The Wingham Times, 1906-03-01, Page 7TILE WINGIIAM. TIMES, MARCH 1
The Adventurers
By H. B. MARRIOTT WATSON
' COPYRIGHT. 18P8, BY HARPER
CHAPTER L
IT was in August of the year 188— iI
that I turned the corner, as it
were, into the strange history I
am now to relate. The Welsh
=arches had been entirely unknown to
we until at a poiut iu au idle tour of
the west of England I fell upon the
little town of Raymond and brought up
et 7 in the evening at the Swan hostel-
ry that occupies a corner of the irreg-
ular triangle constituting the market
place. The country in that part Is full
of swelling hills and valleys, soft and
exhilarating of air and clothed with a
great vesture of wood. The great
Gwent, as the forest across the little
river Ray is called in the countryside,
rolls westward across the county, bro-
ken by tracts of fertile fields lying un-
der grain and pasture, and descends
upon the black hills of the mining dis-
trict beyond. At Raymond, which
' •stands upon the hither side of the river,
we are yet in England proper and upon
the margin of a more open country.
rhe town itself is s• •11 and neat and
wears its air of respectable antiquity
;very haughtily.
The inn, which was itself among the
most venerable buildings in the small
town, was comfortably served by a
very brisk landlord of middle age. It
bad kept, so to speak, a precarious
continuity with antiquity and in the
main scheme had changed but little
during the 300 years which had passed
since its erection.
The hostelry was much too large for
its present uses, but for all that wore
amt air of neglect in the inhabited dram-
pers. My own rooms were marked by
homely comfort, and I was waited upon
like a prince of the blood. After a rude
and wholesome country dinner I sought
distraction in the taproom with my
pipe and a heterogeneous company of
townsfolk. The landlord was in some
kind a president at this symposium,
which consisted for the main part of
a few of the smaller shopkeepers.
'There was Mr. Jones, for example,
whose name I had noticed upou a shop
.front as I rode through the High street.
This man fixed upon me early in the
evening, and poured his confidences
into my ear. He was a hay merchant,
,and he had no dearer ambition than to
establish his business in Bristol. He
found Raymond too mean for his as-
piring temper, and the Mecca of his
prayers was Bristol. I confess that I
found him something of a bore, and
,Inas glad to exchange commonplaces
;with my other neighbor. The landlord
himself kept his seat before the long
table, smoking his long pipe with the
!peace of a man whose business is end-
ed for the day, and now and then dis-
charging a glance In my direction. He
was, I discovered, a traveled man for
those parts, and had the reputation of
a smart fellow. Indeed, he compared
(well with the duller rustics who sur-
rounded him. The placid air of the tap-
room was in some ways little more di-
verting than the solitude of my cham-
ber, but that was soon to pass. Pres-
ently there came a great noise, fol-
lowed by a heavy tramp of feet apr
proaching from the outer bar, and in
strutted a tall young fellow, with his
hat upon one side, and a jauuty air of
one who knows his own worth and
despises his neighbors.
"Co!.'e in," says the innkeeper, very
friendly, but with a certain air of con-
straint. "Plenty of room, Mr. Mont-
gomery, sir, and a good evening to
.you.'
"Oh, hang your ceremonies," says
the newcomer, but with no touch of i11
.humor, "and give your best attention
to my order, Wendover"" And, clap-
ping his hat more firmly on his head,
'he rapped loudly upon the table.
He drank the glass of whisky which
/he barman served and then fell into a
Diseases
of the Nerves
BECAUSE there is not usually
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They' forget that sleeplessness,
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and dizziness, tired feelings, dis-
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symptoms more to be dreaded than
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This great food cure acting through
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instils new vigor and vitality into
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Dr. Chase's Nerve Food, so cents a
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or Edmanaoa, Bates & Company,
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aria that the manservant I can't mins
. back his name --he told her next dad
that the thieves had tried to get in."
"Humph!" sneered Montgomery, who
had plainly drunk too much to be an
easy companion, "I don't call that
much of a tale,"
"If it's true, it's true," said the mild
looking titan.
