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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1912-03-01, Page 6A SEVERE TRIAL; OR, THE MEMORY OF A BOY WITH DARK EYES. CHAPTER XIV.• "'Isn't he a jolly little fellow, Olive?" alive glances at the cherub -faced boy on any lap, whom I have been smothering with kisses. He is a elle child, certainly." fine child!" I exclaim with laughing indiguation. "You speak of him ae if he were some young creature whom you were fattening for a prize." .Olive glances at us from her low chair inside the window. I am 'sitting on the stepsjust outside, holding the sturdy, two-year-old boy in my . arms. Septem- ber sunshine makes glorious the ruddy gables of my- old house, rising sharply defined against the serene blue sky; Sep- tember sunshine dreams on the smooth terrace, on the trim walks and careful flower -beds of any sheltered garden, just as it dreamed upon them three years ago, when my sick eyes saw no beauty in them, nor in the sunshine, nor in any other fair or lovely thing. "You will spoil him, Alfie," Olive says; but at the same time she smiles indul- gently. Spoil him! You are not capable of being spoiled, Scott; are you? You take after your godmother, my fair child! As if anybody could spoil such a darling, Olive! Why, the nicest thing I could say of him wouldn't be half nice enough!" "Not half nice 'nough!" Scott corrobor- ates, in a perfect of tempest of chuckles. " You delicious little miter' I laugh en- couragingly, kissing his rosebud mouth, his bloomy cheeks, his dimpled elbows, whilst he makes vain snatches at my hair, at my ear -rings, at my nose even. with his chubby dimpled fists. "Why, Olive, if I were you I should do nothing but kiss him all day long!" I wonder what would become of Hya- cinth and the vicarage, and the parish generally, if I made a goose of myself?" Olive says demurely. I take great delight in spoiling my lit. tie godson, partly because be is such a splendid little fellow, but principally be. cause it is so amusing to hear Olive pro- testing against it. She has grown so de- liciously matter-of-fact since she married Mr. Lockhart! Three years have trans- formed her from a scatter -brained girl into the most amusingly demure matron who ever pretended not to adore her hus- band, or to think her children the most perfect children that ever were born. "I wonder how you will bring up your own children one of these days," Olive observes in her precise voice, glancing at me over the pinafore she is embroider. I shall never have any children to •bring up. I shall be a rich old spinster, and Scott shall be my adopted son. and I will leave Woodhay to him when I die, and he shall take the name of Scott - Scott Lockhart Scott. Doesn't it sound well, Olive?" It sounds well enough." Olive says, smiling. "But you don't think it will ever come to pass?" "I hope it will never come to pass." "You hope your son won't have Wood- btevf"i , "P"' Ief?e your ,'own; soil • L ave Wood- io.,:s'eiosee^3td.et e enough'for fro e'r €fila I{ T e s Antos hers head, denuded tis e its Coldest' • fringe now. with 'sleek golden braids drawn back. plainly from her fere- beef! . instead, and plaited neatly at the back of her neck. My dear Aliie, 1 should be sorry to think of your living the cheerless life you have mapped out for yourself. It seems all very well now, while you are young and have plenty of friends. But think how lonely you would feel by-and- by when you begin to grow old. without husband or children to care for you - with nobody in the world who really loved you, perhaps, as a wife and mother is sure to be loved!" "If 1 sigh, Olive. does not hear me, though her pink ears are sharp enough. "My dear, I have been resigned to my fate this long time back," I say care- lessly, pulling one of Scott's elastic curls straight -and then letting it run into glossy flaxen spirals again; "and, after all, it is not such a very terrible thing to be an old maid." "I think it is a terrible thing," Olive answers seriously -"a very terrible thing." You did not think so always, Olive. I remember when you ridiculed the idea of matrimony and were going in for wo' man's right's and all that kind of thine." "Oh, that was before I knew!". Olive Bays softly. "DM you ever hear of a wo- man who had a husband and children wishing she were an old maid, Allier "Why do you try to put me out of con- ceit with my lot, Olive?" 1 exclaim fret- fully. "I said long ago that I should never marry, and I never shall. But I mean to be happy in my own way. I am happy --just as happy as half the mar- ried woman in the world." Olive shakes her smooth head again, very positively' this time. , "I wish Digges would come with our. tea," 1 say, yawning. My godson has scrambled off my lap, my book has fallen to the ground, there seems to have come a eold breath of air from somewhere or other. 