The Brussels Post, 1886-5-14, Page 2s
2
the floor,
VTORN TO SILENCE Aline's heart seemed beating in her
1 throat almost to suffocation. She
se crouched upon the floor, her young face
pale as death, her sweet oyes wild with
horror of she knew not what invisible
evil that was approaching her with
swift, cat -like movements across the
usr sear 3. AIX:. lilfon4I"11 1"1""'", aimless floor. Was it ghost or human?
w'xuon or she asked herself, fearfully.
"F.aurel :'cue;' °loads oar's )Pride," Orcuching there, a little crumpled.
Ulue heap in e darkness, fearin
thg to
ALINE RODNEY'S SECRET,
Cwe tar- breathe lest hor presence might be be.
tray ed by even that stifled sound, Aline
of its interior has not satisfied you. Do summoned courage to draw aside the
you care to examine any of the other lightest fold of the curtain to form a
rooms ?" tiny aperture through which, herself un -
They were walking slowly along, side soon, she might ace who or what had
by side on the echoing floor of the wide, eutered the darkened, drawly, deserted
marble -paved hall, and Aline had just Parlor,
an- Curiosity, our little heroine's besetting
opened her lips to sneak, but her
swer, whether negative or affirmative, sin, had not deserted her sot, despite
will never bo recorded. It was frozen her fear and terror.
on hex lips by a terrible interruption.
She gazed fearfully through the tiny
crevice in the curtain; and it was only
by the exercise of a strong will power
that she prevented herself from crying
out aloud.
A little, dwarf -like, misshapen wine-
thiny, clothed in trailing garments like a
woman, was approaohiug the alcove
steadily and swiftly, as if guided by the
marring instinct of hate and murder to
the hiding place of its prey. Tho
crooked, hideous form was clothed with
rich white satin and lace, all soiled and
frayed as if from a terrible struggle, for
there were wet and gory blood drops all
spattered down the deep flounces of
white lace that adorned the front breadth
of the robe.
Over a monstrous head, covered with
rough matted locks of coarse black hair
was thrown a long and splendid bridal
veil of costly Brussels lace, and this,
too, was soiled and tattered like the
bridal robe. There was no face visible,
for a mask was worn above it—a hor-
rible mask of thick black crape ; and
Aline shuddered as she thought of the
distorted features it hid, for the narrow
slits for the eyes were not out in a level
lino below the brows, but by some
dreadful freak of nature the eyes of the
creature were placed one below the
brow, the other far down upon the
cheek, and in this distorted form they
glared through the holes of the mask
like the yellow orbs of a tigress filled
with the spirit of destruction.
But these monstrous, baleful eyes
were not all that struck terror to Alines
'heart as she knelt there, shuddering in
the semi.darkness of the death-trap into
which she had blindly rushed.
The long, skinny claw-like hand of the
creature presented a yet more terrible
aspect to hor straining gaze, for the
long white kid glover that covered than
were stained with crimson gore, and one
band grasped a slender, jewel -hilted
dagger, from whose shining blade drip-
ped human blood!
The wild instinct of self-preservation
blazed up in Aline's heart. She thought
of the beautiful, sunny world outside
this horrible haunted house, auci the
fierce desire for life flamed up within
hor. Should she die here like some wild
thing naught in a trap, without an effort
to escape ?
She sprung to her feet and made a
desperate rash past that horrible
creature towards the door, but tho foot-
steps of hate were swifter even than
those of fear. Even as she tore open
the door she felt the sharp clutch of
cruel fingers on her arm, she was whirled
violently backward, and the murderous
dagger, already red with human gore,
Bashed in the creature's hand, and the
next instant sheathed itself in Aline's
breast. She fell across the door -sill,
and lay motionless in a pool of her own
spurbiug life -blood.
The strange, brooding stillness that
reigned throughout the great, gray -stone
mansion, was broken startlingly by a
loud, prolonged shrink—a shriek of such
terrible, diabolic blood -curdling rage and
hate, that it seemed to freeze the blood
in Aline's veins, and to cause everyindi-
vidual hair to stand erect upon her head
with horror.
Instinctively she threw out her hand,
and clntching Mr. Delaney's arm, stared
up into Mr. Delaney's face with wide,
terrified blue eyes, like a child's appeal-
iug for protection.