"Who the devil asked your opinion?"
retorted the lad brusquely. The mild
man shifted in his chair, but mustered
courage to ask if a man might not ex-
press bis sentiments upon a point of
general interest.
"That's true, anyway," assented
Montgomery, with a foolish laugh,
It was clear that be had taken enough
to be quarrelsome if the opportunity
should rise, and unfortunately be chose
to turn his bantering gaze upon my
sour and peevish neighbor.
"Well, Mr. Jones," said be, "and
how's hay?"
"How's crops, my young gentleman?"
says Jones in his surly fashion.
"Crops," said Montgomery in a bawl,
"crops is as they should be—season-
able. Here's to crops, gentleman, and
also to hay," and he fell into his chair
laughing abominably.
I could not say If this was part of an
elaborate jest, conceived by a maudlin
brain, or whether he had really been
taken with an unreasonable fit of
anger; but, whether of accident or of
purpose, he filled up his glass forward
between his fingers, and the dregs flew
out and spattered the hay merchant's
face.
1's BROTHERS
a..SO
"Conte in," says the innkeeper.
seat and stared without any trucu-
lence, but rather with a savage air of
curiosity, at myself. He was of a ruddy
color and quite young, and something
In his bearing rather than in his dress
marked him out from the rest of the
company. But above all bis great size
and muscular appearance were notice-
: able.
' "Who is that?" I asked as soon as
Montgomery's eyes had wandered
from me.
"Ice's no better than he should be,"
my neighbor answered. "For all his
, grand airs, he's but little better than
a pauper. And that's where your blood
' comes to in the end."
• The landlord, who was close by me,
noting my interrogation with a busy
eye, leaned forward and supplemented
this disparaging information in a whis-
per.
"One of the best families in the
Gwent, sir," he murmured, "though his
estate is no more than a yeoman's now-
adays. '.limes are against property on
the border." And, having delivered
this statement, he drew himself back
and addressed a question to Montgom-
ery, with the object, as I conceived, of
exhibiting a local celebrity to his guest.
"Anything doing out your way, slr2"
he inquired.
The youth turned his eyes upon him
in a lackluster gaze and then, empty-
ing his glass, hammered on the table
noisily.
"Why the deuce don't that man of
yours come?" he exclaimed. "Here
have I ridden in ten miles for the sight
of a human face and the taste of good
Scotch, and— That's right." He gave
his order and, observing Wendover
again, gave vent to a heavy laugh.
"What do you exsect to happen in the
Gwent?" he asked. "It's as dull as
ditch water."
"I don't know so much about that,"
put iu suddenly a man on the other
side of the room whom, from his gen-
eral air, I took to be a miller. "There's
something as I heard of lately that was
pretty exciting."
The spokesman drew all eyes upon
him. The surface of our deep com-
posure stirred and ruffled.
"What's that, Mr. Llewellyn?" asked
the innkeeper.
Montgomery looked incredulous.
"Pooh!" he said disdainfully.
The miller enjoyed the importance
and seemed inclined to prolong it. Ile
leisurely refilled his pipe.
"I heard something queer happened
at the castle last week," he said at last,
seeing that bus news must out.
"What's that?" asked Montgomery.
"A girl that was in service there told
my znissus," went on the Hiller. "We
have taken her in. She's left the cas-
tle."
"What did she say?" asked Wen-
dover.
"I don't exactly recall the right of
it," the miller confessed, with a hasty
sense of shame. Montgomery looked
at me and, seeing a smile in my eye,
burst out laughing. "But I know it
was about a burglary," said the miller
promptly and with courage.
"I'd like to hear about the burglary,"
said some one.
"The man that keeps the inn there—
the—what's that inn?" went on the mill-
er.
"The Woodman," answered Mont-
gomery.
"Aye, that's it. He was servant to
the castle—the girl said—and he caught
them."
"(aught whom?" said Montgomery
impatiently.
"Well, he didn't catch them," admit-
ted the miller, "but he frightened them
oft'. '.they were after the plate that the
old gentleman keeps, so the man told
my girl."
"IIe's a queer old customer," Inter-
posed one of the company, seeing, as
we all saw, that we should get no fur-
ther interest out of the miller. Our
attention broke up.