1 shiver in my blue and gold -colored chintz gown. It is early yet," Olive returns. placid- ly threading her needle. "Not so very early" -looking at my watch. "I wonder what sport Ronald has had? 1 baven't heard any shots late- ly; have you?" "One cannot hear much when you and Scott are romping- with each other." "I am sure he ought to havo had enough of it by this time." I say, not BUILDS SOUND MUSCLE C•2.12 alluding to the romping. "Ee started off the moment after breakfast -seven good hours ago, :at the very least.' "Are you in a hurry to have him back, A11io?" "Not the slightest. Only it is astonish- ing how the thing never seems tp pall upon them!" Olive Iooks at me,and the expression of hes face annoys me. "May: I ask what is amusing?" I in- quire crossly. "0, nothing! Only, for such a confirmed spinster-" olive, the end of it will be that I shall quarrel with you." I hope . not," Olive says equably. "Here is Sir Ronald coming up the halm." • 1 had seen him before she spoke, cross- ing the grass leisurely, his gun under his 'arm, and his dogs at his heels. He wears knickerbockers and coarse ribbed shooting-stockings,•and he looks very well -or I like his looks very well --as he comes up to the window. Just in time for tea, Ronald." "I 'don't care for tea, Rosalie," he laughs, leaning his gun against the wall and sitting down on the steps at a little distance from me. "But I don't mind assisting at the ceremony once in a way." Had you any sport, .Ronald?" "She hopes you had not," Olive inter- polates mischievously. "Why does she hope that?" Ronald asks, looking at me. Don't mind Olive; she is inter}rely dis- agreeable to -day," I laugh, shrugging my shoulders. Digges has brought up a gypsy -table in front of me, and laid the tea -things upon it -my dainty Sevres cups and sau- cers, my gilded spoons, my favorite plum - cake, piled high on a Sevres dish, Olive's favorite home-made biscuits, a basket of ripe black plums. What have you been doing with your- self all day, Rosalie?" Ronald asks, with apparent irrelevancy "Gardening a Iittle, and driving with Aunt Rosa.' Why did you not come to meet me, as l'bu promised you would?" "I don't know." "I was looking out for you in the larch wood." "Were you?" "Is that the way in which you keep your promises, Rosalie?" "I scarcely ever make any promisee." "So much the better, since you can break them so easily." "I intended to go, Ronald." "Then why did you not come?" If I had any reason at all, it was such a silly one that I do not care to tell it to him -indeed nothing would induce me to tell it to him, of all people in the world. I have gone to meat him on hie way back from shooting probably a hun- dred times; but of late I have shrunk from treating him with the sisterly fa. miliarity which has rendered our inter- course with each other so pleasant -to ray heart to Gerard; water three years and a half ago, and, if x have any, heart left, it !s his still. Deep down, far away from • the disturbing pioesures and cares of every• day, lies the memory of a boy; with dark twee -the memory of ,a tall,' handsome lad whom I loved long *ago, whom I know -=if I tiered to disturb rite 'moss and long grassea about . that burled heart -=I love still as I shall never love' any one else; .in the world. "I thought you were in a hurry for tea, Alfie?" Olive's voice 'wakes me out of a rev- erie. I \yonder where Lily is?" I remark, as I arrange my cups and 'saucers, "In her 'room, I think." "Pear child!" I say softly. "She seems very nervous and excited, Alllo, doesn't ,she?" "Is it any wonder?" "I suppose not." I feel very nervous and excited myself, though I try not to think of to -morrow. I have been learning a lesson for the last three years, and :I. am afraid, now that I shall so soon be called upon to repeat it, my courage may fail at the last mo• went. If I coulct have saved myself so severe a trial, I would have done it; but I could not very well, And after' all, iteis bettor to have it over. The test meet come sooner or :later, and sometimes I almost long for it with a fever of impati- ence, for, till I have triedmy own en- durance, how can I know that it will stand? "Scott, will you run in and pull the bell, darling -or stay, I . will go for her myself here is your tea, Olive, and.ex- cuse me for a moment -1 avant to see what Lily is about." I find her in the pretty south room,° which I have bad fitted up for her. She is standing before the glass, a slender figure in a long white gown. Lily!