The Brussels Post, 1886-5-28, Page 6+SWO iN TO. SILENCE ;
on,
ALINE RODNEY'S SECRET.
By nxxce. Baa is x, ARaYxsaGRR PLnxR E,xs`ity
suanoa or
x.nnrel. Vane,. "Lady LSny' i 1 1do."
etc., etc.
slightest clew enols Ue MUM to sue
mystery. Add to this that the missing
girl had been a general favorite, loved
for her winning ways, and admired for
her beauty, and you may form came
idea of how Aline Rodney was missed
and mourned.
Tho panic only booamo greater as
days went by, and there came no tidings
of her fate. People were frightened.
Young girls shivered in their rooms by
day and by night. What if a like fate
should befall them ?
Mrs. Rodney's grief and remorse were
extreme. The thin crust of pride and
dignity molted around .her heart, and
the realized that she bad been hard and
stern to the lost ono. She blamed her.
self as the cause of Aline's flitting, and
her self-reproach was most bitter.
When proud, hard natures molt, no one
can calculate the effect. Mrs. Rodney's
sorrow and remorse completely pros-
trated hex. She became seriously ill,
and her physician declared that there
was no telling how her low, nervous
fever would end, unless her terrible
suspense could be broken by news of
her lost daughter.
Those wore weary days for the
Rodney's. Effie was wretched, her
mother ill, Mr. Rodney worn to a
shadow, and little Max's grief mimes.
ing. They began to realize what a sun.
beam in the house had been the bright.
eyed girl whom they had blamed so
often. Now, when she was worse than
dead to them, mamma and Effie began
to realize her worth. Papa and 1'Iax
had known it all the while,
Two weeks had elapsed, and Effie was
sitting by the bedside of her sick mother
ono evening, when a stranger's card was
brought to her. She looked at it in
some surprise. "Dr. Anthony," she
read, slowly. "Why, mamma, have you
called a new physician ?"
"No, I have not,' said Mrs. Rodney.
"It is a stranger, dear. Go to him
quickly, please. Perhaps he brings us
news."
Her eyes grew bright with hope and
excitement, and Effie's heart beat a
trifle quicker, too. What if her mother's
surmise were tree, and they were about
to hear news of Aline ? Sho did not even
stop for the customary womanly peep
into her mirror, but hastened down to
the parlor to meet the stranger.
THE BAX.T$$ ldIab te(36'i
agitatedly, Tho young physician's face
grew grave and perplexed.
"I can really tell you when," ho an-
swered ;
n-swered; 'but the strangest part of the
myetory is that I cannot tell you where."
Miss Rodney's face reflected the per-
placity on his,
"Dr. Anthony, I do not understand
you," she said, "How Van suoh a thing
be? You have soon her; but you can.
not tell where. Pray, explain yourself,"
"I am about to do so," ho answered.
"Then you will readily understand the
seeming discrepancy in my statements."
Effie bowed silently, and settled her-
self to listen, Ms frank, handsome
face, and quiet, earnest manner inspired
her with confidence in him, althooghlis
was a stranger whom, ten minutes ago,
she had never beheld. She was most
anxious to hear what ha could tell ben
of that girl whose description answered
to that of Aline.
She fixed her bright, hazol•brown
eyes upon his face with an earnestness
that Dr, Anthony found very fascinating.
"In order to be quite sure of dates,"
ho said, "I will ask you to tell me that
of Miss Aline's disappearance."
She named it Tacitly, and he ex-
claimed, with a sudden brightness in
his dark eyes :
"The dates correspond 1 Oh, how
much I would give at this moment for
the counterfeit presentment of Miss
Aline Rodney 1"
In a moment lee continued:
"I live at the little town of Maywood,
some five miles distant from this, Miss
Rodney. I have practiced medicine
there for several years, and may say,
without vanity, that I have built up
quite a creditable practice there and in
the surrounding oountry—at least, I am
always busy."
Effie bowed silently, and he went on:
"Some strange things happen to a
physician in tho course of hie practice,
Miss Rodney. A. mysterious thong hap-
pened to me on the night of the date you
mentioned just now."
CIHAPTER SII.
A tall, decidedly handsome young
man rose to meet Effie as she glided
into the pretty little parlor with that
stately grace that her admirers called
so queenly. IIe waited with a courts.
ously bowed head for her to address
him.
She did so in a silvery -sweet voice,
and with a slight blush.
"I am Miss Rodney, Dr. Anthony,"
she said, glancing at the card which she
still held in her hand. "Papa is away
from home, and mamma ie quite sick.