The shriek was repeated, followed by
another and another, each more terrible
that the last. Those fearful cries struck
terror to Aline's heart. She could not
determine whether they issued from
male or female lips. It seemed to her
frenzied fancy as if they did not belong
to a human being, but rather to some
vicious and diabolical spirit of the nether
world. It
"was neither man nor woman,
It was neither brute nor human,
"Twee a ghoul."
CHAPTER IV.
As those wild, unearthly cries rang
through the house, Oran Delaney stood
for a moment like ono rooted to the
floor. His fare had whitened to the
ghastliness of death, a smouldering fire
trashed from his splendis4 dark eyes, he
ground a fierce, smothered imprecation
between his strong, white teeth.
"What is it ? Oh 1 Mr. Dulaney,
what is it?" shuddered Aline, clinging
convulsively to his arm.
He started, and looked down at the
sweet, white facie, with its frightened
blue eyes and chattering teeth. He did
not answer, for again that dreadful,
diabolical shriek of sugar, frightening
all the sleeping echoes into hideous
mind. rang through the house :
Ah—h--h 1"
This time it sounded nearer, as if the
ghostly utterer wore col 'ng rapidly
uponthe scene. Horxor flashed from
Urcn, Delaney's oyes.
With a sudden, swift, abrupt move-
ment ha shook the little, clinging bands
from his sleeve, and moved towards the
grand stairway that led to the upper
regions of tho house.
With his foot upon the stair, ho turned
and looked back, pierced by the low, re-
proachful wail of fear and pain that
buret from Aline's lips.
He saw the beautiful, graceful figure
of the girl standing in the dark, gloomy
hall, lightiug its gloom with her beauty,
like a flower or a star.
Like ono distraught, he waved kis
hand to her.
"Fly, fly!" be shouted hoarsely.
"Lose not a. moment 1 To linger in this
place means dewier" Thee he new np
the wide and winding stairway as if his
feet were winged, and the girl, whose
own wilfuifolly and onriosity had brought
her to this pass, stood like one rooted
to the spot, filled with trembling and
horror.
She knew not where to fly. She was
in the centre of a long, dark hall, with
doors opening into rooms on either hand
and at either end. Through one of
these latter doors she had come with
Oran Delaney to the dining -room, but to
save hor life she could not have told
which one. Ob, how horrible it was
standing there, with those strange
shrieks ringing in her ears, and feeling,
with a strange despair in her heart,that
Oran Delaney had fled from her like a
coward, and left her to perish of this
mysterious, unknown danger, rushing
nearer and nearer 1
"Ah—h-h 1 Ah—h—h !" again rung
shrilly in her frightened hearing, and,
impelled by maddening fear, and,
sprung wildly forward and rushed to one
of those wide hall doors, which she
hoped would give her egress from this
horror -haunted house, into sunshine and
security again.
She reached out her white hand
gropingly for the door -knob, opened and
lied through it as if punned by a legion
of fiends. It swung to heavily behind
her, and her feet sunk deep into the
velvet pilo of a fine, rich carpet like
• softest moss. She was in the long and
lofty parlors, where the dust lay thick
upon the linen covers of the costly
furniture, and the gleaming mirrors and
splendid paintings were curtained from
sight. A cry of despair escaped her lips
as she realized the truth.
"It was the wrong door. I must re-
trace my steps," she thought ; but even
as she laid he hand upon the knob she
was startled by those hideous screams
again—this time they seemed to come
from the hall itself, and with a stifled
exclamation Aline darted into the our-
tained alcove of a bay -window and let
the Heavy draperies of velvet and
brocade fall heavily around her. She
had scarcely done so before a hand
turned the doer -knob softly, something
swished through the door, it closed
again, and she was conscious of an alien
presence in the room. She could hear
distinctly a heavy, muffied breathing,
THyl tiliirs:•i'- l:`ti SL',
had not quite killed hor 1
She made no answer, for Oran Dela-
ney moved quickly away, giving piece
to the masked physioiau. :The nurse
brought a basin of water, sponges, and
linen, and he deftly bathed and droned
the wound, gazing curiously, now and
then, at the beautiful, frightened face
of his pationt, who lay still as death,
with only a smothered moan, now and
then, instantly stifled ou her pale,
almost ley, lips.
