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Exeter Advocate, 1913-5-1, Page 2ue of the Garrison; Or, A f"1ysterriou Affair. exult P" 'opU nom ►'w^iF^ie wool r i O VtIpr+r !!A+:w ' CHARM v,'-(Oon•t"d) stood hand-iut-haul looking down aG the I swirled the 'subject of the Heather- illlige ekanpllel imvhchttonoilolad it with:cite fringe of foam, Far away in the ltorth- west the situ glinted upon the high peak of Mount Throston, From where we stood we could see the awoke of the ateamera as they plewed along the busy water- way which leads to Belfast. Is. it not magnificent?" Gleba-lel erten. sleeping her hands round my arm. nh, John, why aye we not free to sail away over these waves together, and leave all our troubles behind us on the sharer "And what are the troubles whieh you would leave behind you, dear surer I asked. "May I not know them, and help • you tobear them?" "I have no secrete from you,. Sohn,," she answered. "Our chief trouble is, ae You may guess, ourpoor father's strange behavior. Ts it not a sad thing for all of us that a man who has played such a distinguiehed part in the world should skulk from ono obscure corner of the country to another, and should defend himself with locks and barriers as though he were a common thief flying from jus- tice? This is a trouble, John, which it is out of your power to alleviate." "But why does he do it, Gabriel?" I asked. "I cannot tell," she answered frankly. "I know only that he imagines some dead- ly danger to he hanging over hie head.. and that this danger was' incurred by him during his stay in India. What its nature may be I have no more idea than you have." "Then your brother has," I remarked. "I am sure from the way to which he spoke to me about it one day that he knows what it is, and. that he leeks upon it as real," "Yes, he knows, and so does. -my mo- ther,", she answered; "but they have al- ways kept it secret from me. My poor father is very excited at present. Day and night he is in an agony of 'appre- honsion, but it will scop be the 5th of October, and after that he will be at peace. How do you know that?" I asked in surprise. "By experience," said he gravely. "On the 5th of October these fears of his come to a crisis. For years back he has been in the habit of locking Mordaunt and my- self up in our rooms on that date, so that we have no idea what occurs; but we have always found that he has been mneh relieved afterward, and has con- tinued to be comparatively in peace until that day began to draw round again." "Then you have, only ten days or so to wait," I rammed, for September was drawing to a oloee. "By the way. dear- est, why is it that you light up all your rooms at night?" "You have noticed it, then?" she said. "It comae also from my father's fears. He does not like to have one dark cor- ner in the whole house. Re walks about e great deal at night, and inspects every- thing, from the attics right down to the cellars. He has large lams in every room and corridor, even the empty ones, and he orders the servants to light them al] at dusk," "I am rather surprised that you man- age to keep your servants," I said, laugh- etonee for fear of exciting her, and site, did not recur to it of her own accord. I was eouvineed, however, from what I had heard from her that she had for some time baok been making her own observe, tions upon our neigh er:0, and that in doing so she had put a considerable strainupon her nerves. 1 could see 'HIM the mere fact of the Hall being iUumiu- 'ttted at night was not enough to account tor . her extreme agitation, and that it must have derived' Its importance in her eyes, from being one in a drain of thee dente, all of which had left e. weird. or unpleasant impression upon her mind. That was the conclusion which I came to at the time, and I have reason to know now that I was right, and that my Meter had even more cause than I had myself for believing that there was something uncanny about the tenants, of Cloombor. Our interest in the Matter may have arisen at first from nothing higher than curiosity; but events soon took a turn which associated us more closely with the fortunes of the Heethorstone family, Mordaunt had taken advantage of my in- vitation to come down to the laird's house, and on several occaeions he brought with him his beautiful sister. The four of us would wander over the Moors together; or, perhaps, if the day were fine, set sail upon our little skiff; and stand off into, the Irish Sea. On such excursions the brother' and sister would be as merry and as happy as two chil- dren. It was a keen pleasure to them to escape from their dull fortress, and to 'shelms, ee, if only for a few hes, friendly and sympathetic faces round them. There oouid be but one result when four young people were brought together in sweet 'forbidden intercourse. ,Acquaintanceship warmed into friendship, and friendship flamed suddenly into love. Gabriel sits beside me now as I write, and she agrees with me that, dear as is the subject to ourselves,, the whole story of our mutual affection