„ She turns round at the sound of my` voice. Admiring yourself, you vain . child?" . She runs to me, throws her arms round rile, and bursts into a sudden passion .of tears. "My dear Lily, what are you crying for,; on this day, of all ,days in the year!" Only sobs answer me. I touch her halres tenderly, the soft' hair' that gleams. gold as it ripples away from her white;: forehead. "You are a very fool'i'sh child, Lily; do you know that?" • "I cannot help it, Rosalie, ob., Rosalie, what if he should not care for me -what" if he should have eared for somebody else-" He has not cared for anybody else since he left you, darling." "But how do you know?" "I know. And I have come to take you down to tea. Dry your eyes and come with mo." -s She dries her eyes obediently she is just as much of a child . still as she Was three years ago. In other things • she is improved' out of all resemblance toher former self. In appearance she has, •if anything, gained in attractivenesseseehilt in manner she is as different from the girl I brought down to Woodhay 'three years ago as she is in education and refinement of speech. I have taken Paine to make Gerard's wife as beautifulmen- tally as she is outwardly, for his" sake, and I have been rewarded by a most un- expected measure of success. Lily is as fair as the. Rower she is called after -the wretched surroundings of her negieoted childhood have not smirched the white* ness of her soul. A litle wayward she is still. a 'lite' willful even; but to me she is ales*;, obedience itself. I think she aiwaye'er' be to any one she loved. me, at least -for the last three years. And she loves me with a peri! When or how this .new feeling of shypess sion of devotion. Whether • sh sprung' up it would puzzle me to tell, love me so much if she knew ho B;oeeid; h always treated -me:like a once laved me I know: not -I h,; yqunger igfele eitis a�genth protectin at. &abate it: heueve liishragr alto Wit: at ,love making was in the train that' ev- ening, three years ttgo, :,when he brought me down to Woodhay. I do not remem- ber a single word, • a single Lok since then which could be construed into the most distant approach to anything be- yond cousinly or brotherly affection. And I have ignored the past just as entirely -perhaps it was easier for me to do it than for him -and found it very plea- sant to have Ronald to go to in all my difficulties, to ease me in a great mea- sure of all my eases of state, for, though we do not live in the same county, or in the same country oven -Ronald's place, Balquharrie, is in Scotland -he comes to Woodhay often, and we write to each other constantly -long letters, chiefly on business, but letters which I think are a pleasure to us botb.. I know they are a pleasure to me. I have had a great many offers of mar- riage during the last three years, .more than I care to remember. I dismissed my suitors one after the other with no qualms of conscience, for oven the vain- est of them could not say that I had bestowed any favors upon him, or given him any reason to believe that I would lend a favorable ear to bis suit. The only one for whom -I felt any sympathy was poor Gussio Deane. It did grieve me -for the space of a day and a half --to send him away sorrowing; but then neither had I ever given him any encour- agement -my greatest enemy could not call me a flirt. Gus had gone out to the (rape, he went more than a year ago; Olive hears from him sometimes. She roe QU;cKLV STOPS COUGHS, CURES COLDS, HEALS THE THROAT AND LUNGS. 20 CENTS says sho thinks he is getting rather fond of his colonel's daughter, a nice girl whom we used to know in London; and 1 hopo it is the case. Dinner Deane is married to Jacic Rolleston; I havo had them down here at Woodhay on a visit, Poppy and her husband are in Ceylon. Ronald Scott had never gone back to India. A distant relative -a third dr fourth cousin of hie mother's, I believe, and a very old man -had died before his year's holiday was over, leaving him Balquharrie, a fine wild place in the north of Scotland, which it seems be al- ways knew would one day be his. I have never been there; but I have seen photo- graphs of the old castle, with its keep and drawbridge, and the great wild mountains towering up behind it. Some- times a disagreeable thought obtrudes it- self into ely mind. that Ronald will be Marrying somobody some of these days, and that i shall lose any friend, But T put the idea away from me persistent- ly; when the misfortune happens it will be time enough to lament over it. Mean- while Ronald belongs to inc. Dear old TJnole sod died two years ago, and since his death Aunt Rosa has lived with me, At hie death the Loekharts moved into the 'Osseo. It is pleasant to havo Olive so near --scarcely a day passes that we do not see each other -her nur.