"I will bo as gentle as I can," he said
to hex kindly, but Aline did not speak,
She had closed hor oyes and relapsed
nto unconsciousness.
When she unclosed them again, the
masked physician was gone. She was
alone with the quiet, grave -looking nurse
in the slimly lighted room. A sensation
of fear oamo over her. Why was she
kept in this mysterious house with this
strange woman? Where was her
mother ?
She looked at the stranger, and asked,
anxiously
"Am I in Mn Delaney's house 2"
The woman gave her a quiet, atHrma-
tivo nod in reply,
"And mamma—have you sent for
her 2" inquired Aline.
"You must not talk, my dear," an-
swered the woman, soothingly.
"You have not answered my question,
and 1 want mamma, I must have her 1"
Aline cried oub, in her imperious young
voice, for she had forgotten her fear of
her mother's angor in her terror at the
mysteries surrounding her. Oh, to be
back under the safe little roof of the
cottage that nestled under the shadow
of this frowning mansion, to fling hor
arms around her mother's neck, con-
fessing her folly and pleading for for-
giveness.
"You do not answer mo," she said,
after waiting vainly for answer from the
quiet nurse. "Tell mo, why am I de-
tained in this house 2"
"You ought to know how yon camp
to be here, miss," the woman answered,
almost sullenly. "As for the rest, you
axe seriously wounded, and not able to
be moved."
"Then you should have sent for my
mother," said Aline, with pretty per.
omptory dignity. "She will be dread-
fully frightened at my absence. Let
some one bring her to me at once."
"Let us wait until to -morrow, dear,"
said the nurse, persuasively.
"I cannot wait," said the girl, uneasi-
ly, and with an unntterableyearning at
hor heart for the mother whom she had
so often grieved by hor follies and wil-
fulness. "Where is Mr. Delaney ? Go
and send him here. Steely ho will lot
me have mamma."
Tho woman glided softly out, and
Aline, left alone in the strange room
with its shadowy, corners and dimly
burning lamp, shuddered with fear.
What if that dreadful, murderous crea-
ture should return and finish her work 1
"I shall die hero miserably, and never
see mamma and home again. Oh, how
terribly am I punished for my thought-
lessness and folly 1" wept Aline, filled
with bitter repentance.
The door unolosed, and Oran Delaney
walked slowly into the room, followed
by the nurse, who sat clown discreetly
at a distance from the bedside of her
troublesome pationt.
He turned up the dim, flaring night -
lamp so that its fall light fell on Aline's
beautiful, pale, distressful fade. He had
removed the disfiguring mask that hid
his features from the masked physician,
and hie dark face looked atom and
pallid and troubled.
"You sunt for me ?" he asked, in his
grave quiet voice.
"I want mamma," she answered, like
a child.
His slender, straight, dark brows met
in a slight frown.
"Miss Rodney, you must not excite
• yourself. I cannot answer for the con-
sequences if you do," he said.
"I am not excited, I am quite calm ;
but I want mamma. Will you not bring
her to me'?" she pleaded.
He laid his warm, strong hand gently
for a moment on the dimpled little
white ones that lay outside the silken
counterpane.
My child, I am very sorry,•but—I
canna," he answered, slowly.
CHAPTER V.
The town -clock of Chester clanged
the midnight hour out heavily from its
hoarse, brazen throat—twelve!
Aline opened her blue eyes languidly
—they were heavy, as if weighed down
with lead—and looked about her.
They fell upon a scene utterly new
and strange to her.
She was lying on a downy, rosewood
couch, with draperies of pale blue sill'
and snowy lace, in the centre of a large
mud high -celled room bung with genre
silk, the elegant rosewood furniture
being upholstered in the same lovely
material. Everything about her breath-
ed of unlimited wealth and taste, and
the sweet aroma of flowers floated de-
lightfully through the beautiful apart,,
meat from the delicate vases on the
mantel, which had been filled with the
choicest wealth of the garden by a lay.
ish and unsparing hand.
"She revives, doctor," said a woman's
voice.
Aline lifted her eyes quickly. An
elderly, grave -faced woman had come
forward to the bedside, and was bend-
ing curiously over her. She was &eased.
in a nurse's cap and apron, and had a
kind, though homely looking face.
