HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1909-12-10, Page 3"W&1, since coming, ray plans have
Changed a trifle. I still intend to have
the Barrison money, but, in addition, I
intend to wed the handsome man with
whose pictured face I fell in love at first
sight—he who is. expected here this
Christmas Eve—ay, within the hour. If
he falls in love with me all will be well;
if he does not, let frim beware; he shall
never live to wed and give this Barrison
wealth, on which I have set my heart,
to another -I swear it!"
Her reverie was cut short by the sound
of Mrs. Barrison's bell ringing very im-
patiently, and she turned abruptlyfrom
the mirror and glided into the adoining
apartment.
"My dear Floriee, why are you not at
the window to watch and warn zee of
my nephew's approach?" she exclaimed,
fretfully and irirtably, adding: "I—I—
am so nervous—so anxious about him."
"I am sorry to have caused you one
impatient moment my dear Mrs. Barri-
son," said Miss Austin, in her low,
smooth, musical voice as she took up
her position at the window. "You shall
know when I see him coming from afar
off—it is by no means dark yet."
Five, ten, twenty minutes—half an
hour passed, and the hour hand of the
ebony clock on the mantel travelled
around to another hour, yet still the
handsome laggard came not.
The woman on the couch, propped up
by half a dozen pillows, could illy con-
trol her impatience; the girl standing
by the window, as immovable as a mar-
ble statue, was wrapped in her own
thoughts. The darkness was now im-
penetrable. She did not tura around;
better to stare out there into the dark-
ness than be forced to talk.
Leaving them thus, dear reader you
and I will go forward a little and dis-
cover what had become of the object of
their solicitude. We will not have to
travel far, for on the outskirts of the
hamlet we can readily discern two
horsemen making their way through the
huge snowdrifts. As the first glance,
even in the waning light, we can see that
the foremost rider is Clifford Carlisle,
the original of the portrait on Mrs. Bar-
rison's easel, and that the other is his
colored valet.
As he advances nearer we can study
him more closely. Handsome, beyond all
doubt, Clifford Carlisle is, but there is
much of the satanic beauty in the dark,
finely chiseled' features; the piercing
Mack eyes looking out from under the
straight brows„and the raven black clus-
ters of hair, tossed back froth the broad
forehead. His chin was perfeet—artists
before now had said so; so was the curl
of the jetty, silky moustache—but they
did not add that without it the entire
expression of his faultlessly handsome
face would be so changed as to shock
his admirers. His mouth in repose were
just the expression that the artists were
wont to paint upon the countenance of
Satan himself, betraying recklessness,
craft, a fiery temper, and all the devil-
ishness that such sneering curl of the
lip could convey.
But of his temper we are soon to be-
come aware, for even as we take in.
every detail of his perfect fact and fault-
less dress, a fierce imprecation bursts
from his lips.
The black horse he is riding rears sud-
denly, terrified beyond all control at
the dark trunk of a huge fallen oak,
half buried in the snow, and in less
time than it takes to tell it had wheeled
suddenly about, throwing his rider in a
huge drift, and was rearing and plunging
madly about in another and higher snow -
bank scarcely a rod ahead.
With the fury of a veritable demon,
Clifford Carlisle scrambled to his feet,
and the volley of curses, loud and ring-
ing, that fell from his lips was horrible
to hear. In an instant he had snatched
something from his breast pocket; there
was a report simultaneously with a flash
of lurid fire, and when the smoke cleared
away Sambo saw the horse that his mas-
ter had so lately ridden lying still and
lifeless in the huge drift. Black Ileron
would never respond to his call again.
"That is the fate of everything, human
or animal, that opposes me,” said the
master, coolly repiaeing his weapon to
• his breast pocket, adding in the next
breath: "Get down; I'll ride the mare;
you can trudge along behind."
"Yes. •iztarse," mumbled the valet,
scrambling With alacrity from the sifet
dee, knee deep into the snow, "but Ike
got to tell you that—that " Y .
