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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1906-12-07, Page 7OCCOOCCO 0 0 ss 0 0 0 0 M 0aav r th r The Purest and °leanest Green Tea on Earth. Delicious and Economical in Use CEYLON GREEN TEA, Lead packets only. 40c, 50c and 60e per ib. At a!i grocers. LIFE CHAPTER II. Colonel Hastings had scarcely left the room ere Mr. Albert Hastings arose, stretched himself with a weary yawn, and began to pace thoughtfully up and down the floor, murmuring: "Men think me a very fortunate and happy man; and, doubtless, an unusual number of good gifts have been show- ered upon nice by the favor of the blind goddess—not the ]east among them would be esteemed the ]land of this wealthy young baroness, any bride ex- pectant. Well, we cannot have every- thing we want in this world, else sweet Rose Elmer only should be the wife of Albert Hastings. Poor girl- she little dreams that the man who has wooed her, under the name of William Lovel, is really Albert Hastings, the envied bridegroom of the high-born Lady Ether- idge of tSwinbnrne. It cannot be helped. I cannot pause for lady's right, or mai- den's honor. Here, then, for a divided life; my hand to the lady of Swinburne, my heart to the lovely cottage girl; only Lady Etheridge moat never know of Rose Elmer and William Lovel. nom must Rose Elmer know Lady Etheridge and .Albert Hastings. And now to per- suade Rose to go before me into Wales, where myself and my lady bride are to pend our honeymoon." And so saying, Albert Hastings took his hat and strolled out into .the street. Walking in an opposite direction to that taken by Colonel Hatstings in his drive to Swinburne Castle, Albert Hastings soon reached a cross-country road, which he pursued for about two miles. Then, turning to the left, he entered a narow, shady lane, tha led him to a small, se- cluded cottage, nearly hidden from sight amid climbing vines, clustering shrubs and. overhanging trees. Taking a key from his pocket, he unlocked the little green wooden gate, and, passing between tall, flowering shrubs, he stepped under the vine -shaded porch, and, applying a small key, opened the cottage door and entered at once upon the only large room the cottage could boast. This lonely cottage had been rented and furnished by Albert Hastings as a trysting place for his love. The whole aim of the room was eouleur de rose. He called it "The Bower of Roses." It was indeed tike bower of one peerless rose. Here he had been accustomed, during Itis visits to the neighborhood of his af- fianced bride, to inept the Rose of his secret thoughts. But here, also, let it be clearly understood, he had respected the Honor of the humble maiden—not upon any good pirnaiple, perhaps, but, loiting her with all the power of his selfish heart, and resolved upon making her Reis own forever, he abstained from any freedom that might alafrm her delicacy, and, perhaps, estrange her heart. Albert Hastings, the only son of Col- onel Hastings, of Hastings Hall, Devon, and of Portman Square, London, had been endowed by nature with runny othfer good gifts besides his pre-emi- nently handsome and princely person. He had a good head, and originally a. good heart, but he had beep spoiled fraen his youth up, in being led to believe that the whole world, and all within it, had been created for his own private use --nom abuse, if he pleased, And if this selfish creed were not now fully credited, it was, at least, thorough- ly carried out in. his practice—a thing that cannot often be said of better creeds, or even better men. Albert Hastings had always been de- signed by his father to be the husband of the wealthy young baroness, his ward. The crafty .old ntan had token care not to bring the young 'people together in any manner during their childhood, lest they should grow nip as brother and sister, without thought of a dearer rela- tionship, He had contented himself with seeluding the young baroness from other youthful company. He had fixed her permanent residence in the deep retirement of Swinburne {.'