"You're right," nodded his vis-a-vis
and replaced his pipe in his mouth.
"May I ask what eastle you are
speaking of?" I ventured to say, ad-
dressing the miller,
"Ivor castle, sir," said he civilly.
"It lays in the Gwent, sir, back of
the hills," explained the landlord.
"As you talk of this burglary," said
Montgomery, breaking in rather rude-
ly, "I'd like first to know what they
were going to find in the castle. Every
one knows there's nothing to be got
there,"
Confronted with this uncivil infidel,
the nailer came to bay. "I don't know
anything about it" he declared. "All
I know Is that this young woman slag
.says elle wan woke up by a nolle going
on, and then she went to sleep again,
putting her head under the blankets,
"Gentlemen!" cried the landlord, In
some alarm,
Montgomery stood, his red face some-
what vacant and grinning broadly,
while his sallow faced victim, who bad
got upon his feet, gesticulated and stut-
tered under bis nose with a show of
passion that was not quite English,
and at this moment, when it seemed
as if some retaliation was to be ex-
pected and a fracas precipitated, au
impulse took me, and I myself inter-
vened.
"I think, sir," said I, addressing
Montgomery, "you will admit that you
have used this worthy gentleman very
i11, and If I were you, sir, with your
youth and spirit at m.y back, I would
ask his pardon at once."
On that he stared at me for some sec-
onds, and then, plumping the empty
glass on the table, he broke into a
sheepish laugh.
"All right," be said; "very sorry. I
beg bis pardon," and muttering some
indistinct apologies he resumed his
seat, sitting somewhat silent for a good
time, afterward.
flu be continued.)
JENNIF B1TR: d00�NA�ISt
BY ROBERT BARi .
I1-11 Dinkel Fo(Encoulller.
[Copyright, 1300, by Robert Barr.)
than he is. But I am pleased to tall yon
that the journey he has now finished
will prove greatly to his advantage."
"Indeed, uncle, that is true," said
the young man, looking at his betroth-
ed. "for on this journey I met again
Miss Baxter, whom, to my great grief.
I had lost track of for soine time. And
now, uncle, I want you to do neo a
great favor. Do you know Mr. Bard -
wick, editor of The Daily Bugle?"
"Yes, I know him, but I don't like
him or his paper either."
"Well, neither do the Russians, for
that matter, by this time, and I merely
wish to tell yon that if it hadn't been
for his .[[:tion and for the promptness
of a member of bis staff I should have
failed in this mission. I was drugged by
the Russian police and robbed. Miss
Baxter, who was on the train, saw
something of what was going forward
and succeeded most deftly in despoil-
ing the robbers. I was lying insensible
at the time and helpless. She secured
the document and handed it back to
me when we had crossed the frontier,
leaving in the hands of the Russians a
similar envelope containing a copy of
The Daily Bugle. Therefore, uncle, if
ljniinsagmew
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.'he eld man scribbled a anent Cordial. in-
vitation to Hardwick.
a future yon can do anything to oblige
Mr. Hardwick, yon will help in a meas-
ure to cancel the obligation which our
family owes to him."
"My dear boy, I shall be delighted to
do so. I am afraid I have been rather
uncivil to him. If you 'wish it, I shall
go at once and apologize to him."
"Oh, no," cried Jennie, "yon mustn't
do that, but if you can help him with-
out jeopardizing the service I for one
would be very glad."
"So should I," said Donal.
The old man took out his cardcase
and.on the back of his card scribbled a
most cordial invitation to Hardwick,
asking him to call on him. He banded
this to Jennie and said:
"Tell Mr. Hardwick that I shall be
pleased to see him at any time."
"And now," said Lord Donal, "yon
mast let us both escort you home in the 1
carriage."
"No, )3o. I shall take a hansom and
will go directly to the office of The
Bugle, for Mr. Hardwick will be there
by this time."
"But we can drive yon there."
"No, please."
She hold out her hand to Sir James
and said, with the least bit of hesita-
tion before tittering the last word,
"Good night—uncle."
"Good night, my dear," said the old
man, "and God bless you," he added
with a tenderness which bis appear-
ance, so solemn and stately, left one
unprepared for.