"That—What?" thundered Clifford.
Carlisle, advancing threateningly a step
toward the frightened, terrified fellow.
"That the marc hes done.caSt a shoe,
salt," faltered Sambo,
"Cnrse,.your infernal black neck, wlty
didn't you tell that before, and I would
have put off Black Heron's pu.nishrnent
until we had finished our journey?"
"I'se was badly afeared lest you might
get ragin' an' give her the lash, sah, an'
—an' she isn't used to that, Marse Car-
lisle; she am so gentle an' lamb-like—
jest like a •docile little kitten, an' I
loves Ladybird so."
"Confound it!" cut in Carlisle harshly,
without heeding the other's ineoherent
words, "of course there is no black-
smith's place about—there never is one
handy in a dilemma of this kind."
"I think there am, sah!" declared Sam -
bo, hastily. "I'se slat' I saw one jes' as
we turned into this road."
"Lead the way and I'll follow, riding
Ladybird," commanded Carlisle, • and,
raging at every step over his i11 luck in
coming on horseback instead of waiting
for the stage, he at last found himself
standing before the closed door of the
blacksmith's shop.
"Hello, there!" he called out loudly
and sharply. "This way, smithy make
haste, I say!"
In answer to his cell the wide door
swung open, and, instead of the grimy
horseshoer whom he expected to see, he
saw, standing in the full red glare of the
forge, a young girl.
And the picture, as he saw her stand-
ing thus, never left him in all the long
years of his after life.
A lithe, slender figure, straight as an
arrow, in a bright crimson dress, whose
Dolor was heightened to a lurid. mass
of flame by the fire of the forge—the
same red light fell upon the face --a
rarely lovely one, brown from the wind
and sun, with great red cheeks and a
small, coral mouth, and a wealth of rip-
pling hair like a shower of yellow gold
blowing about her face as it fell in a
shining mass to her supple waist,
"I—I--beg your pardon," said Clifford
Carlisle, springing from his saddle and
bowing low before this extroaadirtary
vision of girlish loveliness, wondering
meanwhile who she was. "Could you
tell me if the blacksmith is about?"
"He is not," responded the young
girl in a clear, sweet voice. "Grandpa
was not feeling well, and I coaxed him
to go home because this is Christmas
Eve—assuring him no one would be in
need of his services, and promising to
stay behind and watch the forge until
the fire got low enough to leave the
shop in safety."
"How very unfortunate that he should
have gone," murmured Carlisle, adding:
"My horse has lost a shoe. I -I—would
gave given a fifty -dollar bill if she could
have had another one—any king of a
one tacked on, that I might get on to
the end of my journey. 'Without it she
will refuse to go a step. That is one of
her cur—one of her ocld tricks."
"Would you really give that much to
have your horse shod.?" cried: the girl,
breathlessly, eyeing him with great,
wide-open, dilating eyes.
"Yes," he answered, "the finishing of
my journey quickly, as well as my
horse, is worth ten times that sum to
me," thinking she intended to go and
fetal the smithy..
"Then I will shoe the horse for you—
that is, if the animal is not vicious and
don't kick."
"You!" exclaimed Clifford Carlisle,
wondering if he had heard. aright, or if
his ears hand not played him some trick.
"Why not?" responded the girl,
promptly. "My father was a. black-
smith when he was alive, and my grand-
father was a blacksmith before him, and
is one yet. Ay, the best horseatJloer,
they say, in all Washington. I have
often shod my little Shetland pony, Bess.
Bring in your horse, sir. I should not
volunteer to do the work unless I was
competent to acomplish it and. do it
well. And—• nd—to tell you the truth,
sir. I would love dearly to earn that
much money to help pay off the meet -
gage on the old home."
Clifford Carlisle's astonishment soon
gave place to amusement, and he order-
ed Sambo to Ie:td Ladybird at once into
the shop.
