Lincoln County leader., January 22, 1904, Image 2

FETTERED BY FATE
BY ALEXANDER ROBERTSON
"Jolette'a rate," "Little Sweetheart," "Lottie, the Sewing Slrl,"
"(ioldmaker ot Lisbon," " Wedded to Win," "Diana '
Thorpe," "Nora's Legacy," Etc. .Etc.
CHAPTER XIV.-(Continued.)
lie had mentioned to the widow the
tact that the adventurer's hand had
been branded when he was sent to Si
beria, so that he was now compelled
to always wear a glove, but this did not
seem so singular to the lady, for the fact
remained that every time she had. met
Roger Darjel he had gloves on; so she
did not think it worth while to mention
this part of the story to Carol, seeing
that it confirmed the detective's ideas
rather than disputed them.
Though she had only seen Roger a
few times she had been wonderfully
Impressed by his manner and loo.ks, and
she had made up her mind that if these
terrible charges against him proved true
she would never trust a man again.
Poor broken-hearted Carol wandered
out each day. waiting for that dread in
terview which was sure to come, and yet
which seemed unaccountably delayed.
At the very time when these ideas were
passing in review through the wearied
and troubled brain of Carol Richmond,
the object of her thoughts, poor Roger
Darrel, was pacing his library like a
caged animal, groaning now and then
and showing every evidence of distress
end dispair.
Try as he would, he found it impos
sible to think of Carol without allow
ing his mind to dwell on love, mid he
wns nearly fruntic with the continued
fight he had gone through.
He had promised to be a friend to
the girl he loved, and though this was
easy to say yet when it came to attempt
ing it he found he had before him the
most dillicult task of his life.
The detective gained in strength so
rapidly that in a few days more ne hoped
to leave those who had stood so nobly
by him, and start upon his' trail of ven
geance. ,
Though Roger Darrel had not yet made
his appearance since the time of his sep
aration from Carol, the widow knew
he would soon come, and hence she was
continually on the lookout for him. She
had promised her child not to say any
thing to him, leaving the whole mutter
to her.
He came at last. The day was a lovely
one, with the birds singing amoug the
trees, and all nature looked beautiful.
Up the forest aisle came Roger, head
ing straight for the old mill. His face
was pale and set', as though he had con
quered in his bottle, and yet none knew
better than he how weak human nature
was when the hour of temptation came.
The little lady saw him coming, and
while she spoke to him pleasantly her
eyes were watching his face. She saw
the traces of anguish there, such as never
rested upon the countenance of guilt, and
when he had gone to seek Carol, after
her directions, she gave utterance to her
thoughts aloud:
"If that is the face of guilt, then my
Judgment of character is at fault. I'lace
Roger Darrel before me and I should
have declared him the most honorable
of men, noble and generous. Yet how
the man belies his looks. If all is true,
then a greater villain never went un
hung. My Heaven give my dear girl
the strength to do what is right, no mat
ter whnt the pain may be."
She had no Idea' of what was In store
for her while thus thinking of her child,
and yet a crisis in her own' affairs was
rapidly approaching.
Although she could not' comprehend in
full what the temptation would be, yet
she knew Carol must suffer, and her
heart went out to her poor child, upon
whom Heaven had apparently frowned bo
early. Had it been possible, she would
have liked so much to have been with
Carol during this trial, but the girl
would not hear of it. and the little lady's
heart told her also that it was best not
so.
In the midst of her thoughts the lady
was startled by a loud, authoritative rap
upon the door and, somewhat confused,
she hastily answered the summons.
When she opened the door she uttered 'a
low, almost inaudible cry, and would
have fallen but for the support her hold
afforded her.
The curtain of fifteen years had been
swept aside by the hand of fate, and
tliow two who had loved and parted in
the past were now brought together over
the grave ot their only child's hopes.
Face to face stood Lawrence Richmond
and the wife whom he had not onco seen
since that bitter parting. .
CHAPTER XV.
Something within seemed to tell Carol
that the meeting she had looked forward
to with such aversion, and yet at the
same time a strange eagerness, as though
anxious to have it over with, was about
to take place that day.
Whcu she left the mill she wended
her way slowly through the forest to n
favorite spot of hers, and, reaching it,
at down at the base of a huge elm tree.
It was the" summit of quite an elevation
and the view on either hand was per
fectly grand, embracing, as It did, so
many vistas where openings occurred
through which the eye ranged far away
to the river, and to a still greater ele
vation. '
Alone with her thoughts she was a reus
tomed to seeking this sHt, and it seemed
as if her very surroundings gave her com
fort, yet nothing could ease the terrible
pain that tugged at her hcnrt-strlngs.
