eye, ear, inose and throat. Office and resi- dence behind Dominion Bank. Office. Phone No. 5; Residence Phone 104_ DR; F. J. BUIRROIWiS, Seaforth. Office and residence, Goderichstreet; eastof th e C United birch Coroner e n for the County of I-Iurott, Telephone No. 46, 'DR. C. MIAIOI IAY.—C. Mackay, honor graduate of Trinity Umivereity and gold medallist of Triunity Medicel, College; metn'ber of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario- DR. F. J. R. F!OlRlSITF.IRe-Eye, Ear Nose and Throat. Graduate in Medi- cine, University of Toronto '1.8997. Late Assistant New York Ophthal- mic and Aural Institute, Moorefielde Eye, and Golden Square throat hospi- tals, London, England, At Comm- ercial Hotel, Seaforth; 3rd Monday its each month, from. 11 a.m, to 3 pm. No visit in August. DR. W. C. SPRhOIAIT_-+Graduate o1 Faculty of Medicine, University all Western On'tatio, London. Member of College of Physicians and Sur- geons of Ontario. Office in rear of Aberhart's drug store, Seaforth. Phone 90. Hours 1.30-4 p.na„ 7.30 p.tn. Other hours by appointment. of one grand roar, multitudinous in voice yet uniform in tone, it hooted and piped overhead as if a whole brood of evil spirits were ' riding 'headlong down the, tempest -track. Instead of coshing on in one solid drank of blackness, the clouds were broken into a wrack ,of wild and fan- tastic fragments, the interspaces of which showed alternately poly green and pearly grey. The thunder re treated growling behind the horizon. The violet lightning grew less car tinuous, and only occasionally rose and 'fell .in vague distant flickerings towards the north;` as if some one were lighting a lantern almost to the sea 'Bite and dlropping it again before reaching it. 'Looking back from the summit of tete mound, Boris swsv something dark lying high up on the beach amid a wrack of seaweed and 'broken timber •w'hich •marked where the great wave had stopped. Something add about the shape of his eye. A mo'men't later .he was leaping down again towards the shore, taking his longest strides, and sending- the pelblbles spraying out in front and on alL1 sides Of him. He stooped and found tits body of a man, tall, weld .fareneds and o'f racily figure. He was Ib'areheaded anal stripped to his breeches and underwear. (To Be Continued) Persian Balm is alluringly fragrant, Adds.a charming .refinement to the most finished appearance. Creates and preserves complexions of surpassing loveliness and texture. Softens and whitens the 'hands. Cools and dispels all iritation caused by weather condi- tions. Swiftly absorbed by the tissues leaving never a vestige of stickiness. A peerless toilet requisite, Invaluable to all women who care for elegance and distinction, D, H, Mclnnes Chiropractor Of Wingham, will be at the Commercial Hotel, Seaforth Monday, Wednesday and. Friday Afternoons Diseases of all kinds success - hilly treated Electricity used. Dental O R. J. A. M;LU'NN, Successor to Dr R. R. Ross, graduate of North- western University, Chicago, 111. Li- centiate Royal College of Dental Sur- geons, Toronto, Office over Sills'' hardware, Main St., Seaforth. Phone 151. DR. F. J. BiECH+ELY, gradraate Royal College of Dental Surgeons, Toronto. Office over W. R. St,tit'h'c grocery, Main St., Seaforth: Phones, office 185W, residence 1851. Auctioneer. 'GEOIRGiE ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron. 'Arrangementscan be made for Safe Date at The Seaforth News. Chargee moderate and satisfaction guranteed. WATSON AND REID% REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Succssors to James 'Watson) MADN ST., SEJA.FIORTH, 014T till kinds of Insurance risks effect: - ed at lowest rates in ;First -Claes Companies. - THE McKILLOP Mutual Fire insurance Ce. FIAIRtM RNID !ISOLATED TOWN PROPERTY, ONLY, INSURES Officers—James "Connolly, Gado- ich, Pres.; Jaynes Evans, Beechwood, Vice President; D. F. McGregae, Seaforth, Sec. -Treasurer. • Directors—Wan. Rinn, No. 2, Sea - forth; John Bennewies, Broodhages; James rEvans, Beechwood; M. Ile Ewen, Clinton; James Connolly, God- erich; Alex. Broaceforot, No. 3, Sea - forth; J. M. Shaidice, No. 4, Walton; Robert Ferris, H•arlock; George Mc- Cartney, No. 3, Seaforth; Murray Gibson, Brumfield. Agens—James Watt, Blyth r.r. No, 1, E. Hinchley, Seaforth; J. A. Murray, r.r. No. 3, Seaforth; J. V Yeo, Holmesvil'le; R. G. Jarannoutb, Bornholm: James -Kerr and John Go- venlock, Seaforth, auditors. Parties desirous to effect insurance or tran- sact other business, will be prompt* attended to by application to any of the above named officer's addressed to their respective posto'fgices. igh CIass Printing We can give you prompt and satisfactory service at a moderate price in the following lines of printing:— Letterheads rinting; Letterheads Envelopes Statements: Bill -heads. Private Cheques. Circulars Tags Cards Tickets Sale Bills Dodgers Menus Factory Forms Society Stationery Blotters Booklets Business Cards Visiting Cards Wedding Station- ery Invitations The News has an up-to-date commercial printing plant and we are equipped to turn out all classes of job work. Give us a call. 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