CHAPTER IL
Down went the bellows into the rich,
lied heart of the glowing coals; up went
the crimson sleeves to the elbow, displaay-
ig the most perfect pair of arms that
•llifford Carlisle had ever beheld — he
lily caught his breath with intense
;miratuon.
As soon as Ladybird found herself
facing a blacksmith's' forge she held up
her front off foot with almost human
intelligence, though she seemed almost
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CORN E F RACTOR
as amused as lie};; t aster had been to
oelold pettimeats e . such a place.
Norine advanued net patted the areh-
ed, silky neck, mIn . uning: "Ladybird—
I think that is what they called yet:—
you shall be as good as new in very
short
henord,erpayi."
ng little heed to the other
two occupants of the shop, she bent to
her task without further comment.
With each strokk?"af the hammer from
that perfect arm, teat swung up and
down with the precision of a pendulum,
the sparks flew about in a shower of
gold, and in less time almost than it
takes to describe the uncommon scene,
the best turned shoe that Ladybird had
ever worn was fastened to her dainty
foot by those supple little brown hands.
"]Mow, sir," said the girl, gravely, "I
think you will be able to resume your
journey in safety.',';
"I shall always 'keep that shoe as a
souvenir of this place, this hour, and
you. What is your name?" he asked,
abruptly, as he handed her a crisp bunk
note of the denomi "kion promised, add-
ing; "You are a rentable little Ama-
zon." 4t
"Norine Gordon,., replied the girl,
with childish dire ' ,ss.
"You cannot be ore than sixteen,"
he commented.
"I am seventeen,' ' lie answered, pock-
eting the bill with enthusiasm that
amused hum vastly.
"Do you live here?" he inquired, still
lingering, the impulse strong -within him
to learn more of her.
"Yes," she returned;. "a, rails down the
road over which you .;, • '
M'� reef VIA1,
IS. USED BY THE BEST BAKERS, CATERERS
AND HOME COOKS, AS WELL AS BY THE
LARGE STEAMSHIP AND RAILROAD COM-
PANIES,,AND 1S PREFERRED TO ANY OTHER,
E. W. GILLETT CO. LTD., TORONTO. ONT.
"And you call that iia Y he exclaim-
ed. "Great heaven ' ; 2', 1 perish in
the snow and the , ' attempting
to reach there ee,, reel r -,rather lost
my horse than t ,6 li' detained you
here until 'after di „..v
Norinne laughe , a' hearty, rol-
licking laugh that �„� very rafters above
their heads shook 'th her merriment.
"Spare yourself . j' uneasiness about you make me feel as though I were a
me, sir," she orae t Oen used to the thief•—taking what was not mine. Ile
nffee d that murk, awed I thought it
blizzards and the o snow we have no harm to take it."
sere. 1 have my s eews'hoes here, and I "If, you will put it in the fire, 1—I
know how to use tire` m to get home. Be- Will make that much money up to you
eidob of the
ing�mouth growi," she n gi tantly serious, laugh-
by
village stAoffice at last I've not the
nd you shall
was never Intended tat I should die in 6 1 3
the snowdrifts; wh ' 1 was a tiny babe have the first money I take in from
he 47
my mother lost heti young life in them seenisltlitl�ce a vip. A er lying in your Ir andsl that he has !
and I was iniraculbusly spared; they Ile is such awok-'d uta",'
found me closely clasped in her cold, 'Why do you ;toy the t when you do
dead arms. My fath,r, too, lost his way
not even kno v hint?" fl:u.4ie1 out Norinein a wild snowstqA in crossing the atngr%1y, 1:telk`'weet young v clue growing
mountain one 11i kt, and they buried strangely held and rued.