She held a book in her hand, but it did
not occupy her attention, for her gaze
was far away, and her mind evidently
upon the one subject nearest her heart.
Thus she sat when the eager eyes of an
approaching man fell upon her, and the
spectacle brought hltn to a sudden pause.
There was that in her attitude that
brought most vividly to his mind their
first meeting, when she sat by the
brook, watching the gambols of the little
dog, and as he gazed Roger stifled a
groan of despair.
When she know that it was Roger who
was drawing near, Carol's face whitened
until it resembled the driven snow, while
her pearly teeth seemed to penetrate the
scarlet lips-, and from her eyes there
gleamed a strong light, such as may be
seen in the orbs of a poor hunted deer,
brought to bay and turning upon his hunt
ers. When Roger had come close to her she
turned her face and looked at him. He
could not help giving an exclamation.
"Good heaven! Carol, what is the mat
ter with you? Your face in like death,
and your eyes shine as with n fever.
There is that upon your features that re
proaches me, aye, stabs to the heart.
For heaven's sake tell me what you in
tend to say, for something warns me the
worst has not yet come. Are we not to
be friends, Carol?'.'
Then she laughed such a hollow mock
ery of a laugh. It was no more like the
ringing merriment of old than she was
like the ui-Uess girl whom Roger had met
that fateful day.
"You come here and ask me that you,
of all men on earth? Does not your heart
reproach you, the heart to which human
misery appealed in vain? You tell me 1
look like death. Well, my heart is dead,
and to you belongs the blame. . I live,
and yet do not live; I breathe the fresh,
pure air of heaven, but there is nothing
fair in my sight now. A blight rests
upon all the earth. Whpn the eye Is dis
torted all objects upon which it falls as
sume .the same phase. So it is with me.
Need I say more, sir?"
He stood there, stricken dumb with
amazement, aye, with horror. What a
terrible crime he must have been guilty
of In her sight to call out this from the
lips that had never spoken a cross word
before. It began to anger him. He had
suffered as man could hardly suffer twice
in a lifetime, and he counted it as naught.
Finally he found bis voice, and, in spite
of his efforts, it trembled like a tightly
Btrung cord.
"Carol, we stand here face to face. The
post, with all its joys and sorrows, lies
behind us, the future before, but we, live
only in the present. Since last we met
you have changed wonderfully. Tell
me why it is you look with aversion
where once you loved."
Something in his voice aroused all the
Impetuosity of her nature. For tlie time
she forgot how she had loved, did love
even then, deep down In her heart, ihis
man who stood before her with bared
head, his arms folded across his chest,
and his frank eyes fastened upon her.
She only remembered how he had deceiv
ed her, and that beneath this proud ex
terior must beat a heart blacker than
Bin.
"Where once I loved; You have said
It, Roger Darrel. May heaven forgive
you for deceiving me as you did," the
cried.
"I deceive you, Carol?" he echoed.
"Those were my words, sir. I will put
them stronger if you wish basely deceiv
ed me. On the very night after you
saved me from that wicked wedding,
Nora Warner was dragged away by the
minions of that wretch of a mad-house
doctor, dragged off to misery and rack
ing pain, and by your orders. Do not
attempt to deny it, sir, for I can see the
assumed look of Innocent surprise on your
face. You brought her to a living death,
you ruined the life of the gypsy girl, Bar
bara Merrlles, and then, with your face
and sweet words, you tried to lure me
to destruction."
"What!"
The word burst from him like a pistol
shot. As If by magic the cloud was lift
ed, and he saw into what a terrible mis
take the young girl had fallen. His eyes
were opened to the truth, but it only
served to make his blood flow more rap
idly with indignation and anger.
"For whom do you tnke me?" he ask
ed coldly.
"You yourself declared that you were
Roger Darrel, ami Roger Darrel Is the
man who sent his wife to the asylum to
be made mad. Surely the curse of heav
en must follow that inuu forever; surely
the cries of his- victims mu.t ascend on
high and reach the great white throne.
For myself, I forgive you freely, because
I love hove loved you In the pnst, but
in the nnme of those whom you have
wrouged In the past I could almost ask
heaven to crush you, broken-hearted as
I am."
"Save your pardon for those who ask
it, Miss Richmond. As for me, I do not
seek It. Looking back upon my paxt
life, I do not see an event for which 1
may have occasion to blush.- As for
these things of which you accuse me, the
day will come when you will realizo what
a terrible mistake you have made, and
you will cry out to heaven to cover your
head. I am a proud man, and from to
other lips than yours would I hear such
words. You have now gone too far.