•astle, where she remained, year after year, under the care of 0 distant female relative. Mrs. Montgomery, the wiaow of a clergyman. There she WAS attendee] by various deeply -learned masters and highly -ac- complished mistresses, all very discreet and elderly, who had been sent down by Colonel Hastings to carry on her educa- tion. At the age of eighteen slie first met Albert Hastings, It had. been plan- ned that she should spend a year in snaking the tour of the continent, in company with her guardian and hie son, whose travels were delayed for this pur- pose. It was but a few days before the intended departure, while the heart of the yaung heiress was elated. with the prospect of rseeing frireign countries, that Albert Hastings was introduced to her. His haindtsome person, dignified presence, and fascinating manhen4, made some im- pression upon the imagination of the se- cluded young baroness. During their subsequent travels over the continent, his well -cultivated anind, various accom- pfliehments, and brilliant conversational powers so deepened this impression that the youthful Lady Etheridge thought elle had met the man of men, the only one in the world to whom it was pos- sible to give her own heart, and when the expected avowal of love and offer of marriage came Laura Etheridge trem- bled at the thought of a happiness too rich. for her merits --almost too :perfect for this world. Albert Hastings was deeply enamored of the Baroness Ether- idge of Swinburne and her vast posses- sions; but, apart from these, liow much did he really care for the young girl, Laura? They returned home to prepare for the marriage, which was to take place aft Swinburne Castle.. The Hastings fixed their residence at their town house, but frequently came down to Swinburne, the guardian to see his ward, the young gentleman to visit hes bride -elect. It was during one of these visits to the neighborhood, white he was staying at the Etheridge Arms, that Albert Hastings first saw Rose Elmer. Levere, has valet, had sent his rnasber's linen to a laundress, and it had been brought home by Rose. She was a fair and delicate beauty, email and exquisitely formed, with regu- lar features and a snowy complexion, faintly tinted with a roseate bloom upon the rounded cheeks and plump little lips, and a profusion of pale, golden hair parted and waved off in rippling tresses from a forehead of infantine whiteness and smoothness. Her aeauty fascinated Albert Hest - OO. ',.;,1.440.0.0 4 Nursing baby? 0 It's a heavy strain on mother. 0 Her system is called upon to supply nourishment for two. 0 Some form of nourishment that will be easily taken up by mother's system 0 is needed. 0 Scott's Emulsion contains the greatest possible amount of nourish-. ment in easily digested form. urs Mother and baby are wonderfully helped by its use. AIL DRUGGISTS: Sec. AND $1.00 0 atie 0 0 0 Iings. He secretly discovered her dwail- iu;ten, poor cottago, m a narrow, un- sightly street of the village• -sand he made an exceire to call tliei e agog] settle Mis lauaidress' bill, Tils was the con- menoememt of their:ill: intanee.Af- terward he contrivedeently to meetRose in her, dailyehough title - her anis eahen no aye was near to spy his motions, he would join her in her walks. Through the help of a:confiden'tial ser- vant and at city agent, he hired and furnished that tbsoure cottage in. the wood, and tone clay, meeting Rase, he in- vited hoe for ao walk; and conducted her to the cottage to give her a surprise and to watch its ,effect. As he ushered Rose into the pretty room. fitted usi with 4.11 the elegance of a lode s ooudorr, she made an exclamation of intense aston- ishment and pleneure. The rural cot- tage in its thicket of roses, flowering shrubs and trees, and the pretty room, with its gains of art and literature, af- fected her with many delightful emo- tions. The novelty pleased her unnc- custo¢ned eyes; the beauty charmed her poetic soul; and the thought that all this had been prepared by William Lov- el, and for her, 'touched her heart with profound gratitude. "And this is your home?" she said, turning her clear eyes, beaming with in- nocent joy, upon his Mee. "This is my home, sweet Rose, and yours, when you consent to share it with me," he answered, with a grave tender- ness that was natural to him when speak- ing to her. "Mr. Lovell, I am too lowly born, too humble, .and too ignorant to be your wife. Would it were otherwise, and I were worthy of the station that you of- fer me," she murmured, in an almost in- audible voice. IIe suddenly dropped her hand and walked to the window. He nad not meant anything like this. Yet the in- nocent village girl had naturally mistak- en his declaration of love for a proposal of marriage. How to undeceive her without shock- ing her; how to explain, without estrang- ing her, he could not tell. Ile perceived that the winning of this girl to nis pur- pose must be the work of time and of great patience. He returned to her side, and repossessing himself of her hand, said: - "Sweet love, I did not mean to hurry and distress you . Since you feel a de- sire for a wider range of knowledge, though I think you altogether lovely as you are, I myself will become your teach- er. It shall be my delightful task to open to your mind the treasures of liter- ature and art, and to diree•t your renrt- ing. This lovely spot shall be our study, and you shall meet me here daily, while I remain in the neighborhood. Will you do this, sweet Rose?" "To educate myself to be more wor- thy of you? Oh, yes, bir. ,Level. 