Lord Donal saw his betrothed into a
hansom, protesting all the while At thus
having to allow her to go off unprotect-
ed.
"What an old darling be lel" mur-
inured Jennie, ignoring his protests.
"I think if Mr. Hardwick had allowed
me to look after the interests of the pa-
per at the foreign office Sir James
would not have snubbed me."
"If the foreign office dared to do such
a thing, it would hear of'eomething not
to its advantage from the diplomatic
service. And. Mo, good tixht, say dear."
1906
ana, with ould1Bons, tae nephew repeat- r
ed the benediction of the uncle.
Jennie drove directly to the office of
The Daily Bugle, and mounting the
'Mire entered the editorial rooms. She
found Mr. Hardwick at his desk, and he
sprang up quickly en seeing who his
visitor was,
"Ab, yon have returned!" he cried.
"You didn't telegraph to me; eo I sup-
pose that means failure. ".
"I don't know, Mr. Hardwick. It all
depends on whether or not your object
was exactly what you told me it was."
"And what was that? I think I told
you that my desire was to get possession
of the document which was being trans-
mitted from St. Petersburg to London. "
"No; you said the object was the
mollifying of old Sir James Cardiff of
the foreign office."
"Exactly; that was the ultimate ob-
ject, of course."
"Very well. Read this card. Sir
James gave it to me at Charing Cross
station less than half an hour ago."
The editor took the card, turned it
over in his hands once or twice and
read the cordial message which the old
man had scribbled on the back of it.
"Then yon have succeeded!" cried
Hardwick. "Yon got the document.
Brit why did you give it to Sir James in-
stead of letting me hand it to him?"
"'That is a long story. To put it brief-
ly, it was because the messenger carry-
ing the document was Lord Donal Stir-
ling, who is—who is—an old friend of
wine. Sir James is his uncle, and Lore.
Donal promised that he would persnada
the old man to let other newspapers
have no advantages which he refused,
to Tho Daily Bugle. I did not give the
locnment to Sir James. I gave it bar';
`o Lord Dano! "
Lora Donal. ;among—Lora Meant
Stirling," mused the editor. "Where
have I heard that name before?"
"He is a member of the British em-
bassy at St. Petersburg; so yon may
have seen his name in the dispatches."
"No; he is not so celebrated as all
that comes to. Ah, I remember now ! I
_tet the detective the other night and
asked him if anything had come of that
romance in high life to solve which he
had asked your assistance. He eitid the
:earth for the Missing lady had been
abandoned and mentioned the name of
Lord Donal Stirling as the foolish young
man who had been engaged in the pur-
suit of the unknown."
Jennie colored at this and drew her-
self up indignantly.
"Before you say anything farther
against Lord Donal," she cried hotly,
"I beg to inform yon that he and I are
to be married."
"Oh, I beg your pardon!" said the
editor icily. "Then, having failed to
find the other girl, he speedily consoled
himself by"—
"There was norther girl! I was the
person Mr. Cadbury Taylor was in
search of! I willingly gave him valu-
able aseistance in the task of failing to
find myself. Having only a stupid man
to deal with, I had little difficulty in
accomplishing my purpose. Neither Mr.
Taylor nor Mr. Hardwick ever suspect-
ed that the missing person was in their
own employ."
"Well, I am blessed!" ejaculated
Hardwick-. "So you baffled Cadbury
Taylor in searching for yourself, as you
baffled me in getting hold of the Rus-
sian letter. It seems to me, Miss Bax-
ter, that where your own inclinations
do not coincide with the wishes of your
employers the interests of those who
pay you fall to the ground."
"Mr. Cadbury Taylor didn't pay me
anything for my services as amateur
detective, and he has, therefore, no
right to grumble. As for the St. Peters-
burg trip, I shall send yon a check for
all expenses incurred as soon as I reach
home."
"Oh, you mistake me," asserted Mr.
Hardwick earnestly. "I had no thought
of even hinting that you have not earn-
ed over and over again all the mons!
The Daily Bugle has paid yon; besides,
I was longing for your return, for I
want your assistance in solving a mye-
tery that has rather puzzled us all.