him in the sante grave that was due•
"Because I saw him :;hoot down in
for my young mother scarcely a fortb-
nuglat before." cold blood the mate to the horse he
"I—I—beg ten thousand pardons fur brought in here, and tits rnrs•.s that Full
recalling to your mind such sad m"mo- front his lilt; ht,rrifi'd rl.•, Iran though
ries," murmured Clifford Carlisle, rale 1 \Ovine turned whits to the lips, but
ing his hat, humbly. - "Will you try to
forgive me?"
l
(rowing bittirlV cold, and. -that the wind
was r•i,i;ig and b]Owia r with demonise
fierceness - outside :and the drifts were
piling theinselue, Iiigh against the door
which the handso:na.etl Luger had closed
so hurriedly after Mitre
'1•he girl might have ,stood there for
long hours thus--ttncousoious of the
flight of titre -r -lost in .t strange, sweet
daydream --had not her thoughts been
rudely broken into by a hand falling on
her shoulder.
With a little cry, Norine started back.
"Is it you, doe?" she exclaimed; 'how
long have you been here? .E—I---did not
ice you come la at the door."
"Nor did I cone in by the door," an-
swered the tall, stalwart, broad -shoul-
dered young man who stood before her.
"I canoe in by the window. I wonder
that you did not hear me when 1 opened
it, or feel the cold air. The snow has
completely blocked the door since—since
--that stranger left. It's easier. to take
you out through the window than to
shovel the tons of snow away from the
door. But, to renewer your question, 1
have only been in the shop here about
two minutes, but I was standing outside
of the window all the time that stranger
was in here. Who is he, Norine?" he
asked, abruptly.
"How in the world should I know?"
retorted the girl, petulantly.
"What was he talking to you about so
earnestly after he paid his bill?" he
asked, watching Norine's -face uneasily,
far there was an expression on it that he
had never seen there before.
"The weather," laughed the girl, jocu-
larly.
"I do not like him," said. Joe Brain-
ard, slowly and thoughtfully.
. "He is the grandest gentleman 1 have
ever seen, and as liberal as a prince,"
said Norine, enthusiastically: "look at
thebill he gave me for shoeing his pony,"
and she held up before his startled vision
the fifty -dollar bank note.
The young man fairly gasped for
breath—gulped down a Cetrauge, choking
sensation that rose up suddenly in his
throat, and cried, hoarsely: .
"You should never have taken that for
shoeing his horse!" be riled. "You know
it was not worth it, and he will think he
owns you, body and soul, for your ac-
cepting it."
A sudden rush of tears came swiftly
to the girl's eyes.
"Oh, Joe! Joe:" site sobbed, "you—
•
r
she made him nu answer.
"There is nothing to blame you for, "Come," he said, "your graudparent:i
sir," replied Norine, -adding, softly: "I sent me to look fur you when you did
always think of my brave young father not mite ltonn' ;i -w,n as they
and my sweet, hapless young mother thought you should, .They will be w'or-
when I see the cold white snowdrifts." rying every tuoment come, Norine."
"You tell me your parents are dead, Without another ward Norine put on
and you speak of your grandfather—do her cloak and hued, .Lowing big,
—do you live with him?' strung.faithful :Toe, who was a1w&t s
Norine nodded !tel curly golden head. abouC when danger menaced her, to lift
her through the little narrow window.
"It is the wilde-t night we have ever
had, Norine," li" cried anelously, "I will
beat down a path and you must follow
close in my footsteps..1.h. but it is in-
tensely cold, and growing colder.
She was always so frolicsome. so mer-
ry, but tonight gay little Norine was
strangely quiet.
"\las that a sigh from. her lips," he
asked himself, stopping short and turn-
ing around anxiously. Then, forgetting
the rigid discipline he had laid out for
himself to follow, he cried solicitously:
Are you weary, and very cold, Norine,
d.arl i.ng ?"
There was no answer, and with a
startled cry he turned and groped his
steps backward through the snowdrifts
and the midnight. darkness.
Yes, she had sunk down, unconscious,
overccmte by the exertion and the bit-
ter eold.