3:ou almost distress me with kindness. But I have allays heard that the noble and good draw their highest happiness from deeds of beneficence. Ilow happy, then, must you be! Yes, Ala Level, 1 will come," she murmured, in low and gen- tle tones, blushing ather . own temerity in saying so much. And thus it was arranged. And daily, while he continued in the neighborhoud, they met at the cottage in the wood. Rose Elmer proved an apt scholar. She ha daiready the solid foundation of a good common education. Albert Hast- ings introduced her to the world of poetry, belles lettres, and art. When he left the neighborhood he had left with her a duplicate key of the cottage, that she might admit herself when she pleas- ed, only exacting from her that she should keep her visits thither, as she had kept their meetings, a secret. Before coating down on his last visit, Mr. Hastings had written her a note, signed as usual, "William Level," and ap., pointed a meeting with her at the cot- tage. It would be tedious to repeat all the arguments he used to reconcile her to a clandestine marriage. It is enough to say that he was a roan of society, gifted with powers of logic and eloquence that might have swayed the councils of a na- tion, to say nothing of the mind of a young girl. He was, besides, handsome, fascinating, and in love; and she was a simple village girl, loving, esteemed and confiding in him with her whole heart. He found the task easier than he could have hoped. Hers was the perfect lovo which "caste* out fear," that "thinketh no evil." indeed, she advancd but one objection to the • secret marriage—her her duty to her mother. But this very argument he immediately seized , and used on his own side. Her "duty to her mother," he said, "was to provide for her support in her old age. Her marriage with himself would effectually do this," Then she pleaded bard that 'this moth- er should be at once admitted into their confidence. Tenderly, but obstinately, he refused this; telling her that their secret would not be safe in the keeping of a sick and nervous woman, whose rea- son, from all that be could hear of her, was evidently tottering; and that if that secret should be discovered, his proud uncle would not only disinherit hint and withdraw his powerful protection from him, but would even turn his politneal influence against hint. Tilen Rose eau - ed to resist, only stipulating that af- ter their marriage she should still re- main with her mother, who needed her services, until Mr. Lovel should be ready to acknowledge her as his wife and take both herself and parent to his own home, This was not all that Mr. Hastings wished, but neither logic nor eloquence could convince or persuade Rose Elmer to desert her ailing mother; and upon no other condition thane that of being allowed to remain with her would she consent to the secret marriage. And to this condition 1dr. Hastings at last agreed, especially as there were very seri- ous difficulties attending his favorite projeet of sending her to Wales, where he and his lofty but unloved bride wore going to spend their honeymoon. Aeni, finally, he obtained 0 nt•nmia° from 12.),e that she would meet him et the entt age that same night, where, by a prealoule 11c nn nuEos use a rt aasta- °ere.'re nuile nu I E R�!>3hrnns. sold only arrangement, his confidential servant, disguised as a clergyman, was to be in attendance to perform the marriage cere- mony. After which, Rose should return to her another, to remain during the few weeks of his absence in Wales, whither he said, important business forced him. This agreed upon, they took leave of each other for a few hours, Mr. Hastings say- ing in parting: "Farewell for the last time, Rose El- mer; when next we part I shall Bey, 'Farewell, Rose Lovel, my own sweet wife!" They returned to the village by differ- ent routes. Mr. Hastings went to his inn, and summoned his confidential ser- vant to his presence. And Rose Elmer, full of hope and joy, turned down the street leading to her mother's cottage. It was a narrow, dusty, unsightly lit- tle street. There was no rural freshness or picturesque beauty about it. The lit- tle old stone cottages on each side, and the few sickly -looking plants that stood in the windows, were covered with hard, white dust that every breath of wind and every passing