- sery_is, one,of tnYefelerite haunts. Wizen:, r�"am en joying: myself there,' nobody would suppose that I was the unapproachable 'Rise Somers of-'1Poodhay---en, at least. Olive tells me when she interrupts sotto glorious romp. And I aril happy enouc+h, with a kind of negative happiness -I man- age to live, and take some pleasure out of life -without the heart which I buried, the day 1 came of age, far down in the depths of my shadowy combo. 1 .have never attempted to refs* it up' again -I do not, suppose I could, if I would, I Sieve loved and done with lova-I gave Grocers rs • M Give You lglr Tea whe,s you ask for it, but there are others would rather make a lig profit than serve you Ask for "Salada" and see 'Matg ou get it. �' OLAtaWt, fdliXED or GREEN. cls Id Only On Load Packetsc say an Grgecer*1 L ys The Ho nLe - • to use the best sugar—because poor sugar means poor cooking. is. the.genuine"Montreal Granulated" --absolutely pure; sparkling crystals of the most inviting appearance. Ask your grocer for a zo lb. bag of ST. LAWRENCE GRANULATED -- also sold by the barrel and in Ica lb. bags. The Si. Lawrence Sugar Relining Co. Limited MONTREAL 32 omrd that,shb shall never hoar that story keen me or from any one else. "What shall I do if he hates me, Rosa- Iie?'" I aue holding one of the small tremb- ling hands, smoothing back the tendrils ilii red gold hair out of the velvety sap- hsre blue eyes. The beauty of the- wist- 1 "face sends a strange pang t i mY art. 'Slate you, darling! As if he could!" ,l'llei never loved me as I loved him, hen he will fall in love with you to- w." I assure her, smiling. She ..o, at that, a very childlike smile. aid"only think 11-" ing, you may be sure of it. He. able to help himself." $0: different from what I was Ivety.;eyes' search my .face deeper and e. co ';i �•i,. a would ,wrs`h on were'' a child then, 'date scrre a woman, ready to lend rifest 'helpful life.'" ni w only help him, Rosalie!" ihtnll help him, See how he has what a name he has made for And if he has done so much What will he not do with you to c }' and'.,epeourage him?" o sighs,' as if the picture oppressed her with itsweight of felicity. "'What, have you been doing up here all the" afternoon, Lily?" "Looltler at myself in the glass," she anarvars, at once. "What a child you are!" I say, laugh- ing. w `It *:ns childish, wasn't it? But, if you kn, .Rosali "ewI do linos, de-"arling I know all about !<t." F Winter weather roughens and. your akin, causing chaps, ifi1 and genera] discomfort, try Witch Hazel Cream The creamy ingredients sooth and soften' the outer skin, while the Witch I1`r,zel. penetrates and healsthe deeper tisaurs. Delightful after shaving or washing 25c. a bottle, at your druggist's. NATIONAL DRUG AND CHEMICAL 'CO, OF CANADA,LIMITED. 185' It le I who sigh this time, remembering a girl in a blue dress, with a bunch of violets nestling over her heart -a girl who had looked up into Gerard Baxter's dark eyes and "loved him with that love which was her doom." , "Come down and have some tea," 1 say. drawing her out of the room with me. I lova the child, for Gerard's sake; but it has cost me many a pang to watch her growing loveliness and think whose arms will clasp her, whose lips will kiss hor by and by when 1 am forgotten! The pain is very vague now, a dimness has come over it of late. But I know that it is only in abeyance -that the very sound of Gerard Baxter's voice will bring it all to life again, to haunt me with its old tormenting anguish of unrest. "I shall know to -morrow," the girl says dreamily, as we' cross the hall together. "I shall know to -morrow. (To be continued.) ROOFAGM IST twos, s, Easily andcheaply tnalceroofs proof against wet, wind, fire and lightning. Safe Lock Preston Shingles Cost less than flimsy substitutes; outlast the building itself; need no painting. Don't buy roofing before you send to us for complete facts. M. S. e&z 5. Co. Preston, Ont. 123 aril tt -739177-4 141 HERE'S no mist He looks as pry 1t isn't the,,s value. It's rather that you think of fat stook,. Neat, permanent imp, any other feature. Which is his' ese • g,the expression of a man whose farm is well "improved." roils as he feels. f 'a place that . counts most, nor its acteal dollars -and -cents ell -kept," thrifty appearance; the appearance that makes d well-filled barns, and, comfortable, contented living. :ements gofurther in giving a farm this appearance than Concmte Is The Ideal Material for such improvementif :is neat, harmonizing with its surroundings in the country Everlasting, It cannotbe'"injrired by fire, 'Prost; wind or lightning, Age—instead of Causing It to dectxy---e.ctmully makes it stronger. Concrete never needs fPllair--first cost is last cost. New in?provements can be added year after year With teee Ospense than would be required to keep Wooden structures in repair. ; Concrete walks, ;feeding 'fleet's, dairy -barns, ice -houses, root -cellars, well -curbing, fence posts, silos—which of these does your farm need most? Whatever you want to build, it's best -to boiled It 6,E • concrete. Do you want to knowepiore about dile subject of permanent farm.improvementa? 