Can I serve you in anyway ?"
His dark eyes rested on the beautiful,
gentle face in uncontrollable admiration
a moment, thou ho said, in a clear
manly voice:
"I have called in the vague hope
of serving this afflicted family, Miss
Rodney."
"In what way, sir ?" inquired Effie, as
she waved him back to his seat, and
sunk into one herself.
"In that calamity which has excited
the sympathy and sorrow of the whole
country," he answered, respectfully.
Effie's heart gave a mnfrled throb of
joy at the suggestive words.
"God bless you, sir, if you bring us
any tidings of our dear Ahne 1" she ex-
claimed. 1,10 saw that he lied excited
extravagant hopes within hex, and said*
hastily :
"Do not build too_muchupon my
words, Miss Rodney. I do not wish to
deceive you. It may bo but a yam
quest upon which I have come, but
some facts in my possession I have
thought best to lay before your father
in the vague hope that tbey might
somehow lead to news of your lost one."
Seeing how much he had dampened
the springing hopes in her breast, hp
said, anxiously :
"Miss Rodney, is there in your
possession a photograph of your misaiffg
sister ?"
She could not understand why tucb a
deep shadow fell over his frank, manly
face, as she answered:
"No, Dr. Anthony ; my sister's picture
was never taken in her life."
"That is most unfortunate," he mid.
"I had counted so mach upon her pic-
ture."
"1 do not believe papa would like to
have A1ine's pioeure published in the
papers. He sliTinlm from pulteicity,"
said Effie, reservedly.
.'You misunderstand me. I have
no such intention," said the young
physician. "Nothing is further from
my thoughts, Mies Rodney. I quite
agree with your father that unnecessary
publicity is most distressing, In the
absence of Mr. Rodney, may I state my
reasons to you?"
'You may," Effie answered.
"Thank you. I will try to do so," be
said. "In the first place, I will say that
I have lately soon a girl, under very dis-
tressing oirenmsta9oes, who answers to
the published descriptions of your miss
ing sister."
"Wb
50 ? Whore ?" agolaimad Ede,
akibilt the affair that appealed to the)
imaginative part of me, I made a
Virtue of nocossity and accompanied my
stern companion, though I must confess
that my anger rose when ho bound the
hauakerollief about my uuwilling oyes.
The darkness of the night was so dense
that ho miglib have spared mo that in•
convenience, -
Effie listened, with her heart upon
her lips, for him to come to the story of
the mysterious patient. It was Aline,
of course—Aline, i11 or dying 1 How
terrible it seemed! It cast a strange,
new light upon the mystery of her dis-
appearauce,
I went with him ; but I em sure that
he deceived me regarding the distance,"
saki Dr. Anthony. "Instead of being
two miles, I am certain that we drovo
five, at least, before his flout -footed horse
camp to a stop. Then I was helped
from the buggy, and led up a flight of
what seemed, from the sound of my
feet upon them, to bo wide, marble
steps,'
CHAPTER XIII.
Miss Rodney's face was pale with
emotion and anxiety. She bung eagerly
upon Dr. Anthony's words.
"A mysterious thing," he repeated.
"I was Closing up my office at eleven
o'clock that night, preparatory to going
home, when, in the darkness, a stranger
touched me upon the shoulder and said,
in a muffled voice
"'Dome with mo at once, doctor. A
lady needs your professional services.'
"I am so used to being called ont
at night, Miss Rodney, that at first I
thought nothing of the request. I have
ridden miles and miles on the darkest
nights through the peaceful country
neighborhood hereabouts without fear
or molestation. So I said, carelessly, to
the man, whose face I did not see clear-
ly by reason of the extreme darkness
'Is it a long distance? Tf not, I will
walk, as my horse has been put away
for the night.'
'A. niattsr of two miles or more,' he
answered, in the same low, mulled
voice in which he had first addressed
nee. 'But my buggy is here at the cor-
ner. Come with me and I will send you
bank. We have no time tq 1osa.'
"So careless andfearless hadl becomo
in my career as a physician, that I felt
no alarm at his proposition. I carelessly
assented, and accompanied him to the
corner, where I found a fine horse and
buggy waiting for us, as he had said.
We sprung in, and he drove rapidly to
the outskirts of the town, when I, being
weary of the siloncka maintained by my
companion, inquired the name of the
person I was called to attend.