Paris is in a tnrmoil just now over
the"—
Jennie's clear laugh rang out.
"I am going over to Paris in a day
or two, Mr. Hardwick, to solve the
mystery of dressmaking, and I think,
from what I know of it already, it will
require any whole attention. I must in-
sist on returning to you the cost of the
St. Petersburg journey, for, after all, it
proved to bo a rather personal excur-
sion, and I couldn't think of allowing
the paper to pay for it. I merely came
in tonight to hand you this card from
Sir James Cardiff, and I also desired to
tender to you personally my resigna-
tion, and so I must bid yon goodby, Mr.
Hardwick," said the girl, bolding out
her hand, "and I thank you very much
indeed for having given me a chance to
work on your paper."
Before the editor could reply she wall
gone, and that good man sat down in
his chair bewildered by the suddenneeg
of it all, the room looking empty and
dismal, lacking her presence.
"Confound Lord Donal!" he mutter-
ed ander his breath, and then, as as
editor should, be went on impassively
with his night's work.
• • • • • • -
It was intended that the wedding
should be rather a quiet affair, but cir-
cumstances proved too strong for the
yonng people. Lord Donal was very
popular, and the bride was very beauti-
ful. Sir James thought it necessary to
invite a great many people, and he in-
timated to Lord Donal that a highly
placed personage desired to honor the
function with his presence, and thus
the event created quite a little flutter
in society. The Society papers affirmed
that this elevated personage had been
particularly pleased by some diplomatic
service which Lord Donal had recently
rendered him, but then, of course, one
can never believe what one reads in the
society press. However, the men of
elevated rank was there, and so people
said that perhaps there might be memo -
thing in the rumor. Naturally there
was a great turn out of embaseadora
and ministers, aid their presence gave
.ninr and ditrnity to the WW1 01114..
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THE CCNTAUR COMPANY, T7 MC RAY 1TI R . NEW YORII CITY.
: nti FMIAL �.�.�a,+IliL151�Lld,ll ft
t,11!;datl luau
George's, Hanover square. The Prin-
cess von Steinheiner made a special
joirney front Vienna to attend, and on
this occasion she brought the prince
with her. The general opinion was that
the bridegoom was a very noble looking
fellow and that the bride in her sump-
tuous wedding apparel was quite too
lovely for anything.
The princess was exceedingly bright
and gay, and she chatted with her old
friends, the embassadors from Austria
and America.
"I'm so sorry," she said to the em-
bassador from America, "that I did not
have time to speak with yon at the'
Duchess of Chiselllnrst's ball, but I was
compelled to leave early. Yon should
have come to me sooner. The connt here
was much more gallant. Welled a most
delightful conversation, hadn't we,
count? I was with Lord Donal, you re-
member."
"Oh, yes 1" replied the aged Austrian,
, bowing low. "I shall not soon forget
the charming conversation I had with
your highness, and I hope you, on your
part, have not forgotten the cordial in-
vitation you gave me to visit again
your castle at Meran."
"Indeed, count, yon know very well
how glad I am to see you at any time,
either in Vienna or at Meran."
Tho American embassador remained
silent, and glanced alternately from the
bride to the princess with a puzzled ex-
pression on his face.
The mystery of the Duchess of Chisel -
burst's ball proved too much for hint,
as the search for the missing lady had
proved too ranch for Mr. Cadbury Tay-
lor.
aylor.
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There is no preservation withour oust -
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Singing of heaven gives no certainty
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What passes for strong purpose is often
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Sin's Cooseouences
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is the work which GOLD DUST accomplishes. All labors
look alike to the Gold Dust Twins. They clean floors and
doors, sinks and chinks—go from cellar to attic—and leave
only brightness behind. Get acquainted with
Gold Dust Washing Powder
OTHER GENERAL I Scrubb:ne floors, washing clothes and dishes, cleaning weccl-
USES FOR work, oil cloth, silverware and tinware, polishing brass wort:,
COLD DUST cleansing bath room. pipos. etc., and making the finest soft soap.
Made by 7}11; N. If. 1?AIRP 1tK COMPANY, Montreal, P. O.—Makers of FAIRY SOAP.
GOLD DIST snakes bard water aofl
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