is of too personal a nature to be more than touched upon in title state- ment. Suffice it to say that, within a few weeks of our first meeting, Mor - daunt Reatheretone had won the heart of my dear sister, and Gabriel had given me that pledge which death itself will not be able to break. I have alluded in this brief way to the double tie which sprang up between the two families, because I have no wish that this narrative sbou}d degenerate in- to anything approaehing to romance or that I should lose the thread of the facts which I have set myself to ehroniele, These are connected with General Heath- erstone and only indirectly with my own personal history. It is enough if I say that after our engagement the visits to Branksome became more frequent, and that our friends were able sometimes to spend a whole day with us when busi- nese had called the general to Wigtown, or when . his gout confined him to hie room. .As toour good father, he was ever ready to greet us with many small jests appropriate to the occasion; for we had no secrete from him, and he al- ready looked upon us all as his chil- dren. There were times when on account of ing. "The maids in these parts are a some peculiarly dark or resless At of the superstitioue class, and their imagine - general's it was impossible for weeks on tions are easily excited by anything which end for either Gabriel. or Mordaunt to they don't understand. get away from the grounds. The old man 'The cook and both housemaids are would even stand on guard at the av- from London, and are used to our ways. ensue gate, or paoe up and .clown the We pay them on a very high scale to drive, as though he suspected that _ at- snake tip for any inconvenience to : which tempts had been made to penetrate hie they may be 'nut. Israel Stakes, the seclusion. Passing of an evening I have coachman, is the only one who comes seek his dark, grim figure flitting about from this part of the country, and he in the shadow of the trees. or caught a seems to be a stolid, honest fellow, who glimpse of his hard angular face peering is not easily scared." out at me' from behind the bars., My heart "Poor little'.gfrl,'" I exclaimed. looking would often sadden for hurt as I noticed down at the slim, graceful figure by my his unceethnervous movements, his fur- side. "This is no :atmosphere for you to tive glances and twitching features. Who live in. Why will you not let me rescue would have believed that this slinking, you from it? Why won't you allow me cowering creature had once been a dash- to go straight and ask the general for ing officer, who had fought the battles of your hand? At the worst he could only refuse." She turned quite haggard and pale at the very thought. For God's sake, John," she cried earnestly, "do nothing of the kind. lie would whip us all away in thedead of the night, and within a week we should be eettling down again in acme wilderness where we might never have a chance of seeing or hearing from you again. Besides, he never would for- give us for venturing out of the grounds." "I don't think that he is hard hearted man," I remarked. "I have seen a kindly look in his eyes, for all his stern face," "He can be the kindest of fathers," she answered. "But he is terrible when op- posed or thwarted. You have never seen him so, and I trust you never will. It was that strength of will and impatience of opposition which made him such a splendid officer. I assure you that in India every one thought a great deal of him. The soldiers were afraid of him but they would have followed him any. where." "And had he these nervous attacks then?" "Occasionally; but not nearly do acute- ly, He seems to think that the danger— whatever it may be --becomes more inimin- ent every year. Oh, John, it is terrible to be waiting like this with a ,sword over our heade—and all the more terrible to me since I have no idea' where the blow is to come from." "Dear Gabriel," I said, taking her hand and 8rawing her to my side, 'look over all this peedea t _ellptr aid$$ n�.d ,t,hgg broad bide sea. s it not al1 pedceful unit 'ti,'r t'f1 E .2n thews eeletag$0, With their red tiled roofs peeping out from the gray moor, there live none but simple God-fearing men, who toil hard at their crofts and bear enmity to no man. With- in seven miles of ue is a large town, with every civilized appliance for the pres- ervation of order. Ten miles farther there is a garrison quartered, and a tele- gram would at any time bring down a company of sildiers. Now, I ask you, dear, in the name of common sense, what conceivable danger could threaten you in this eecluded neighborhood, with the I means of help so near? You assure me Dr. Easterling, of Stranraer that the peril is not connected with your father's health?" "No, I am sure of that. 