"To my surlirise, the man replied in a
cool, quiet voice, as if there was nothing
ebrange on what he was saying :
"'That is a secret, Dr. Anthony, and
must remain so,'
"Nothing like this had ever occurred
to me in my professional experience. I
was indignant at this answer. I did nob
choose to bestow my medical skill upon
a patient who thus withheld confidence
from mo. I told him so rather hotly.
"My companion, who was evidently a
gentleman, laughed easily.
"'Tut, tut,' he said, "all physicians
can relate instances of mysterious oases.'
This was one of them. My services were
needed, and no harm would befall me,'
while at the same time I should be most
liberally rewarded, but the lady's name
must remaiil unknown to me, as also the
place of her residence. 'For which rea-
son, doctor; he continued, in the same
cool, quiet, gentlemanly voice, and pro-
ducing a large handkerchief, 'I shall be
compelled to blindfold you for the bal-
ance of the distance.'
"His cool, masterful tone irritated ms
exceedingly. I answered quickly that I
would not submit to suoh terms—that
be must employ other advice for the
case ; I would not attend.
"'1 wlll have nothing to do wfth a
mystery,' I said. 'All must be fair and
open, or I will not attend.'
"He laughed, al frst, and triad to per-
suade me ; but, finding that I was reso-
lute, and insisted on being let out of the
baggy, he booamo angry.
'Your unreasonable mood forces me
to a rash alternative,' he chid. 'I am
obliged to compel your obedience.'
"I felt the cold muzzle of a pistol
preesed against my oheeis. I was my-
self unarmed and poworlees.
"'Attempt to get out and you are a
dead man 1' he said. You have no Co.
course but to obey woe. If you aro a
wise man, you will permit me to do
this bandage ever your eyes, and go on
without further parley.'
"I am nob a coward, bliss Rodney—I
hope you will nob form that opinion of
me," continual the handsome yeen
physician, "but I flatter myself that I
possess a modicum of common sons. I
found myself in tho power of a' desper.
ate man, and I considared that mi hest
1 plan would bo to yield to his will•; be -
1 sides, there was a spies of romance
CHAPTER XIV.
The speaker paused to take breath a
minute, and thew resumed:
"A heavy door oponod to admit us
into the wide, dimly -lighted hallway of
what must have been a large, aristocratic
mansion. Here the eccentric stranger
removed the handkerchief from my
eyes and cooly clapped a mask upon my
faceiustead, with the odd remark
"'You will have need for your eyes
hero, but none for your features, Dr.
Anthony, as I dd not wish my patient
ever to recognize you abroad. There-
fore, I request that you wear this mask'
"I acceded to this polite request of
course, you know, lilies Rodney, not
being in a condition to refuse," said the
young man, with a sly seise of the
humorous, "and then I saw beside us
a neat -looking elderly woman with a
lamp in her hand, evidently a nurse.
She led us up a wide, beautiful stair-
way of polished walnut, along another
•hall, and so into a lady's room—the
most beautiful room I over saw 1" said
Dr. Anthony, with enthusiasm.
"It was largo and airy, and hung with
rich blue silk and white lane. The fur-
niture was rosewood, upholstered in
blue silk, and on the marble mantel and
the ivory brackets against the wall were
vases of flowers, statuettes, and ex•
pensive brio -it -lace. You see I made
good use of my eyes when I was given
leave, Miss Rodney," said the physician,
with a smile.
"Yes, doctor, but now about your
mysterious patient ?" breathed Effie,
anxiously.
"Yes, now I am coming to that, for I
am afraid the preliminaries have sadly
wearied your patience," he said. "More
was a rosewood bed in the centre of the
room, Miss Roduey, draped in rich blue
silk and canopied with snowy lam in
the richest pattern, and among the lace.
trimmed pillows lay a girl—a corpse, I
thought at first, Inc she was deathly
white and still, her oyes were closed,
and the white garments about her breast
were all dabbled with blood."
Miss Rodney shuddered and grew very
pale.
"0h, poor little Aline 1" she sighed.
"Tail me how she looked, Dr. Anthony."
"She was very young. She looked
almost obild•like," said Dr. Anthony.
"She had a fair round face with dimpled
chin and beautiful features. Her hair
was dark and curling, her brows and
lashes wore jetty blank and of wonder-
ful beauty. Her eyes, much to my sur•
prise when she recovered from her
swoon, were dark, rich blue, like wet
violets. I had thought they would be
black, before she opened them."
"It was my. sister 1" cried Effie, in
tones of conviction, "You have de.
scribed her very accurately."
