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The Brussels Post, 1886-8-13, Page 22 THE BRUSSELS POST AUG. 13. 1$S6 Forancswe.esasrworcolow ..newnsmaa."111.01M9700F5rilEdgiSE119 asulmalvemwLecraustorzerammamwroommornexecorawwmww.mnew,..avo AND IT() B SWORN TO ILNCE SE .., bridal dayAlthough I was most eager whoma , despite her fffietions, ho eo Bnl0B1 d a b id I t h rich with a strange morbid C17 STOM TAILORING. — ooneition that we never met until the the deformed maniac, his daughter., BR on,•forced to acquiesce in hie deeisiom M- affection." deed, I did uot greatly care to change it Mr, Rodney could not repress a shed- MAIO RODNEY'S SECRET. 1 was carried away by the romantic dor of disgust. He thought of his idea of never mooting my bride until the three brilliant, beautiful children with hour that gave her to my eager arms. a feeling of pride, and he wondered Its very difference to the customs of my that even a fathers heart weld have own countryhad its peculiar charm for cherished tenderness for the dreaded, me. Monsieur Samson wrote to his misshapen maniac of Delaney House. daughter, and she consented to the inar- "So ho formed that dreadful plan for riage in a nears pretty letter that trans. providing his deformed and maniac ported me with rapture. Ib was ar. daughter with a husband to take care of ranged that the fair oue would leave hoe hor, and then be consummated it in the 7 )37 itztas. rutoytufGal luttlAr4E1% ALITI1011 iet,Ukei Vane," "Lady ti PrIdo," ote., etc. to have auy male acquaintances, fearing unfortunate love affairs for them, as they were usually affianced by their parents to men of wealth and position." "1 have heard that that is the way they manage affairs of marriage in France," said Mr. Rodney at this point. "1 f011ivi lb BO to niy cost," groaned Oran Delaney, and then there was .0 short silence. He lay still with closed eyes, breathing heavily. "You have unduly wearied yourself in riago, Monsieur left me, to return to his talltiug so much. Defer the remainder villa. at Nice, ostensibly to make preps, of your story until you are bettor," rations for the marriage. Ho was to said Mr. Rodney. write to mo when to come, but in. little "No, I will go on. I am anxious now more then a week I was telegraphed to that the secret I have kept so long in go to his death -bed. He had accident. my morbid pride should be revealed. I ally shot himself." am anxious to clear the name of Aline Ho was growing excited now. The from the stain I suffered to rest upon it feeble breath came from his lips in great to save loY ONVII," he answered. palpitating gasps, "My poor Aline. Shall I ever find "You are overtaxing yourself," Mr. her?" sighed the wretched father. Rodney reminded him again. "God grant you may. Oh if I only .No, I shall soon have done now," were not chained down to this bed by Mr. Delaney answered. "Well, I went my weakness, I would - search the world • with all haste to Nice, and I arrived over, but I would find her!" cried Oran there late one night, and fouud Monsieur Delaney with feverish impatience. Salami dying, indeed. They told inc A vision came over his mind of the that he had been handling a revolver fair young face and the sweet supplioat. 1 when it exploded in his hand, fatally ing eyes. He seemed to hear her voice ; wounding him. He lay at the point of again as she spoke the strange words death, and his one anxiety was his fair that made the warm blood run tingling , young daughter whom he was leaving through his veins with rapture. alone iu the world. Would I have any "I want to be your wife," she bad objection to fulfilling my marriage con - said, in her clear, frank voice, while in • tract now, he asked me, that he might her exceeding innooence she had never die satisfied? dreamed of the passion of pain and "I told him I would marry Julie at despair in the man's heart as he refused once, and his mind was at once relieved her request. of its load of care. Preparations were "Ali, Heaven, if only I might have made for a midnight marriage. A priest taken her at her word," be sighed to was summoned. Everything was az- himself, "I would lieve taught that ranged -with perfect legality." young heart to love, and that soft cheek He paused, and swept his aristocratic to blush at my glance, I would have won white hand wearily across his brow. her heart as well as her hand. Aline, "How it all comes back to me!" ho iny poor darling, where aro you to- said. "It was a beautiful .summer night 2'' • night. A wind from the sea came into He put away the thought of her with the room through the open windows, a great effort of will and. returned with mingled with the breath of tropio a shudder to the subject of his story. flowers. A dim light burned iu the "I was young and impressible, Mr. room where the dying man lay breath. Roduey. My heart was touched by the ing heavily. They brought my bride beauty of the picture I had seen, and. iu to me. I could not make out her Honsienr Sauson's refusals to present face or her form for the great billows meth the original only fanned my boyish of snowy lace in which she was on. passion into hotter flame. importuned veloped. from head to foot, but I fancied him often, but he only laughed at me, , that all womanly loveliness was center - artfully leading rue on by his apparent ed in her form. Well they made hor reluctance to yield to my desires. Ali, my bride, and then led. her quickly