'et is true that ,hoe been over e to see him once or twice, but that was merely for some amall indisposition, I can assure you that the danger is not to be looked for in that direction." "Then X eau assure you," said I,• laugh- FRP augh- g"""I 1!!R ii "°! i i+, ON 7 - ink, "that there is no danger at all, 11 must be soma strange r luolnation. No other hI the facts." Would my father's monomania ere count for the fact of my brother's hair being' turned gray and me mother°'wast- ing away to a mere shadowt" Undoubtedly," X 'answered. "Tho long - continued worry of the general's rest- leeriness and irritability 'would produce those effects ,en sensitive natures," "No, no," said she, shaking her head sadly, "X have been exposed to his rest- leesness attd .irritability, but They have had no such effect upon me. The differ. enc, 'between us lies in the fact that they know tine awful secret and wa do not," "M dear girl,', said I, "the dye of Wally apparitions and that kind of thing are gone. Nobody is haunted now'a-days, se we can put that supposition out of the question. ' Having. done to, what re- mains? There is absolutely no other theory which could even be suggested. Believe mo, the whole mystery is that the heat of Ladle hire bees too niuch for your poor father's brain," What the would have answered I can, net tell, for at that moment she gave a Start as if Some Sound had fallen upon her ear. As the looked round approhen- lively I suddenly saw her features Tie, come rigid and her eyes fixed and dilated. Following the directlen ' of her gaze, X felt a sudden thrill of fear bass through Ire ate I perceived a human face Survey- ing us from' behind one of the trees ---a This country and had won the palm of bravery among the host of brave men around him? • In spite of the old soldier's vigilance, we managed to hold communication with our friends. Immediately behind the Hall there was a spot where the fencing had been deo carelessly 'erected that two of the rails could be removed without difficulty; leaving a broad gap, which gave us the. opportunity for many a stolen interview, though they were necessarily short, for the general's movements were erratic, and no part of the grounds was secure from his visitations. How vividly one of these hurried, meet- ings rises before me! It stands out clear, peaceful and distinct amid the wild, mys- terious incidents which were destined to ,lead up to the terrible catastrophe which has cast a shade over our lives. X can remember that as. I walked through the fields the grass was damp with the rain of the morning,' and the air.was heavy with the smell of the fresh :turned earth. Gabriel w.ae waiting for me ander the hawthorn tree outside the gap, and we ^c�rl�g .puy - ez/r;tAie;iloo, ,seers.. It's the CLEANEST, SIMPLEST, and BEST HOME DYE. ono can buy --Why you don't even hove to know whet JCD2D of Cloth yOurGoods are made of. -..So Mistakes are Impossible° Send for Free Color Card, Story .Booklet, end Booklet civingreeults of Dyeing over other color.. Tho JOHNSON-RICHAItDSON CO., Limited, Moat; cal. Canada. TOY STEAM ENGINE has blued steel bet, ler and fire box, fit- ted with steam whistle, safety valve and single wick epirit burner. Pol• Jelled brass fittings, Almost one foot high. Send ns your name and address and we will send you 30 este of Scenic, Floral, Greeting and other postcards to Bell at 111 Dents a Set (six 'beautiful etude" in oath set). When sold Bend no the money, and we will send you the engine, all •ehergcs' prepaid, Write to-deee dM' dreier a'tOM R.WARlligNl 00. Dokitr, 12t3i 'i ommot r "S ALABA14 Fresh from the 'Choicest Gardens of Ceylon. Sold in sealed lead packets to preserve its goodness. Bieck, Mixed and Green. 0133 face every .feature of which • was distort- ed by the most malignant hatred and auger, Finding himself observed he step- ped out and advaneed toward us, when I saw that it was none other than the general himself. His beard was all a bristle with fury, and his deep-set eyes glowed from under their' heavily veined lids with a most sinister and demouical brightness. CHAPTER VI. "To your room, girl!" he cried in a hoarse, barsh voice, stepping in .between us and pointing authoritatively toward the house. He waited until -Gabriel, with a last frightened glance at me, had passed through the gap, and then he turned upon me with an expression so murder- ous that I stepped baok a pace or two, and tightened my grasp upon my oak stick, "You•—you—" lie sputtered, with his hand up to his throat, asthough his fury. were choking him, 'You have dared to• intrude upon my privacy i Do you think I built this fence that all the vermin in thecountry aright congregate round it! Oh, you have been very near your death, my fine fellow! lot will never be nearer until your time comes. Look at this!" He pulled a squat, think pistol out of leis bosom. "If you had Dossed through that gap and set foot on my land I'd have let daylight into you. I'll have no vaga- bonds here! I know how to treat gentry of that sort, whether their faces are black or white," "Sir,". said I, "I meant no harm by coming here, and I do not know how I have deserved this extraordinary out - buret. Allow me to observe, however, that' you are still covering me with your pietol, and that, as your hand is rather tremulous, it is