"I went up to her side, and looked
down at the beautiful, silent face," he
wont on ; "and the stranger, who, I
have forgotten to say before, wore a
think, heavy mask upon his face, fol.
lowed me. In a moment ho turned to
the nurse, angrily :
''How is this ?' he said. 'I told you
to put a mask upon her face 1'
"And so I did, sir, but her protracted
swoon 8o frightened me that I removed
it to give her air, and forgot to replace
it. I hope there is no harm done, sir.'
"Iii muttered something angrily, than
stepped quickly bank, for at that
moment the wounded girl opened her
ayes and flashed them around the room.
They fell on the face of the nurse, and
she oried out, in a startled voice :
"'Who aro you, and where am I ?'
"She spoke no more, Inc my strange
gnido bent over her and whispered some-
thing into her oar, and she relapsed into
silence. He then directed me to ex-
amine her wound, and I obeyed him."
"Was—wee it fatal ?" asked poor
Effie.
"No, although it had boon meant for
that," he replied. "It was a knife
wound, and had been meant for the
heart, but glanced aside and infliobed a
flesh wound instead. I bathed and
dressed the wound, but before I finished,
she had again relapsed into unconscious.
nem"
"And you learned nothing ?" sighed
Liffe.
"Nothing," he answered. "Rofore I
came away, the unknown stranger drew
ori his coat and showed mo a deep, jag.
gild out on his own arm. I bathed and
exuased his wound also, was rowardod
for my services by a tvtepty,doliar gold
gieae, and altar eubrii ib to the blind.
folding again, was drive to biy home by
my mysterlbus omplgy0I. That is the
end of lay story, Miss' Rodney, Does it
throw any light on the mystery of your
sister's disappearance ?"
"Noise, Dr. Antbopy. It only deepens
the mystery," she anewored mono ()fully.
"And yet it is some sort of a clew;'
he said, thoughtfully. "If tho young girl
T sew is your sister, it proves that she
is conflnod somewhere within a radius of
HURON AND BRUCE
Loan S� Investment Co.
This Company i s Loaning Money
on Farm Security at LOWEST BA'rms
of Interest,
MOBTGAGES PURCHASED.
SAYINGS nANP )3BANCH.
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Ori'icE.--0u corner of Market
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Horace Morton,
iIAVAoisn.
Goderieb,Aug.utb,1256
MONEY TO LOAN.
afaueeto Van cm arm proparty 55
LOWEST RATES.
PRIVATE AND COMPANY FUNDS
W. E. DIOKSON,
Solicitor,
Brussels, Ont.
Money to Loan.
PRIVATE -FUNDS.
F-320,000
Mor 58, id -id.
CUSTOM TAILORING,
The undereiguei lege Leave to intimate
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MONEY '1'O LEND.
Any amount of Money to Loan on
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& 61. PER CENT. YEARLY.
Straight Loans with privilege of
repaying when required. Apply
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BRUSSELS PUMP WORKS.
The undersigned bogs to inform the public
that they here manufactured and ready
for use
PUPS OF ALL KINDS,
WOOD R IRON,
Cisterns of
Any dimension.
GATES of ALL Slzrs:1
CLOTHES 'REELS
of a superior oonstruation. Examine our
stook before purchasing elsewhere. A Call
solicited. We aro oleo Agents for
11IcDougall's Celebrated Windmill.
Wilson & Pelton,
Shop Opposite P. Scott's Blacksmith Shop.
P. S.—Prompt attention pnid to all re.
pairing of Pumps, &c.
USTOWEL WOOLEN MR -LS.
COL INAL
m la,
For the Season 1886. Cash Paid.
I am prepared to pay the highest cash price for good fleece wool delivered at tiro Lis-
towel Woolen Mills. Having been eleven years in business hero, it has always boon my
endeavor to pay higher than the market allows, and in the past years have paid city
market prices, Wool being so low in price, it will afford me pleasure to pay oho highest
pries going. In exchanging wool for goods will allow a few cents more. Will also guar.
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Genie early with your wool and you will find us ready and willing to givo you our
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13. . . OOK•
1LL8 {y
"3 0171'.
CHANGE OF P f iPRGII .ETS.
Having leased the well known and splendidly equipped Rollor Flotu'ing
Mill from Messrs. Wm. Vanstone & Sons for a term of years, we desire
to intimato to the farmers of Huron Co. and the public gonctnlly
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The mill itl reeooni7ocl as ono of the host ill the+ Cotuity and our ion
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Flour and Feed Always on hand,
i Gristing and Chopping.promptly attended to.
A CALL SOLICITED.
St tali 43c Lowick,
PROP IETOBS.