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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1913-05-23, Page 6Her Great Love; Or, A Struggle For a Heart CHAPTER L-(Cont'd) "You can pour the contents of the sugar -basin into your cup if you like." he said. "I wonder chat the waiter would say' No; I am going to be content with three lumps. Oh, how nice the tea is! I was so very, very thirsty -weren't you?" "Yes," he said, simply. He beckoned a waiter, and told him to bring some cake. The girl brightened up at it, and after helping herself, cut a slice for him. "Not like cake?" she said, "That's strange, too; I thought every one liked cake.' "Moat young people do," he said, with the half -weary smile. She looked at him with something lake actual attention, her cake poised iu her hand. "Are you -old?" she said. The eimlili• city of the question, to say nothing of its frankness, brought a full-blown smiie to his face; and certainly be did not •ok old at that moment - "It all depends upon what you call old," he said. "I am afraid I should seem to you very aged?' She thought a moment. "Aunt says that a man is as old as he feels, and a woman as old as she looks." "Reckoning on that basis, I am ninetY- three," he said. She smiled at him with innocent amuse- ment. "And I?" He looked at her with a listless kind of scrutiny. "Seventeen--eigh teen-" Sao put the calte clowu, and stared at him with girlish indignation, "Hoer absurd! I am 'nearly twenty!" He was surprised, and he looked it - faintly. Really?" "Yee. really. Yon are like aunt. She is .lwaye telling me that I look like a girl, and imploring me to remember that I am a woman -as if it made any dif- ference." "Because it is one of the few privileges we wretched man pbssese," "That's absurd!" she laughed, "Besides, we are etrangere. And I don't know what aunt would say. She says that girls should always be independent and- Oh, here she is! Aunt, how slid you lose me?" and she sprung up and caught the arm of the tall lady in gray, who approached with stately steps and a grave counten- ance. "My dear, Deoima, where -where have you been? And" -as the gentleman rose, and removed his hat -"and who is this?" she added in an anxious under -tone, Decima turned a ,smiling and grateful face toward her ,late and temporary guardian. "Oh, this gentleman has been helping me to find you, and we could not, though we went everywhere-" Lady Laseelles glanced at the tea -table and then at the tall and erect gentleman in front of it, with a grave and stern eye. "And I was so thirsty," Decima went on, answering the look, and he got .some ten; and -well, then you came up. I am so glad! But I should,not have been lost, should I? I should have gone to the gate where the carriage was to wait. And oh, aunt, will you please thank this gentle- man for taking so much trouble-" Lady Laseelles touched the girl's arm as an exhortation to silence,, and addressed the gentleman. "I am greatly obliged to you for your rare of my niece, sir. I am afraid she has given you some trouble. To whom am I indebtedP" The gentleman frowned sleghtly, as if the question were an unwelcome ono. From his cigarette -ease lying on the table he took a card and gave it to her. "That is my name," he said, quietly. Lady Laseelles started slightly as she crushed the card in her palm, her face flashing. He bowed as if he understood, hie lips set tight, the weary, listless look back in his eyes again. The stately lady became taller and more stately, and with a cold ' Good -day," she He got out a cigarette -ease -got it out drew Decima "s hand over her arm-ae if mechanically -then glanced at her, and the girl suddenly needed protection -and was putting it away again, when she was walking her off. But Decima looked said: back with a troubled expression in her "Are you going to smoke? Do. if you eyes and about the expressive mouth, and wish. I do not mind." swifdy releasing her arm, she ran back He lighted his cigarette and leaned his to where Lord Gaunt was still standing, a faint grim smile of amu,xement In his eyes. "Oh, I haven't thaiilted you ne I ought to!" she raid. "You were so kind and - patient! And you showed me the private lions, you know -and I am so grateful- and --ala, please do not be offended with aunt, but -but shake hands!" She held out her hand, and he took it. He did not preps it, but let it fall, and with another lifting of his hat, turned away. Lady Lasealles waited with her lips tightly