more -than possible that it may go off. If you don't turn the muzzle down" I shall be compelled in self- defense elfdefense to strike you over the wrist with my stick." What brought you here, then?" ,he asked in a more composed voice, potting his weapon back into his .bosom, "Can't a gentleman live quietly without year coming to peep and pry,? Have you no business of your own to look after, eh? And my daughter? how came you to know anything of her? and what have you been trying to squeeze out of herP It wasn't chance that brought you here." No," said I boldly, "it was Ifot chance which brought ma here I have had sev- eral opportunities of seeing your daugh- ter and of appreciating her many noble qualities. We are engaged to be married to each other, and I' came up with the express' intention of "seeing her."' Instead of blazing into a fury, as I had expected., the general gave a long whistle of astonieruinvent, and then leaned up against the railings, laughing softly to himself. English terriers are fond ' of playing with worms," he remarked at last. "When. we used to bring them out to India they used to trot off into the jungle and be. gin sniffing at what they imagined to be worms there. But the worm turned out to be a venomous snake, and so poor doggy paid the penalty. I think' you'll find yourself in a somewhat analogous position if you,don't look out." "You surely don't mean to cast an aspersion upon your own daughter?" I said, flushing with indignation. "Oh, Gabriel is all right," he answered carelessly. "Our family is not exactly one, however, which I should recommend a young fellow to marry into.. And ,pray how is it that I was not informed of this snug little arrangement of yours?" "We were afraid, sir, that you might sep- arate us," I replied, feeling that perfect candor' was the best policy under the cir- cumatanees, "It is possible that wewere mistaken. Before -coming to any final de- cision I implore you to remember that the happiness of both of us is at stake. It is in your power to divide our bodies, but our souls shall be forever united." "My good fellow," said the general, in , a not unkindly tone, "you don't know what you are asking for. There is' a gulf between you andany one of the bloodof heatheratone which can never be bridged over." All trace of anger had vanished now from his manner, and given place to an air of somewhat contemptuous amusement. My family pride took fire at his. words. "Tho gulf may. be less than you imagine," I said coldly. "We are not clodhoppers because we live ill this out-of-the-way place. I' am of noble descent on oIle` side, and my mother was a Buchan of Buchan. I assure you that there is no euoh dis- parrlt8 L between uta as you Seem to im- }a t "rut misunderstand me," the general answered. "It is on our side that the disparity lies. There are reasons why my daughter Gabriel should live and die single. It would not be to your advant- age to marry her." But surely, sire' I persisted, "I am the best judge of my own interests and ad- vantages. Since you take this ground all becomes easy; for I do aeeure you that the one interest which overrides all other° is that I should have the woman T' love for my wife. If this is your only object tion to''our lnatcJi, you may surely give us your consent,' for any danger or trial which X may incur in marrying Gabriel will not weigh with me one feather- weight" Here's a young bantam!" exclaimed the old soldier, smiling at my warmth. it's easy to defy danger when you don't know what the danger is." "What is it, then?" I asked, hotly. "There is no earthly peril which will drive me from Gabriel's, side. Let me. know what it is and test ate." "No, no. That would never do," he an- swered with a sigh, and then, thought- fully, as if' speaking his mind -aloud. "He has 'plenty of pluck, and Is a weir'., grownae use of him." might hwent on than ling to hiniveIf with a vacant stare in. his eyes as if he had forgotten, my pres- enco. "Look here, West," he said presently. "You'll excuse me if I spoke hastily a lit- tle time ago. It is the second time that NA" FIELI-CO LAXATIVES are entirely different from• others both in their compost tion and their effect -complete evacuation without purging or..... discomfort, 250;a box at your druggist's. iteriONM. nand AND DHfl4ICAL or CANADA, JMIre°. • tos On the Farm Depth to Plant Potatoes. The depth at which potatoes should be planted is a matter of considerable importance, and 'one upon which much difference of opin- ion exists, -writes Mr. E. Sandsten, Some growers • advocate shallow planting, and others just as strong- ly favor deep planting. That there must be a depth at which the high- est yield may be obtained seems reasonable, This depth will un- doubtedly vary with difference in weather Conditions, consequently any . investigation along this line should be Carried on for several years in order to obtain ,reliable data. An experiment was made at Iron River, Wis,, on sandy soil of rattier open texture, to get some in- formation on this point,' The ground