Some day shortly I will seek you to show
you the proofs of my innoceuee; svek
you to prove all that I ever claimed to be;
seek you to show that It was the taint on
my family name I feared, not because 1
had ever done aught that could bring dis
grace upon myself or the one I loved, and
having done this, I will throw your love
from me like a tattered glove, for It was
false false."
She uttered a low, piteous cry and held
out her hands for him to stop, but he
went on mercilessly, for the had roused
the lion.
"One you told me your lovt was ai
durable as the rocks of the cliff; that
through good and evil report you would
trust in me untli my lips sounded your
death blow. How hns it come out? At
the first breath of suspicion, your love
shudders and shrivels up, turning to
loathing. If that is your priceless love,
then heaven help the -next mau upon
whom you bestow it. I am going, Miss
Richmond. What! are you still dumb?
We shall meet once more, and when you
see me as the man 1 am, and not in the
guise of a villain who chances to belong
to my family and wears my name, then
perhaps you will deign to offer me your
forgiveness."
With these last bitter words,- he wheel
ed. One flash from his eyes and he had
gone gone from her in hot anger; gone
to collect ,the proof that was to over
whelm her, while she sat there, and bow
ing her head, wept bitter tears, for the
spell was again upon her, and she would
have believed him innocent of those aw
ful sins even should the whole world ac
cuse him. i
CHAPTER XVI.
On the Potomac! '
"The "princely home" provided for his
mad wife by Captain Grant otherwise
the insane asylum of Dr. Grim, stood
upon the left bank of the river, and close
to the descent by which the water could
be reached.
It was not a ' picturesque building.
There was a something dark and forbid
ding about its exterior that seemed to
speak in thunder tones of the secrets it
contained. A gloomy pile of masonry,
with small iron-barred windows, and sur
rounded by a high wall there it stood, a
curse upon the face of nature.
lu one of the little cell-like rooms was
Nora Warner. They had brought her
back senseless, and when she awoke to
life once more it was to find herself with
in the confines of the hated asylum whore
she had already spent so many months
of weary agony.
Up to this time Doctor Grim had not
been very particular about inflicting any
of the tortures of the place upon her,
for his orders had principally been to
hold her a prisoner. If she went insane,
overcome by the horrors that surrounded
her, well and good in fact, so much the
better but bo long as he received his pay
and the Captain was satisfied, the Doc
tor did not waste his time in dealing se
verely with Nora Warner when he Lad
his hands full at any rate.
Every now and then new patients ar
rived at the asylum, which was always
full, and it might be noticed that just
preceding each new arrival, a corpse was
carried out of the back door. There was
nothing secret about this matter of
burial, and the people living in the vi
cinity had little idea of the hotbed of
iniquity they were fostering in their
midst.
It seems they had not given Nora War
ner creo.it tor toe sagacity she possessed.
She had escaped from the house and
fate had assisted to throw them off their
guard by sending the poor girl with whom
Nora had exchanged her shawl and hat,
to her death in the river.
The Doctor was enraged when he re
turned home, though he did not show it.
Indeed, the more furious his anger as a
general rule, the more smiling became his
face, but there was death in that smile.
He realized that by the escape of Nora
Warner his institution had been placed
ia very great danger, for had she gone
to the proper authorities they would have
adjudged her perfectly sane and then be
lieved her story, which would have meant
ruin, financially, to him. He trembled
with fear and anger whenever he thought
of the narrow escape he had had, and in
wardly swore that it should never occur
again.
Nora W.arner was the first sane person
to escape from the walls of his domain,
and she should be the last. Before a
month went by he would cause her to
lose her reason, and then if she should
manage to get out, her talk would be
an incoherent jumble of nonsense.
From the glowing description of the
mad-house doctor of the "princely home"
he provided for his poor patients, one
could imagine much that was pleasant,
from padded cells to elegant furniture
ana mussels carpet.
The cell of Nora Warner was a fair
sample of those . in the institution, with
the exception of a few comfortable ones
that -were occupied by those whose rela
tives really cared for them, and who had
not suspected what a den they Were
sending the poor unfortunates to.
With the exception of a small iron cot.
fastened to the floor, and a chair, secured
In the same way, the cell was entirely
destitute of furniture. The walls were
damp and cold, and from the barred win
dow one could look down Into the grounds
of the asylum.