vehicle raised up in clouds. About half -way down the Iength of this street stood a row of low, ;:tone cot- tage. covered, like everything te=e, with a suffocating dust of pulverized 'Imo - stone. Nothing could be drier or more depressing than the look-; of these cot- tages. Not a green thing grew near to them, not a feet of gr tun I intervene] between them and the dusty stye t; tate doors opened imnreuiatel• upon the side- walk ,and not a bit of passage protected the privacy of the dwellers. Any intru- der could step at once from the street into the keeping -rooms of these houses. It was before one of the most forlorn - :looking of these cottages that Rose I'll - i mer pauserl, lifted the latch, and entered at once upon a large, comfortless -look- ing room, whose scanty furniture had Ibeen already covered with dust in her absence. A coarse carpet covered the floor— a cheap muslin veiled tate only Iwindow. A tent bedstead, with faded curtains, stood in the farthest corner. Opposite this stood a mangle, another •I corner was filled with a staircase, hay- ' ing a closet under it, and the fourth ear- ner was adorned with a cupboard, through the glass doors of which a lit- ! tie store of earthenware shone. There ( was a smouldering fire in the grate, and beside this fire, in an old armchair, sat a woman, whom no one would have pass - 1 ed without a second look. She was a woman of commanding presence. hTer form was tall. and must have once been finely rounded; but now it was worn thin, almost to skeleton meagreness. Her features were nobly chiseled, and might once have been grandly beautiful, but now they were shrunken and emaciated as those of death. Under her broad and prominent forehead and heavy, dark eye- brows shone a pair of large. dark -gray eyes, that brined fireeoly with the fires of fever or of frenzy. Her jet-blaek hair, slightly streakel wit hsilver, was half - covered with a red handkerchief, tied be. neath her chin, and partly fallen in elf - locks down one side of her fae e, A rusty black gown and shawl completed her dress. As the door opened, admitting Rose, she turned quickly in her ehair, fixing her eyes with a look of fierce inquiry upon the intruder. "flow are you now, another, dear 1 I hope you feel in better spirits ?" said. Rose, laying off her bonnet and coming to wn'. "Betterthe,omait"hseresilohave you been ? I have wanted you." "I have been—taking a walk through the woods, dear mother; and see, here are some wild strawberries I picked for you on any return. Will you eat them?" said Rose, offering her little basket. "No; I want urine of them. You care little for me." "Mother, don't say that. You do not know how much I love you." olt !" IIush, girl, you have litle cause -- ! And the woman suddenly struck her hand upon her heart, dropped her Bead upon her breast, and seemed convulsed by some great agony. Her f eatures worked frightfully; her frame shudder- ed. "Mother! mother! What is the mat- ter?" exclaimed Rose, throwing her areas around the woman in great alarm. "It is—past," gasped the woman, breathing with great difficulty. `\What was it, dear?" 'A spasm. It is gone." "Oh, mother, will it return?" "Perhaps." "Let me run for a neighbor or a doe - tor.' "Nay, you must run somewhere ease! To -morrow, Laura—Lady Etheridge, of Swinburnt, weds with Albert Hastings, of Hastings Hall. It is so, is it not?" "Sorely, dear mother, the village is full of the wedding, and talks of nothing else. The village children have been ern. ploys(' all day in bearing flowers to de- corate the castle church and to strew in the path of the bride as she comes— tliey love her so well." "Yes, she is a high and mighty lady; yet sweet and gracious as becomes one so exalted, Come hither, girl; kneel dawn before me000000 , so that i may take your face • between nay hiaeda." said the wo- man, growing more strange in her talk. Rose obeyed, and her mother, bowing i her own stern, dark face, shut that of the girl between her hands. and gaged upon it wistfully, critieally, murmuring: "Fair face, delicate features, complexion pure as the inside of a eoneh•shell, white, and flushed with red; hair like fine yel- low silk, and eyes blue and' clear as those of infancy; hands, small and elegant. I have not let poverty spoil your beauty. have 1; any child?' "No, dear mother, you have let kind- ness more likely spoil me," said Rose, in simple wonder at her words. "I have not let your person grow coarse with hard work, have I, dear?" "No, another; notwithstanding that I ought to have worked with you and for you„ "Your hands have never been roughen- ed by helping me in the laundry?" "No, mother; though they ought to have been." "Nor have your sweet eyes been . spoil- ed by needlework?" "No, mother; I have been as useless as a fine lady, to my shame." "And I have worked hard to save you from work, and to pay for your school- ing, have I not?' 