from what a simple, gullible young fool I was the room, for Monsieur Sanson's death - in those days." • hour was near at hand. He thanked lie paused and. drew his breath with I me feebly for what a had done and a heavy tortured sigh. Mr. Rodney held a reviving cordial to his lips. His heart was pierced with remorse as ho looked at the pale face and heard the weak voice, and realized what a wreck he bad made of the strong nian. "It woeld bo much better if you wait- ed until you are stronger before you finish," he said, compassionately, though his anxiety to hear the rest was very strong. "No, I cannot wait. Let me tell my story and clear Aline's name, then if I die, what matter? I have long been tired of lifo," sighed Oran Delaney: There came to him across the mist of the long intervening months a memory of the words he bad read to Aline when she lay wonnded and impatient in the beautiful blue room—the words she had rejected in the blindness of her ignorant youth: convout school to become my bride in way I haveAI told you. hon it became about six months. Do I weary you impossible to enjoy the wealth and with all this preliininary explanation, pleasures of this world any longer, he Mr. Rodney 2" inquired the invalid, sent himself out of it with a shocking pausing euddenly, deliberateness, and shifted his burden "On the contrary, I am deeply inter. ripen my shoulders." osted in your story," replied the lawyer. "Ho was a villain But you were not el will beaten to the end, them" said compelled to accept tholoatbsome legacy Oran Dolauoy. "We continued our ho bequeathed you, The marriage, being travels for awhile, when about two with a person of unsound mind, was months before the time set for my intsv. really null and void la the eyes of the law," said the lawyer. "I did nob resort to the law to help me out of my trouble," said Oran Delaney. "I was too proud for one thing, to let the pnblic know how shame- fully I had been duped. I was bitterly ashamed of my credulity; besides, I was weighted down by the solemnity of my oath to the dying. I could not forsake poor "Julie Sanson, even though I had been so horribly duped and deceived, I bad sworn to devote my life to her ; and, in his letter of confession to me, Mon- sieur Sanson aaethin committed his daughter solemnly to my ooze, urging that, as he had once saved my life, it was right that I should devote it to the daughter left so helpless and forlorn by his sin t • f 11 death." "He had much better have let you died, than savedyour life to such a hor- rible end!" exclaimed Mr. Rodney. "Much better," sighed Oran Delaney. "But as it was, I accepted his dying charge. I brought Julie Sanson bo America, and confided her to the ears of my old nurse, Mrs. Griffin. I have lived at Delaney House in seclusion for years, shunning my kind, because, in nuy morbid pride, I had sworn that the carping, censorious world should never know my dreadful secret. Mrs. Griffin has been most faithful to her trust. • "Wo lived on quietly there, and poor Julies mania developed itself in two forms. She had a fierce thirst for human blood, and a most inordinate love for finery, delighting to array her dreadful form in the richest robes and most brilliant jewels. In the hope of subduing her blood -thirsty mania, I humored the harmless taste for dress to a great extent. I constantly made ad- ditions to her wardrobe of the most gorgeous and dazzling apparel, and I provided her with a jewel -box of splen- did paste imitations of diamonds. She never wearied of docking herself in those things, and would be quiet and docile for weeks together in placid en- joyment of them. Again her mania for shedding blood would seize upon her, and she would fly at me and at Mrs. Griffin in a fury of rage, with murder •flashing from her eyes. On one occa- sion she accidentally got out of her room, possessed herself of a tiny jeweled deg. ger, and flew through the house like a raging lioness seeking her prey. On that occasion she wounded me first, and then your beautiful Aline 1" As if overcome with horror, hegroan- pnw. edioaloud and buried hie face in the "Much as I would like to hear the re- mainder of your story, I must refuse to listen to you longer now, for I can see that you are completely exhausted," said the lawyer. "1 shallleave you now to repose. To -morrow, if you axe better, you may continue your story." "But I 1111:1. BO anxious to clear Aline in your eyes that I am too impatient to postpone my story," said Oran Delaney, feebly; for it was quite true that be was exhausted by the efforts he had made. "Nevertheless, I shall refuse to hear any more to.day," auswered the lawyer, with a smile. "1 aw going out now, and I shall send Mrs. ',tino in to take charge of you." He left the room, •1 the old mime came and installed herself by his pillow. ane next morning, after the refreshment of a sound night's sleep, he continued his story to Mr. Rodney. " How many yoara will it bo 0 wonder, and how will their slow length pass, Till I shall And rest in silence under ‘.f.x.r trues and the waving grass?. “Nots long now, perhaps," he thought, saaswely, for be felt strangely weak and otd his sufferings were most severe from ' .4 wound. He cleared his throat and clearly pro. ceeded : "When I look back at that past time, Mr. Rodney, I am lost in wonder at the consummate young fooll was in those days. Would you believe, sir, that in my infatuation for a girl I had never seen, but of whose perfections I had been told day by day. for mouths, I pro- posed to marry Monsieur Sanson's pretty little sehool-gal daughter 2" "Inaposeibfe "I did, Mr. Rodney, and I was in the most serious earnest. 