"Who are you, and where am I ?"
asked Aline, gazing at this strange face
in bewilderment.
'Hush, my dear 1 You are sick, and
must not talk," answered the nurse, with
a slight frown.
She moved aside, and Aline saw two
men behind her. A cry of fear broke
from her lips, Both wore masks upon
their faces; but, in the tall, well -keit
figure of the foremost ono, she recog-
nized Oran Delaney.
Ho came forward and bunt over Aline,
whispering, hurriedly;
"Miss Rodney, I beg you, as a special
favor, to keep silence a little while. Say
nothing to this stranger of How you
came by your wound."
Her wound.? She gave a start, and
memory tushed over her. Shovels con-
. oolong, toe, of a sharp, stinging pain in
her breast, and the clothing upon it,
she perceived, was stiff and red with
clotted blood. So that horrible creature
and tho" rustle of drapery trailed osier '
111Ar 14, 1586,
i. -URON AND 1313H1 !l'S`r'OAl TAIL I)II1N(i'.
CO. The unciursigued bogs leave to intimate
to the public that he has Opened a tenor
shop in the tlarllold house bloulc, over
Powell'" store, where he is prepared to at-
tend io the wants of the public in cutting,
fitting and enticing clothing in the latest
and swat feshimlable styles. Dry long (ea
perinea together with it course of instruc-
tion under one of the host critters in Torou'
to is a guet'autoe of being able to do satis-
factory wont. Satisfaction guaranteed,
;Sri -Dat Ci. A. 115511.
Loan 8(. Investment
Thi•sCompauyis Loaning Money
on Farm Security at LOWEST MUSS
of interest.
M01t'1'GAQES 1'UROIIASED.
SAYINGS D:1NIC ltltANC1t.
3, 4 and i per cent. ,interest Al-
lowod on Deposits, according to
amount and thin) hilt.
MONEY TO LENI),
Any aummct of Money to Loan on
Fui'lli or Village property at
U11zcl:.--011 corner of illarket (i & (i3' PER CENT. YEARLY.
Square and North street, Goderieh'
Straight Loans with privilege of
Horace Horton, repaying wntl1 1'equirecl. Apply
tlodorich,Ang.btb,188b
MANAGES, to
MONEY TO LOAN.
1 A ticneyto °aa°' arm reports at
LOWL'hT BATES.,
•
PRIVATE ANC COMPANY
W. B. DICKSON,
Solicitor,
Brussels,
A. HUNTER,
Division Court Clerk, Brussels.
]3IWSSELS PUMP WORKS.
The undersigned bogs to inform the public
that they have manufactured and ready
FUNDS for use
PUMPS OF ALL ii&N 1S
WOOD Si IRON.
Ont.
Cisterns of
Any dimension.
Money to Loan.
PRIVATE FUJVDS.
20,000,
ofPr,vaterundshavoj ustboeu pladecl in
s moot
ENT.
•loansoompleto
E. E. lF�ADE.
mybandsfor Iuve t
AT7PER C
Borrow ars c an have tit ei i
in three dal s if title is satisfactory
Apply to
CLOCKS:
'WATCHMAKING.
s„
OZast„ I,
'.Cho undersigned takes pleasure in in
forming the people of Ethel and snrroati,l
ing country that ho hits opened a shop
where ho is prepared to attend to the ro=
pairing of at lay New Brick Woolen Mill,
Watches, Clocks; Jewelry, Etc., told promise to give Satisfaction
GATES OF ALL SIZES.
CLOTHES REl'1LS
of a superior construction. Examine our
stook before purchasing elsewhere. A Call
solicited. We aro Mao Agents for
31(I)Ouyall'a ('ulehl'ttied Windmill.
Wilson tot. Pelton,
Shop Opposite P. Scott's Blacksmith Shop.
P. S. --Prompt attention paid to all re-
pairing of Pumps, sac.
Brussels Woolen Mills,
I beg to inform the farming com-
munity that I am now prepared to
take in
Carding,
Spinning
And Weaving,
to those favoring us with their
In a manner that will give the
heel ofsntts•
faction.trade. nave oil hand and will
All ork guaranteed to be done in a lisop constantly in stock a full as.
satisfactory manner or no charge sortment of •
made. A eall solicited.