set, a frown upon her broad brow. "Decima, come,, please," she said. Decima returned to her aunt's side, but looked rather wistfully after the tall, re- treating form of the man who had been, so coldly treated for his kindness. - "Why -why were you so angry with him, aunt?" she asked, just a little piteously. "He was very, very kind, and -and -and what has be done to make you so Oros?" "My dear Decima, you must not eek Questions which I can not answer. It was very wrong of you to permit a gentleman -a stranger --to walk ,,about the Gardena with you. And how could you possibly sit there and take tea with him?" Lady Laseelles almost groaned, "Decima, you are nothing more than a child -a mere child. You must never do such a thing again!" "Why not? What harm have I done?" insisted the girl. It is -it is not usual; it is bad etiquette, manners, form, to walk about with a strauge man; to take tea with him is werse. Any strange gentleman le bad enough; but that man of all men in the wide world!" "Why was it worse to walk about and sit down to tea with him than any one nee, aunt?" Decima asked. Lady Laseelles bit -her lip. He raked hie eyebrows slightly, as if "Because -my dear girl, you would not But. aunt -why?" "Because he is a bad, wicked pian -one of the moat wicked men in the world!" And Decima was silenced at last. CHAPTER II. "One of the most wicked men in the world" meanwhile walked slowly across gardecl him - with girlish, friendly eerie- the Gardens to the Charente Gate, and city. calling a cab, told the man to:. drive him The waiter came up at the moment, and to Cavendish Square. Stopping the eab at the gentleman put his' left hand in his the house of Sir James Starke, he inquired pocket for his purse. He had kept ifs' if the great physician were in, and was arm behind his chair during the tea, and shown into the coneulting room. even now he moved it out of sight again Sir James Starke had just come in from quickly and shuffled his purse to the right his rounds, and had still got leis hat on. hand; but Decirna's eyes were sharp as lie tilted it up with an expression of as - well as beautiful, and she saw the rent in the sleeve. She forgot about his name, and ex- claimed: "Why, the lion did tear your sleeve! Oh, dial it scratch you?" "No, no," he paid, rather shortly, "How much, waiter?" "Three shillings, sir." "That la eighteen pence each," said Decima, taking out her silver chain purse, and she extracted, a ehilling and sixpence, and laid them down on the table. The man smiled grimly. It was evident he was the first man she had ever taken public tea with. "Put your money back," be said, much amused. "Oh, whyl" she asked, with wide eyes. "Why should you, pay for mar"I don't know,' he said, "oxeeptieg that it is usual, and that it would be exceed- ingly bad form for you to pay for it your- self." Now, I can't understand that!" she said, with girlish insistence; and just as if the wore arguing with a schoeafellow. "Wby should a gentleman always pay for ladies?" elbow on the table, "You live with your aunt?" he said, not beeause he washed to know, but just to make ronrersation. She nodded over her tea -cup and munched her cake for a mo- ment before replying, - "Yes; I have lived with her for the last ten years -the and I alone together." "Then --your parents are dead?" "My mother is," she said, quietly, and with a sudden sweet gravity in the lovely face. "I went to aunt when my mother died. My father is alive. and I have a brother. Ile is younger than I am. Aunt adopted me, you know. I had no mother nor sister, and father was traveling about and -I suppose he was glad to get rid of me. Girls are always a nuisance, are they not?" I don't know -not always, 1 should '.milt, Only eon;etimes.' .bile seemed struck by the reply, and a faint -a very faint -blush stole over her fade. "Perhaps I am a nuisance to you now?" she said. "I have kept you -I didn't think; but you need not wait. I can find my way to the gate, and aunt may come up any minute. Please do not wait." She spoke quite frankly, without a touch of coquetry or pique, and he answered as frankly. "You are not keeping me; I assure you I have nothing in the world to do, and it is very pleasant here, Besides, I feel in a way responsible foe you, and should like to see you safe in your aunt's keeping, "Why, what harm could come to me?" she anted, with wide-open eye*± and a smile of amusement. "Do you think I should fall into the bear's cage. or get run