With a cry that welled up from the
very depths of his heart, he caught her
up in his strong orms and strained her
to his breast, faltering hoarsely:
"I will save you, my little love, whom
T. have never yet told the story that has
been growing itt my heart this many a
year. Ay, I will save you to -night or
perish with you,"
And he did just what her hapless
young mother Itad done long years be-
fure—•-tore off his coat and wrapped it
about her—then turned, facing the
teeth of the gal with the precious bur -
"Yes, with my
grandma," she rel'
"Do you not fin .life very dull and
lonely," he asked, ``!'•pent in the society
of such old people?—you, who seem so
fond. of life, brightness and gaiety?"
"I am never lonely with them, because
I love them so much," she replied.
"Lead Ladybird out of the shop," com-
manded Carlisle, turning itnpatien£ly to
his valet, who was standing gazing on
the lovely little Amazon with wide open
eyes and mouth, as if it were quite im-
possible, even yet, to give credence to
what he had just witnessed: Ladybird
being shod. by a young girl, and certainly
the sweetest, daintiest, most charming
girl his gaze had ever rested. upon.
After Sambo had obeyed his command,
Clifford Carlisle still lingered.
"1 shall be in this vicinity for a fort-
night," he murmured; "may 1'hope to
see you again? Please be kind and say
yes.
What was there in that low, thrilling
voice, in the gleno: of those dark, bril-
liant, mesmeric eyes, that stirred slightly
the unawakened heart in little Norine's
breast? She flushed as deep a crimson
as the dress she wore, and her big, blue,
childish eyes fell before his eager, burn-
ing glance.
"I always come here to the shop to
wait for grandpa and Accompany him
home," she stammered.
"Aly then l: shall see you again, lit-
tle Norine. I was angry enough at Lady-
bird when I found she had' cast a shoe.
Now I think there was a fate in it. Oth-
erwise, I "tight have comp to the viingd
of Hadley and left it without seeing,
you."
Again a vivid blush suffused the love-
ly, girlish face, She was startled, be-
wildered, eouru•,ed: no one bad ever
spoken to her like that before. She did
not know how to answer him,
"Au revoir, but not good -by, Norine,"
he whispered, taking advantage of her
ehildisltness to address her thus famil-
farly; "farewell until we meet again,
Which shall be soon, if I can have my
way about it"
And. with these words be turned and
walked qutekly out of the dingy shop,
the darkness without hastily swallowing
him.
Norine stood quite still on the sane
spot on which he had left her, gazing
vacantly into the, glowing coals, and,
gazing thus, the moments flitted by un-
heeded, She did not notice 'that the
coals, one by one, were turning to a dull,
ashen .ra.: and that the olclrein
dpa and dear old
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den which was dearer to him than life
itself strained close to his throbbing
breast.
Step by step, foot by foot, through
the great drifts reaching high above his
head, be made his way with dogged per-
severance.
The bitter gale seemed to pierce Mos
to the -very heart, turn the blood in'his. .
veins to ice, and hang millstones about •_.
his feet.
"God grant me the strength to get
little Norine home," he muttered, rais-
ing his haggard face to the darkened.
skies above "but," he added, with bit-
ter fierceness, "I would rather she
should die here and now in my arms
than that—that handsome stranger
should ever crass her path again, for --
Heaven pity ate!—they were fascinated'
with eaeh other at first sight. I read it
in the face of both as I watehed them
in agony through the clingy shop win-
Suddenly thl'ough the darkness he
saw a glimmering Iight .ahead, and he
heard the old smithy's voice calla:
"Joel—Norine!' •
He gave back one answering shout;
then his heroic strength and eoutsge
seemed suddenly to leave him, and he
fell forward, face downward, still clasp-
ing his burden, in utter unconscious -
ease.
(To be continued.)
ME WOMAN'S
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They Proved a Blessing to Her When
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*ea
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