—Shop opposite Robertsons EIotel,Ethel.—
�I, Doig.
C01\0013TABLE HOUSE St'0.3
sate.—Tito limpet ty 113located 011 Tbomua
street. Thorn is one acre of splenoid land,
She tore her small hand violent!y well fenced, with young orchard, 8,c. There
from his clasp, and looked at him with c,, y tls'1oOtvlyuu i+l*ai srtt' viii 10 eon ll fro e
the dignity of a suddenly awakened se50. x2600 to bo paid down and the balance to
womanhood flashing into her fair young suit m� u eserAPM. F'orPrnil t'artietoars apply to
face. A'LL1'. IiUNTII [t, 7lrueao]s.
"Mr. Delaney, surely 1 have mis- so -die
understood •you," she said. "You do
not mean that youwill let me lie here
suffering, dying, and refuse to bring my
friends to me 2"
"Dying? Oh, no, it is not so bad as
Haat," he said, almost ehudderingly.
"You hove only a flesh wound, Mimi
Rodney. With patience on your part,
nd good nursing from Tylia. (*mon nero,
you will be quite sure to recover."
"And in the meantime ?" she asked,
with a wistful meaning in her voice
that he could not affect to miaunder.
stand.
He turned his head aside, disconcert -
"In
AibMAN61880111'L', 1886.
cid, perhaps, by the steady gaze of blue 7�4•Lel)lonl anti l�ttebCr, ,SCTl'LCC'.
oyes. Prom it Quebec
in rho meantime, Mr. Delaney 2"
she repeated, in a slightly raised vela.
He turned toward her again, and
answered, abruptly, almost sternly:
"I hope they will not bo seriously
alarmed about ou, Miss Rodney, for it
is quite impossi le for me to make any
communication to them regarding your
whoroabouta."
ALLAN LINE.
ROYAL MAIL STEAMSHIPS.
TO LIVERPOOL,
Et0.RRY,
9
Steerage,
a n,, (4i�itego Idyl-mown,
oaroSelfeat to ogi,oboo
and always as low ashy any first -ohm hue,
CHAPTE,it, VI.
A cry of reproach, astonishment, and
dismay came from Alino'Aslips.
"You will not bo so cruel," she cried.
"What have I done to you that you
should punish me so ?"
"I do not moan to punish you, Miss ,7. Q�irr :l al Y:T AGENT,
Rodney. On the contrary, I am ex- I At the Post Office, llrussais
aeodingly sorry that I ;cannot grant I
From Livarpeot
Nridoy, +\pr• 28. Circassian Friday May 14,
J,'ltut'ad'p, An. N. Polynesian Thursd'y SLay 20,
P.Luradav,1day 0. Parisian 'Thursday tray 117.
Friday, Utty 1.4. Sarmatian Friday June 5,
Thursday, Slay 20. Sardinian •Thursd y dim, 10.
FridayS4afy 29 Friday riday. lt.o 18,
Thursd } un. 8. Polynesia„ Thurs'ty;7un. 25,
'Ph n red+ amt. 10, Pariaimt Thnrsd'y 'Till!), 1,
FrSartiuhsdy'
Tlaurstlny,Jun 24,di,i Tsil010.
Oho last train annnacilnit ivltlt rho steamer
at Quebec leaves Toronto«'aduesdays at 8.00
p.m.
Passengers cal, leave Wednesdays 55 8:00
Portland and connect
oThursdayltiuntil op pu g er of
navigation at gticboo on 14111 of kitty, at soma
rates.
Mail Steamers el111he 4lllan Lino triad on the
Far Hollers and Dortha sod every informa.
.tion apply to
CLOTHS, TWEEDS,
FLANNELS, DRTIGGITS,
BLANKETS,
KNITTED GOODS,
DRESS GOODS,
YARNS,
Cotton Shirtings, Gray Cottons,
&e., &c.
FINE
CANADIAN
TWEEDS
PCG72tl Tb!s c,,,nd%, Se7g'G'.S
for Suits which we will get maria
up on short notice and a good fit
warranted every time.
Highesi. market price
-PAID FOR—
Mater, Egg, Vic,
GIVE ME A CALL
at my Now Mills before going else-
where.
Geo. Howe,