over by the elephant?" "No; but all the same, I should like to see you safe in your aunt's care. By the way, you did not tell me her name" "Labcelles-Lady Laseelles," said the girl he recognized the name. understand-' "And you did not tell me yours," he re- marked. You didn't ask me," she said, simply. "Is le Decima Deane. What is yours?" She leaned forward, her chin resting on her now ungloved hand --by no means small, by the way, but beautifully shaped and with a character of its own -and re - QA uHn Shoes For Everybody THE PERFECT SI -10.E FOR SUMMER SPORTS ASk YOUR DEALER. „ ton.ishment at sight of his visitor, "Hello, Gaunt!" he said. "I didn't know you were in England. How are you? Sit down! Anything the matter?" and as he shook bands, he surveyed the weary, handsome fade with the physician's all - seeing, penetrating gaze. Lord Gaunt took off hie coat, and rolled the sleeve above his left arm. "Just cauterize that, will you, Starke?" be said, quietly, Sir James turned the arm to the light --an arm web made and muscular, hard as iron and smooth as .marble, "Why -what is it?" he said. "A dog- bite? No, a rat's scratch? , Alen le it?" "A lion scratch," said Gaunt. "Got it at the Zoo, fooling with the cub I brought over. It isn't much; but it felt angry, and well -I've seen a nigger or two go mad with blood -poisoning for less than this." Sir James nodded gravely, and got the calestie. "It's not like you to come to harm in this way, Gaunt," he said, "you must have been precious careless." "Yee; I was," said Lord Gaunt, concise- ly, a After be 'had performed the simple op - Oration, Sir James looked -at his patient's face, and ran a anger on his pulse. Then he shook his head. . "Same old game, Gaunt!" he said, grave - 1 Lord Gaunt smiled grimly. "Same *Id game," he said, quietly. "Pity! pity!" murmured Sir Jamee "Can't you do something bettor with your life than waste it?", "I don't knew'. I've never asked myself the question. Perhaps "i don't waste my life more than you- waste yours. It'a all a point of view, •you know Starke." "My dear fellow'" expeetulated the great irhy„sieian ; "I work -earn money-{' -"And, lounge, end el a zet -and., timid lee Who shall ate ' which ,ice the wiser? Life is only a chance for making reista]tes." Sir James nodded syurpatheticallee "I know. But -but -some mistakes are lived down -forgotten." The TEA of Surpassing Excellence. Lest year Its Sales Iaecreasd ov r - those of the previous,year fay dottiest a ilau and a Quarter Pounds., Approving;► ; 6s the 'dreg! test of merit. oge dace, Maxed and Breen.. VailittltVitilli61.23=3=1216I1112.11113.101911 He rolled down his sleeve and put on his„ coat. "Where have yo; come from now?" ask- ed sked Sir James, regarding 'him with an ad- miring and yet pitying eye; for the face and form were handsome .,and even grand, but tho expression of the eye and the mouth was that which make women, when: they see it, sigh and grow sad, though they know not why. "Africa. Think I'm going hack. I•ehouid have gone before this, but any man, the steward 'at Leafmore, has been worrying me. Says that the place is going to pieces and that he wants me to go down there. Let it go to pieces! Who eaves! Certainly not I!" "Why not go • down there,' and try and settle down for a time?" said Sir atones. "Look here, Gaunt, you know the old story of the machine that. would go.too,fast.". "I darn say- Stoped all at once, didn't it? And yon think I shall stop 'like the machine? Well, why not? What 'does it matter?" He laughed a grim, short`laugh,_ "You doctor's think life's the most import- ant of all things; that's where you make the mistake. No use offering you a fee, I suppose?" The famous physician, Sir James Starke, and the famous traveler, Lord Gaunt, had been at college together, though Sir James was much the elder. SirJames laughed and shook hie head.' "Go down to Leafmore for awhile, Gaunt" I'll see," said his lordship. Re took up his hat and held it in his hand; then he said, listlessly. "Do ,you happen to know a Lady Lascellea?" "Lady Pauline Laseelles, do you mean?" "I dare say," "Oh, yea; she is a patient of mine. Why do you ask?" "Oh, for no particular reason. I just met her -met a niece of hers, a Miss Miens' --singular name; I've forgotten it." "You mean Decima Deane," said Sir James, hie keen face lighting up. "Oh,. yes -the loveliest; dearestgirl in the world!", He laughed and chuckled as at some pri vale joke. "What are you laughing• at?" inquired