Beyond the great stone wall the pris
oner could sec the waters of the Poto
mac glistening in the afternoon sun, as
she stood there one day, her white hands
crossed, and a strange look upon her face.
(To be continued.)
A Weak Defense. r
Mrs. Newed I buked some bread
this' morning nnd placed It In the win
dow to cool nnd a mnn snntched up a
hmf of it nnd started to run nwny, but
a policeman caught lilm.
Newcd Was he taken to Jali?
Mrs. Newed No. The poor fellow
snld ho was starving, bo I "gave, him
the bread and told the policeman to let
hi in go.
Newed You have boon imposed tipon,
my dear. That mnn wasn't starring.
Mrs. Newed How do you know?
Newed Because a starving man
would never have the strength to run
away with a loaf of your bread.
Doable.
"What's the matter with Jones T"
"Why?"
"He goes along as abstractedly as
though he were drunk and were see
ing double."
"lie is. They have twins at his
home."
No Appetite
Means loss of vitality, vigor
or tone, and is often a pre
cursor of prostrating sick
ness. This is why it is
serious. The best thing
you can do is to take the
great alterative and tonic
Hood's Sarsaparilla
Which has cured thousands.
Greek: Palace Discovered.
In the course of the exploration work
now proceeding in Bocotia, on the site
of Orchomenes, at one time a small
Greek state, which was destroyed by
the Thebans in 367 B. C, a fine royal
palace has just been discovered. A
number of frescoes adorn the walls of
the state rooms.
The Baby Humorist.
"Of course," said Mrs. Extrygood,
"you are fond of bright, precogipus
babies?"
"Oh,- yes; certainly," replied old
Batch, "but I draw the line on the sup
posed smart sayings made up by the
parents and loaded off on poor infanta."
Baltimore American.
fluffs nilST
'V. A...nn. tTM-nfl IiaM... .
.. - " . - UaUu..u..iu5uuniuuiuiMiy
ease of Cattarrh that can not be cured by Ball 'I
Catarrh Cure.
F. J. CHENEY & Co.,'Props., Toledo, O.
We the undersigned, have known F. J. Cheney
for the past lSyears, and believe him perfectly
honorable in all business transactions and fin
ancially able to carry out any obligations made
by their firm.
Wbst & Tbtjai,
Wholesale Druggists, Toledo,
Waldino KinnanA Makvih,
Wholesale Druggists, Toledo. 0.
Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, acting
Hrectly on the blood and muooui surfaces of
the system. Price 7Sc per bottle. Bold by all
Jrugfrfsti. Testimonials free.
Hall's Family Pill are the best.
The Safe Side.
"You'll be sorry some day that ycu
didn't get married if you don't."
"Well, I'd rather not be married and
be sorry I wasn't than to be married
and be sorry I was." San Francisco
Wasp.
Mothers will find Mrs. WlmloWs Soothing
rfrrup the best remedy to use for their children
the teething season.
Aa It Is Today.
Famous Patient Doctor, please give
me my medicine now.
Doctor Pardon me. I'm simply
the doctor in charge of, issuing bulle
tins; the other doctor will be here pres
ently. Chinese Business Methods.
In China, to encourage honesty and
sincerity, confidential clerks and sales
men in all branches of industry receive
an annual net percentage of the firm's
business, besides their regular salary.
1
Orowth of Hair.
Like most vegetation, the hair grows
better in light than in darkness because
of the stimulating effect of light and
sunshine. It has often been noticed
in the case of men who sit in offices
with one side always turned toward the
light that the mustache or beard of
that side grows longer than on the
other.
1
NOT A SKIN DISEASE.
t
It is natural to rub the spot that hurts, and when rheumatic
pains are shooting; through the joints and muscles and they are
inflamed and sore, the sufferer is apt to turn to liniments and plasters
for relief: and while such
no amount of rubbing- or blistering
- 4a in me uiuuu ana an xarouga tue sjfsicm,
and every time you are exposed to the same conditions that caused
the first attack, you are going to have another, and Rheumatism
will last just as long as the poison is in the blood, no matter what
you apply externally. Too much acid in the blood is one cause of
Kheumatism ; stomach troubles, bad digestion, -weak kidneys and
toroid livpr aro tV.. . . '
i , -j-.
1TH1.I. - - 11.!- . - .