was plowed in the fall and giver} a dressing of ma- nure at the rate of ten loads per acre in the spring. This was disked into the ground thoroughly before planting. The land was nicely leveled before plantingby' means of a drag. Twenty-one. rows run- ning. north and south, were -plant- ed, .each r_ ow'three feet apart. The potatoes were planted with a planter in order, as follows At four inches deep, four' rows, At six inches deep,four rows. At eight inches, four rows. At four inches deep, three rows. At six inches deep, three rows. At eight inches deep, three rows. In this way any possible lack of uniformity of soil was Fo a great extent neutralized. The same gen- eral slope obtained for all the field. making the conditions similar for all the rows. The potatoes plant- ed at four inches came up first, -those at six inches second, while the rows planted at eight inches came up last. There was -a differ- ence of about two days between each set. The set planted at four inches grew fastest and produced. somewhat stockier vines. The deep- est planting was not quite as good a stand, although the difference was not very great. Exactly the same treatment as to cultivating, spraying, etc., was given to all the rows. No weeds were Allowed to grow, and the beetles were killed before they did any material damage. The drop was dug the latter part of September,. with the following 'results the po- tatoes planted four inches deep yielded at the rate of 140 bushels per acre; the six-inch depth' yield- ed at the —rate of 124 bushels per acre, and the eight -inch depth', 102 bushels per acre. - From this it would seem that six inches would be the maximum depth at which to -plant potatoes. Liming. the Soil. Nothing in agricultural science or practice may be mentioned with. more assurance than the beneficial effect oflime on easily puddled, stiff clay soils. This is so nearly a matter of common knowledge, the wonder is that anyone will worry along with such soils year after year,: and even from one generation to another while the possible in- crease in yield in a single year will often pay for the necessary lime. Lime may improve loose sandy soils by making them more compact and more retentive of moil -blue. Forthis purpose some form of car- bonate of lime is usually recom- mended, and in . much smaller quantities than for clay soils. Clay soils will 'stand moxa lime and, for almost every purpose, require mc,: lime than san217 sods. The impro ie- ment of sandy soils will often be Bauch grater wif the lime is applied to a green crop turned under. Lime hastens the conversion of the vege- table matter into humus, and this. with the lime helps to fill the open spaces between the sand grains. It is claimed by those who have given much attention to light sandy soils that there are no other types of soils that will respond quite so readily to liming, provided the nec- essary vegetable matter is sup- plied. tI. Ce÷Athay ,-4140 4772.140.4./0-14."44 $8yeot i. rea : :Wanted. 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Thus, all one has to do is to, place the black centre of the blazing circle of light over the heart of an adversary* and pull the trigger. A word to the wise is sufficient, unless the man is too wise. It Rept on Ringing. He was not a veryrapidwooer >) end she was getting a bit anxious. -A persistent ring came at the, front door. "Oh, bother 1" she. said, "who can be. Galling?" "Say you're out," he suggested.) "Oh, no, that would be untrue,"i ' she protested. "Then say you are engaged," he/ urged. • "Oh, may 1, Charlie?" .elle cried, as she fell into his arms. And the man kept on ringing the front door bell. Information Wanted. "Eat what you like," advises Dr.) Woods Hutchinson. But will the doctor be kind enough to tell us how to first get what we like to eat I For D I ST E tp gA r- E F Pink Eye, Epislootle. Shipping C 1l7@ Fever and Catarrhal Fever - Sure cure and positive preventive, no matter how horses at any age aro infected or "exposed." 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I have had occasion to apologize to yen for tho same offense It shan't occur again. I am rather oven particular, no doubt, in my desire for' complete isola- tion; but I have good reasons for insist- ing on the point. Rightly or wrongly, I have got it into my head that some day there might bo an organited raid upon My grounds. If anythlcg of the 'port should occur I suppose I might I'eekou ripen Your assistatloeP" "With all my heart." "So that if ever you got a mcseage such: as 'dome up,' or even simply CloomberI' you would know drat it wee an appear for help, and rvould flurry, , up immedi- ately, anon if it were in the' deadof the night?" "Most certainly 1r shred!," 1 aneweretl,' "But migiit X eek you what the datura of the danger is whicif you apprehend?" ('1'o be continued,) - is C.c Free of all Charge, Thiel guaranteed gold-plate clock will be given free of all charges to any girl or. lady who will sell 40 sets of Scenic, Floral.' 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