Gaunt, with languid surprise. "Oh, at the girl," said Sir James. "You know, or, rather, you don't know, that she has been brought up by Lady LaSdelles on a system of her own -I mean her Iady, ship's own. Innocent, absolute innocence and purity, combined with a knowledge - everything but-er :but'the -thaws sato.e girls know at two-thirds Decline's age "Ab, does it answer? asked Lord Gaunt,` looking into his hat. "Well -yes. That is to say, the system' has produced the sweetest and most ,fas cinating mixture of frankness andinno- cence; the audacity of a child and .the, sweet/fess of a girl; but holy it will an- swer presently, when -when the girl sud- denly discovers that she is a woman, we shall see. Have you seen much or herr ; "About one 'hour and a quarter," said' Lord Gaunt, wearily, 'And judging from Lady Laseelles' manner, I am not likely;, ever to make up the other three quarters:'= "And weren't you struck with her?" "The aunt?" "Dash it all, no! The girl -Decimal" "Don't know. 'Pon my word, I scarcely noticed her." He yawned and took out his cigarette-' case.' "Good-bye, Starke. I'•11 think over your advice.' "And won't take it?" "I dare say not. Good-bye," Ile left the house and walked across the park to lies flat in Regent Mansions. Men and women -especially the hatter -glanced at the handsome, listless face curiously; and now and again the passers-by Said something Iike this ,to each other: "'chat's the famous Lord Gaunt, Great traveler, and--er---you know," But "the famous Lord Gaunt" strode on, taking no heed, bis eyes fixed before him. His fiat was on the first floor, and ae ho. entered the vestibule, carpeted with lion and leopard -skins, gad lined with trophies of the chase, he smelled the scent of a. cigarette coming from the library. He pushed the thick oak door open, and standing on the tlresbold, looked at a man lying full length on the saddle -bag couch. • The man rose with a smile and a "Hello, Gaunt!" and Lord Gaunt stood stock still, with. a face tet and white, and said no. thing, CHAPTER III, The two men stood and looked at each other; Lord • Gaunt white andstern, the visitor with a pleasant but half-mooking. smile, He was a fair man -one of those deli- cately fair men whose age it is so difficult to tell -with a good-looking, almost hand some face, with bright blue eyes, and shapely lips which were not concealed by a mustache, but seemed, together with the eyes, to say, "Believe me, my owner is the personification of innocence and guile- lessness. He has nothing to conceal, no bad censeience to worry, no remorse to torture him, and so he faces the world with a blapd and child -like smile, and wishes all men well." This is what the face had been trained to say, and it said it with almost invari- able eueeese; only on very rare oceasione chid the mask slip and the real nature bebind it reveal itself; for, with all hie smiling lips and .hie blue eyes, Morgan. Thorpe was as unserupulous a villain, as false a man, as over trod this villain -rid- den earth. He ,dressed 111 a suit of light tweed which fitted his fraceful figure to perfection, and as be raised his hand -white and well. formed as a woman's -and lightly Duelled back his heavy hair, which had been ruf- fled, by the, silken sofa cushion, a splendid ring shone on the taper linger. The two men formed a narked contreet: Lord. Gaunt, with hie elaseical floe, tragie and almost a'wc-inspiring in its Whiteneee and sternness, with: bis dark eyes lighted ace by a smolderingere; the other man fair "and debonair;, with the smile of an p,,animia ftlifld, or a heartless -woman lrtaugliing'as elle wounds, ' et was Morgan. Theeille who spoke drat. Iiow d4 sou 6o P" ho. said. Itis voieo Was law aria soft, the voirie that seems' to sing. so riufiple, so fi•ute-like "Net nay kind," ;said Lord Gaunt. "Bone ie lt, They bare' that kind ,of voice in With this arm? Itight, Thanks." . sunny Tusesee ', and there •meet have beet somA southern blood in.. hropo's veene to aaconnt for the voice and the mile. Lord Gaunt's. eyes remained Axed on the plea - taut, lloyish' face, "Moil have found me,", he said, with,that, ivied of calm which comae to the brave man let supreme momenta, Morgan Thorpe laughed,M "My dear fellow, how ourt, clow brusque! Is this the way in which to receive stir. old friend "who hilus been searching ' for you for -how many weary months, years?" Lord Gaunt placed his hat on the table, and going . to the fern -filled fire -place, leaned