'Monsieur Sanson pretended to be shocked when I laid the matter before him, but promised that he would consider it, and assured me that he wonld have no objection to an Ameri- oar. son - in-law,deolaring thathe admired „Ameriaans individually, and as a nation, to a me,excessivo degree. I was de. tee at his blarney, which slipped team hi.- tongue as easily as from 0 son :eitfltil,Amorakl Isle." CHAPTER La, eXteiiir'rse Stinson must have been A irsimor exclaimed Mr. Rodtiey, vehe- men tly reveal roy life once, and now he is doad. 1ecreel' feel at liberty to ex- press my real opinion of tho man," said Mr. Delaney. "All obligations were cancelled by the wrong he did you," midair. Rodney. "Pothaps so, He saved my life, but then he certainly made it valueless to me," said tho wounded man, musingly. After a moment, he continued : "After a short time, and without any further solicitation on my part, ho eon- sented to allow nie to consider the beautiful Julie my figs" but only on then ho bound me by a solemn oath to protect and cherish his Julie as long as she lived, never leaving nor forsaking her. " I have already promised the priest all that,' I said in wonder. That was no matter, he said, and persisted iu his request that I would solemnly swear to do what he asked. An oath made to a dying man would be more sacred., ho said. "Though I thought him unreasonable, I could refuse nothing to a dying man; so I took tho oath ho asked of me. 1 thought it could not greatly matter anyhow. I had no idea, of ever for. Baking my fair young foreign bride. 1 was too much infatuated with the charming young creature the fertile imagination of the Frenchman had painted for me. "He died in a little while after the ceremony and left me to comfort his bereaved daughter. It was not until after the funeral that she allowed me to see her. She was prostrated by the shook of her father's death, they told me. "Oh, Mr. Rodney, can you guess what a terrible shock it was to me when I beheld her at bast? "I bad in mymind the vision of an angel. I imagined my bride lovely in mind as in person, and thought myself most fortuuute in the possession of such a perfect creature. "When they showed me the creature to whom I had bound myself—the mis- shapen, deformed, blighted creature, with a mind as blasted and out of shape as her body—do you wonder that I almost went mad 7" "Surely the laws of. arty laud would have freed you from such a creatural" exclaimed Mr. Rodney, indignantly. "I made no attempt to free myself," said Oran Deleney. "I was so shocked at finding myself placed in such a ter. rible position, so ashamed of the foolish ease with which I had fallen into the trap set for me, that I was like one dated or stunned, • was some little wilt° before I realized it, and then the weight of my oath to the dying held me back from taking any steps towardfree- ing myself from my horrible incubus. "Monsieur Sanson had, left a letter for are, too. It was a confession." "A. confession 1" repeated :Vb. Rodney. "Yes. It appeared that the story of the accidental shooting was all a hoax. The man had given himself the death. blow -with suicidal intent." Mr. Rodney uttered an exclamation of horror and disrnay. "He had committed suicide bub why ?" "Because lie had run through his property and was reduced to beggary. Hehad led a fast and gay life and had tothing loft to live upoe. Theville, and all its furniture wore mortgaged beyond their value, and WOW to be seized. There worild be bobbing left for him and CHAPTER LVII. "I would sooner have died than have wronged your wilful, innocent child, Mr. Rodney," he said. "When she came into the garden that day I had no thought but her pleasure. Sho seemed but a child to me, and I saw no harm in her going into Delaney House with me to share my lunch. I had been so long secluded from the world that I did not remember its hard rules. I was pleased with the beantiful, happy girl, and I thought that her people had treated her unfairly in leaving her at home, while they went away to enjoy themselves, In a languid, careless way I allowed her to enjoy herself. It seemed very easy to her to do so." "She had a sunny, happy temper when all wont well with her," said Me. Rodney, with a heavy sigh to the memory of the solf-exilod daughter. "Yes, I thought so," said Oran Dela- ney, echoing the sigh. "I saw that she was wilf el and a trifle wild, but I thought nothing of it. She was too young and fair to be worldly-wise. Poor child, would that she had been. Sho had never then entered the fatal pedals of Delaney House." "Fatal indeed 1" groaned the afflicted father. "I blame myself that I allowed her to enter there," said Oran Delaney. ',The clad must have charmed me, for tforgot my usual prudence and allow, ed myself to be pleased in her happi. 1- CRON Loan & Investment Co. Title Company ie Leaning Money 011 rerm Security Itti LOWEST RATES of Tn Wrest, MOUTGAC:tES PURCHASED. ---- kiAVIDIGH DANK • 8, 4 and 5 per cent. Interest Al- lowed on Deposits, according to amount and time left. Oviurn.--On corner of Market Square Sala North street, Go d eri ch. Horace Horton, mA.-.4Acum. 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