'Dear mother, you have! You have been the best mother in the world, and only too good to toe. But I will try to repay you." (To be continued.) ACHING KIDNEYS. Made Sound and Strong by Dr. Williams Pink Pills. There is probably no one in the town of Paris, Ont., who does not know Mr. Samuel G. Robinson and who will not readily accept his word when he says that Dr. Williams' Pink Pills cured him of an obstinate ease of kidney trouble after other treatment had failed to give him more than temporary relief. To a reporter of the titan -Transcript Mr. Robinson freely gave permission to pub- lish a statement of his case in the hope that his experience might benefit some other sufferer. He said: "I have suf- fered. umfered. from kidney trouble for about three years. Sometimes my back ached so severely that I was unable to work, and at times it was almost impossible for me to straighten up. I had to urin- ate very frequently and often. had to get up several times during the night. At different tinges I was under the care of doctors, but I only got relief for a time. I alio tried a number of medi- cines and backache plasters, but none of them helped me and I began to think the trouble could not be cured. One day during a conversation with a friend he asked me why I did not try Dr. Wil- liams' Pink Pills, saying that he had used them and they had done him much good. I decided to try the pills and it was not long before I felt greatly bene- fited. I continued using the pills for some time longer, and I ant glad to say that every vestige of the trouble has disappeared and I am now as well as ever. Dr. Williams' Pink Pills have prov- ed a blessing to me and I gladly recom- mend them to anyone similarly afflict- ed." Dr. Williams Pink Pills are the great- est cure in the world for all the com- mon ailtnents of men and women—for ail weakness and weariness, and baekaches and headaches of anaemia; all the heavi- ness and distress of indigestion; all the pains and aches of rheumatism, sciatica and neuralgia, and all the ill -health that follows any disturbance or regularity in the blood supply. All these ailments are caused by bad blood and Dr. Wil- liams' Pink Pills actually make new, rich, red blood. They strike straight at the common root of disease. But you must get the genuine pills with the full name Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People on the wrapper around each box. Cold at 50 cents a box or six box- es for $2.50, by all dealers, or the Dr. Williams' Medicine Company, Brock- ville, Ont. m -s How the World Thrives. (Cleveland Loader,) In the first half of the current year the ex- ports of eight leading commercial nations showed a gain of about 475,000,000 o'er the corresponding part of 1901. The rata of tn. crease was more than 11 per cent. The actual growth was in the United States and the United Kingdom, the rate per cent expansion was highest In Japan, Belgium and Austria. This enormous development of the export trade of advanced nations represents in some degree 'larger exchanges among powers of the first class, They are trading more with one another, nut in great measure It stands for the progress of parts of the world which have been backward, s_a,, No Pay. What does Satan pay you for swear ing?" said a gentleman to a boy. "He doesn't pay Inc anything,' wee the reply. "Well, you work cheap—to lav aside the character of a gentleman, to pain your friends, and all good people, anal to risk losing your own soul, and all fol nothing—you certainly do work client —very cheap iixdeecl!"-Selected. •o.m LITTLE LIVES SAVED. Many a little life is last •because eat mother does not have the means at essz>d to aid her little one at the first signs of illness. In homes where Baby's Ow* Talblete are kept the mother ahem,* feels a sense of security. 'Pitese'llabiiets cure colic, indigestion, eonstipatian, simm- ple fever. diarrhoea, teething troubles and other minor ailments of babyhood and childhood. Baby's Own Tablets at- wnefa do good.—they cannot possibly do harm. 'Thousands of mothers. ketep these Tablets in the house and use no other medicine for their o1i1ldrem, lies. Wan. 'Irma, Deer Park, Toronto, says: "1 find ]3tuby's Own Tablets of the greatest help to any little ones and would Exx8 be witrhottt them." sad. by all medicine dealers, or by mail a•, 25 cents a 'boat from the ]fir. 'Walnuts' tants' Medicine t}o,I Brockville, Ont.