his elbow an the mantel -shelf and' regarded his visitor' steadily. ' Iloa did you And me?'" he asked, as a Irian asks of the physician how ho had discovered the fatal disease. Tho other man dropped back on the couch, stretched out his hand to the cig- arette -box of sandal wood which stood on a table within reach, took a oigarette and. lighted it, arranged the cushions comfort- ably, and smiled up at Gaunt's stern, get face, My dear Barnard -I beg your j'ardon. I should say, my dear Lord Gaunt! -why do you glare at me so reproachfully, and like a Banquo's ghost?" he said, with the soft voice pitched in a tone of banter. which ,mads Gaunt's teeth close tightly and caumed . hie hands to clinch at his side. ' It is X who ought to elooic black and overwhelm you with reproaches. Just think of it. Two years ago-" • Gaunt's face worked, but his voice was stern and cold as he broke in: "There is . no need to go each to the past." 'Pardon me; but I really think there is!" retorted' Morgan Thorpe, stretchirg himself luxuriously, like a cat on a soft hearth -rug. "Your manner is so -what ' shall I say? -inhospitable, not to say re- pellant, that I feel it to be absolutely necessary to state the case for, shall we say, the plaintiff?" (To be continued.) The Exile., (Gordon Johnstone, in May Can- ada Monthly.) "Tis me that's here a -digging in a dirty yellow street, .A -rubbing elbows with a man that's neither black nor 'w.hite, sir, And I'm that dead and fainting in .this hole of stifling heat There's not a smile left in me; - faith, I'll thank ye for a light, sir And, oh, I do be hearing The linnets in a clearing Of the ould, ould sod. 'Tis me that do be climbing to a little box -like room, Shut in from God and heaven with the great roofs frown- ing over ; And not a primrose to be seen in all that darkening gloom, And not a breath of heather ° fields or whistle of a plover" But, oh, that bed of rushes, And, oh, the morning. thrushes Of the ould;' ould sod. Of 'Tis me that's nightly drameing till 'tis time to go to work .. one as sweet and shyful as a rose—what's that ye say, sir? ye that has the same soft drames to haunt the whisp- ering murk? Cod bless ye both, avic machree, and hasten swift the clay, sir ; But ere he binds ye sweet, lad, I hope he'll plant me feet, lad, On the ould, ould, sod.. Because they act sg gently (no purging or griping) yet so `thoroughly sCO Ti ES are best for the childrena well as the grown-ups, 25o, a, box at your druggist's. Notional Drug and Chemical Co. of Canads,liml!ud a - They Own Britain's Land, Britain's heeded dukes and earls were in the limelight in the House of Coanmons recently when Mr. Outhwaite, during the debate on the motion for the second reading of the Rural Cottages Bill. gave an interesting tabl'e of the little paatch- es of land held by members of the House of Lords. Here is is: 28 Dukes head 4,000,000 acres; 31 ILar.- quessed hold 1,500,000 acres; 194 Earls hold 5,862,000 acres; 270 Vis- counts and Barons hold,• 3,784,000 acres; 525 Nobles hold 15,000,000 acres, Eiw•r Is CLEA �3 and aspp�+j�L� as "A, B, C. " NO ' chance of MISTAKES if you use The Guaranteed "ON1 !DYE for An Kinds of C oth." TRY IT and prove it for yourself ! Send for Free Color Card, Story Booklet, and nook. let giving results of Dyeing over othercu lord. The Johnson -Richardson Co., Limited,•. Montreal rTfiT5, EDUCATION.: MEDICINE. , SCIENCE, including ENGINEERING Arts Summer Session July 2 to Aug. 16 HOME STUDY' The Arts course may be taken by correspondence, but students desir- ing to graduate must attend one session. For calendars write G. Y. CROWN Kingston, Ont,• KING STQN 0 a o ONTARIO ROOST YOUR TOWN f3Y OROANIZlNQl BRASS BAND A Information on this subject with printed instructions for ama- teur bands and a printed form of Constitution and By -Laws for bands, together with our big catalogue, will be mailed FREB on request. Address Deut,31 D." , MANITOBA I THE WILLIAMS NS CO., TORONTO LIMITED ONTARIO • .N A r pt ASYdTO13SE (GOOD F0111.THE:SHOES GUARANTEE RESULTS Wo guarantee that your horse will thrive better on 4 quarts of oats with a tablespoonful of lNTBaNAT:ONAM. STOCK FOODthan on G quarts of oats withoutit., Also, in addition to saving feed, that it will keep your horses sleek, fat and full of energy and en. durance so that they will do more work. Wo guarantee that INTERNATIONAL • STOCK - FOOD will fatten your Hogs, Cattle and Sheep in Sti days lees time and save grain -and that