.vU u. iuS a mis painiui flis-
ease, because the blood becomes
lamtea witn the poisonous mat
ter which these organs fail to
carry out of the system. Cer-.
tain secret diseases will produce
Rheumatism, and of all forms
this is the most stubborn and
severe, for.it seems to affect
every bone and muscle in the
body. The blood is the medium
VkV TOrllVti iliA . .
j "u.vu me puisuna ana acids
are carried through the system, and it doesn't matter what kind of
Kheumatism you have, it must be treated through the blood, or you
Hf. q' QrP Permanen7 rid of it. As a cure for rheumatic tro
n I : nex'er ea galled. It doesn't inflame the stomach
and ruin the digestion like Potash, Alkalies and other strong drug,
. . i el a
. . . JA, natural condition, the painful, levens-
joints and the sore and tender muscles are immediately relieved.
Our special book on Rheumatism will be mailed free to tbosi
desiring it. Our physicians will cheerfully answer all letters askrn.
lor special information or advice, for which no charge is tnade.
TUX SWIFT SPCCIFTO CO ATIAT i
Coleridge,
Coleridge found solace for hi. 4
.r ... .-6"uineg8 induced
nninm ami whan .1 .. . .. . u
, ....... unuer us iiifl,, I
.. ulo inreadjmj
dreamy mazes of his own mind.
Our Wlnill... ...
d spot.
Although the Pacific ocean is m
paratively free of stnpmi.. 0
name-Point Reyes, Cal., i8 the
eHt Dlace in t.hn TTnitorl ui.
... .v.va kjinieg.
Fly Six Hundred Miles.
The pigeon's carjacit.v f. .
marvelous. Many have flown f!
-Liaiii-nHuire, miles in
day, and the winner of . ' .
Shetlands to London, over 600 mill
u.ouoiuojuuiuc111 io noura at
average speed of 37 miles an hour.
An Ancient Work on Angling.
The greatest work of nfi..:L
angling is said to be the "Halieut J
upfinii, ureen poet wno flourishi
in the time of Severus, A. D. 198 fro
which we learn that
j , . , 'J HULBQ
fishing thought to be modern el
",,u"u niicieuiB. we also leai1
from Atheneus that several other wril
era had written treaties nr
fishing some centuries before the Chril
wuu era.
The Prickly Pear.
' The prickly pear of Africa ia so ten!
cious of life that a leaf or even a smal
portoin of a leaf if thrown on tli
eround strikes out roots nlmn i -
diately and becomes the parent of i
iaHt growing plant.
Divorce Laws and Divorces.
The country with perhaps the m
lenient divorce laws in the world
Sweden, and there t,h Hi
-..vtwiftHJi!
lower than in the Netherlnmig .i.,m.
after England, has the strictest lawj
in tne worm.
In Society,
Tess Miss Nuriteh talks an nnJ
aoout ner mother a social nn Mnn iv,
fore she was married.
Jess Well?
Tess Did she reallv hava
, , t J
ion in society r
Jess Oh. lots of them. 81m n.
accepted a place as cook except in very
sweii iamines. urookiyn ISagle.
Curious Irish Marriage Custom.
A curious old marriage custom
called locally "the settling," still sur
vives in Donegal county, Ireland, and
in the Scotch districts of Kintvre and
Cowal. After the marriage has been
publicly announced the friends of the
couple meet at the house of the bride's
parents to fix a suitable date for the
marriage.' A bottle of whisky is
opened, and as each guest drinks to
their happiness he names a date.
When each guest has named a date an
average is struck and "settling" is
complete. Neither the bride nor bride
groom ever thinks of protesting against
the date so curiously chosen.
Boiled Fish Alive.
It a seldom that one sees a boiled
fish alive,' yet there are such in the
boiling lake of Amatitlan, Guatemala.
A species of fish was lately seen there
by a French traveler. TheBe fish, he
asserts,, often pass days in the boiling
water, which comes from numberless
hot springs.
can cure Rheumatism, because it
UNABLE TO BLEEP AT NIGHT
.rToi.
HU
A few months ago I was feellnirwert
nd run down and unable to Bt sleep '
night. I fait extremely bad, and also 04
rheumatio pains in my Joints and mo
olea. The medioine I used save m only
temporary relief at beat; ao seeing B.S
highly reoommended for. such trou
bles, I began ita uae, and after taklnf
for aome time waa well pleaaad w"
reault. It did away with the rhsumatit
pains, gave me refreshing Bleep ana
built up my creneral ayatem, giln y
strength and energy. It ia a good njqi
eine, without a doubt, and I takaple
ure in endorsing it. .
out tones up the general beaitn, gen;
stimulates the sluggish organs, and at
the same time antidotes and filters out
of the blood all poisonous acids aflo
effete matter of every kind ; and when
S. S. S. has restored the blood to w