4L• Then Wrlte' for your der y'iof, "What e,,Farirner Can Do With Coincr'ete.",, • ttle-a;.book of 160 pages, telling .how, othee. farm a hoe used. the !'handy material" to good; f vantage, Published to ',licit at 50e. a .m1 c'opy tele how being' offered free to all farmers ? s rarilo,c"r ee for It. Address Ca ado Cern y Ltd., go -as Natiot*al Hawk Building, Montreal. fir r dt, Y SEND ME YOUR BOCK. x4.44&41 swami 40, F OUT OUT THE LEGGY STEER. In buying cattle to fatten, the ex -r perienced buyer alwaysq cuts out the long-legged, rangy steer unless he. is compelled to take tho;entire• lot as' they stand. Even if he gets` some leggy animals in the bunch, he will, if he knows Ms business, not attempt to feed them all in the same 'manner. He will separate the rangy steer from the blocky, short- legged, straight-backed fellows and either sell them or feed t1ie,,pt; by - themselves, A steer may be rather'loug in the Iegs and . body, but still possess many' good feeding qualities. In that case: ha can be finished off slowly and over a longer period I' .to better advantage than if he ist forced. The low, blocky steer responds more readily to forced feeding ands it is more profitable to -stuff hivla,i vigorously and finish him off more.) quickly. This fact has been wet,, demonstrated by Professor Smith the Nebraska station: The girth of a steer is almost' sure indication of its, ability ,to p on flesh in a given length of tim Experiments show that the . heavier est gainers are the steers with t1i largest middle girths; The heat and rear girths are not infalhlrer, barometers, but a steer with a welt •' developed body may be classed a heavy gainer. In one of his experiments Pro- fessor ro fessor Smith says, "The middle girth of the three best gainers av- eraged seven inches larger than l• those of the poorer ones. The best •ar; gainer averaged 3J pounds per ' day, while the poorer averaged only. 2% pounds." Two courses are open to the beef producer wherever alfalfa is grown if he expects to make a success of; cattle feeding. He must either use ; less corn and more alfalfa in fin-'' ishing his stock, or make a study'°<: of the individual animal. It makes no particular difference what breed. of cattle a feeder fattens as long ail. he pays attention to the essential4 features of the animals and feeds/ them systematically.. The long -fed steer on a mediu ration finishes off better than 'vel s -t-fe y hor d steer on a:.:, 1 z". 1 •eaeases pays vert e dailya "+,.'': grn'2i�-the �trt� mal is between w:o and three pounds and it is only the very bei type of steers that will take on more than three pounds. A,PATTENING CRATE. iJ Fowls should be fattened at least 'L., four weeks before they are killed,` :' not to make them as fat as possible„ but to give them the right propos tion of fat and lean to make the,;., fowls fat and juicy when cooked r The fattening crate is six feel: ,+`... long, sixteen inches wide. eighteen. inches high and divided into three, ;'' equal sized compartments, each'\ holding from four to six birds, as the case may be. The slats or laths are 11 inches wide, placed if inches apart at the ends, sides and tops of the crate, but those in front are placed ver- tically two inches apart. The floor of the crate is made of ti slats laid lengthwise, one inch apart, leaving a one -inch space on either side between the first lath and the sides of the crate. The crate should stand on short legs or trestles, to allow convenience in cleaning. The trough is made the full length of the crate and should be three or four inches deep. It is support- ed at each end on notched boards, in order that it may be taken away when the coops are cleaned. Never leave the feed before the chickens more than fifteen minutes, and feed very little at the start, gradually increasing • the amount until the end of the week they are gettipg all, they can eat three times a *lay. Some rations for fattening are. given • . Equal parts by weight of finely ground corn, oats and shorts,, mixed with sour skimmed milk. Same ration, except substitute ground barley for the corn. r'inely ground oats mixed ,with skimmed milk. • Equal pasts of finely ground oats, corn and low-grade flour. If beef scraps are used, ,. fifteen' per cent is the best ,proportion.' A TRUTHFUL CHILI. Visitor.—`iYour soother wasn't "expecting me, was she V' • Little il'1- No; she didn't even havetime to slide out the back door and go into the next door :neighbor's.