it Will make your Milch -Caws gain front one to four quarts of nulls a day, It purifies the:blood, strengthens the entire system,revents many forms of disease in all!c!nds of live stock and only coats you 3 feeds for,' cent. Wepositivelyguaranteeresults oryot}r purchase price. Will be promptl3•, rocunded For sale ay dealers everywhere or if your dealer canna stris,ply you, write us'eltrect, INTERNATIONAL. STOCIS FOOb CO.. LIMITED oronto, s 'Ont. All amt 11yr 46~Y ,ei,,% On the Farm Ive.Tile Adulteration of Seeds. As a rule,' . successful seed adul-' teration, is made possible by the similarity existing between the in- ferior seed and that of the crop seed with which it is used, says Mr. F. H, Hillmann. It often happens, therefore, that the adulterant used. us the seed of some plant,very close- ly related to the adulterated crop seed. The dealer who ..adulterates his seed bases his faith in the sue - cess of the deception upon the, very careless examination made or the absence of any examination of the seed by the average purchaser, in- cluding the majority of retail deal- ers. If, before purchasing, a care- ful examination of the seed offered for sale was made by .tall buyers guided by a knowledge of the vari- ous adulterants used, seed adulter- ation would soon cease. The combination of 'seeds of stan- dard farm crops commanding,uni- formly differsnt prices in the seed market constitutes adulteration when the mixture is sold at the price of the more expensive seed., This is illustrated by_ the combina- tion of redtop and timothy offered as redtop. Another form of adulteration is the use of dead seed of the kind of- fered for sale. Such dead seed may have lost its vitality from advanced age or from unfavorable conditions of, harvesting or of storage, or it uiay consist of light screenings in which the seed germs never devel- oper'. Old seed having very low vitality, or none at all, doubtless is often offered for sale. Consid- erable worthless shriveled red clo- - ver and' alfalfa screenings are im- ported each year for use in adul- terating these seeds. One of the commonest and most objectionable forms of adulterations is the use of low grade screenings, consisting -chiefly of miscellaneous vt eed seeds. In . many instances such adulterants have been pur- chased in foreign countries. The statement, often made, that low grade weedy screenings are im- ported for the purpose of reclean- ing before l?eing marketed is with- out foundation because the''quan- tity of good seed, to be secured mould cost thedealer more, usual- ly very much more than the same quantity of good seed produced in this country. Such low grade seed, therefore; is unquestionably im- ported exclusively for use either in competition with or as an adulter- ant of higher grade seed. Co3u Drags Boy to Beath. Don't tie the rope around your waist or wrist when leading an ani- mal. Should it become frightened and unmanageable, serious injuries might result, unless the hold -could be released at once. An instance of this has been re- cently reported. With one end of the rope tied to his -wrist and the other end to a runaway cow, a . fourteen -year-old boy was dragged , over sharp %rocks for one-fourth of a mile and so badly injured that he died within a half hour. Becoming frightefied at a pass- - ing , automobile, the cow started suddenly on a dash down a rocky lane. The boy's attention was at- tracted to the auto, and he was not prepared for the sudden jerk given by the cow. A loop in the rope was around his wrist, and he could not get loose. He fell.,on his face, and as the cow tore down the lane his face, head and body were dashed against the sharp rocks. His cloth- ing was stripped from his body, and even his shoes were torn off. Affixed Stock Fanning. As a rule, on the average farm at least, it will be better to have a few cattle, some horses, a score of saline and small flock of sheep, than to have the same amount of money invested in ether cattle or hogs alone. There is greater safety in such distribution of capital, inas- much as the different kinds of stock subsist somewhat on different kinds.. of food, andif on account, of droutli:: or for some other reason one kind of food fails, others May be made available leo carry through in good . condition atlest one or more of the classes - of animals kept, •• An egotist is a man who thinks he is better than you are.. A soft answer may not turn away wrath, but ib save%. a lot of 'useless talk.:.