Lincoln County leader., June 28, 1907, Image 3

fa
DOOMED.
By WILLARD
CHAPTER XVII.
Arthur's visits to Mrs. Castleton were
ow of daily occurrence. He knew do
est nor happiness out of her presence.
Bis soul became steeped in the delicious
languor of sweet music.
It was about 6 o'clock when he arrived
t the house. The ladies had just fin
ished dinner. Mrs. Freeman was in the
room with her niece; but after a little
time that lady found an excuse to leave
the lovers together.
"Now for the promise you made me
last night. I have been longing all day
to hear this mystery," said Mrs. Castle
ton. For several reasons he felt a strong
repugnance to tell her that story. But
what secret can a man keep from a wom
an whom he loves, if that woman has
once set her mind upon extracting it from
turn?
He told the story in an earnest, sub
dued tone, and with the air of a man
thoroughly possessed by his subject. He
Baa at nrst intended to relate to ner a
mere brief outline of the family legend,
Just sufficient to account for his super
stitions r?pujT!fln'" to m nllisnoe with
Miss Grierson ; but after the first few
ententes be told it from beginning to
end with the utmost minuteness of de
tail, largely intermixed with commenta
ries which the brooding thoughts of many
years had engendered.
At the first mention of the name of
De Soissons she started ; a look of intense
wonder came into her face; and she list
ened with a breathless interest that grew
In intensity with every stage of the nar
rative, and rose into terror as he repeated
the words of the curse. But her excite
ment reached Its culmination when he
went on to tell of that stormy night when
the bodies of the woman and child were
washed up at his and his father's feet
s they stood upon the rocks; and how,
ly the dim light in the fisherman's but, he
had been struck by the resemblance of the
dead child to the face in the picture, and
low strangely this fancy had been seem
ingly confirmed by the name upon the
linen.
To all this she listened with dilated
eyes and parted lips. "And the woman
and child what became of them?" she
cried, clutching his arm with trembling
energy.
"Both were dead. They were buried
the next morning in Penrhyddyn church
yard."
For a moment she stared at him with
vacant look, then passed ber hand over
ker eyes, like one striving to focus the
scattered thoughts of a wandering brain,
and muttering to herself, "Am I mad or
dreaming, or what can it mean?"
Then, suddenly turning her eyes npon
Urn, she exclaimed, "Why, this child was
ast at your feet just as the woman In
the legend was at her husband's I"
"Precisely," answered Arthur, gloom
ily. "And I have often thought, had that
child lived, upon her shoulders Fate
-would have cast the fulfillment of the
urse."
"It Is an awful story," she said, with
a shiver. "But in what way is Miss
rIerson connected with it?"
Arthur then proceeded to tell how he
lad discovered. Constance to be a member
of that ill-omened family, by seeing the
name of De Soissons written upon the
old French music.
"Constance Grierson a De Soissons !
Great heavens; Is it possible?" she almost
shrieked, starting from the couch in the
xtremity of her wonder.
"Yes. What is the matter r cried Ar
thur, staring at her In startled surprise.
"Nothing. But do you suppose I could
listen to such a story of marvellous coin
cidences without amazement? How won
derful I How awfully strange 1" she
murmured, and that shiver of terror
again passed through her frame.
"And I have not come to the end of
. these more than natural coincidences,"
te continued. "Miss Grierson's fortune
Is hampered by an extraordinary will, to
the effect that if she is not married before
the age of twenty, and to a man of pedi
gree, the whole of it, save a trifling an
nuity, falls into the hands of her moth
er's family, the De Soissons."
At those words Mrs. Castleton, who
tad sunk into deep thought, looked up
with new wonder In her eyes. "Pardon
me," she said, eagerly. "I did not hear
the last sentence."
He repeated the words, imputing the
strange intense interest of her look to
sympathy with the story. "And to what
members of the family?" she asked, in a
voice trembling with eagerness.
"One-half goes to certain relatives in
England, the chief of whom is one Mr.
Wylie."
"And the other half?"
"Goes to another branch of the family
In Brittany," he answered. '
Mrs. Castleton covered her face with
ber hands, and sank back upon the
couch, seemingly prostrated by intense
excitement.
Arthur took his leave, much troubled
In mind, and promising to visit her early
the next morning. From the time that
they had stood upon the footing of lovers
he had never parted from him so strange
ly as on that night. As he pressed her
lips he fonnd them cold as ice. The white
face and its rigid lips and wild eyes
haunted him through the night, and seem
ed to strangely aaociate with some painful
memory that he could not fix for a while.
Could U resemblance to th por
4S
MacKENZIE V
trait to the dead child at he had teen
it ttrttched out beneath the rough blanket
in the fUherman't hutt The very thought
made the. cold dews of terror start out
upon his brow. No, it was impossible;
bis morbid imagination would find resem
blances where no shadow of such existed.
A gloomy, terrible night was that to Ar
thur Penrhyddyn.
But far more terrible was the night
passed by Mrs. Castleton. The moment
Arthur had quitted her, she ran np to heT
bedroom, and cast herself upon her knees,
and buried her face in the bed cover. The
next moment she rose to her feet and
paced the room like one distraught Wild,
incoherent ejaculations burst from her
lips, and sobs and groans. Hour after
hour passed away, and still this frenzied
excitement, this exaggerated hysteria, was
unabated, until exhausted nature could
endure no more; and throwing herself
upon the bed, she fell into a stupor of
insensibility rather than a healthful sleep.
When Arthur came in the morning, she
was too ill to receive him. She had not
left her room ; could not receive bim until
the Twrt dsv. Such was the messes de
livered by Mrs. Freeman, which sent him
away with a heavy heart.
Two hours afterward, however, she
drove away in her phaeton to the city,
Doctors' Commons was her destination
her object to examine a certain will.
When she returned to Mrs. Freeman,
whom she had left in the carriage, her
face wore a more composed look, and
there was an expression of smiling satis
faction in her eyes. Most earnest was
AN UNWELCOME
the conversation that passes between the
two ladies on the road homewards.
During the whole of that day Arthur
was like one upon the rack. The indispo
sition of Mrs. Castleton filled him with
grief and dismay ; and a vague sense of
some overhanging evil plunged him into
the deepest dejection.
By ten o'clock the next morning he was
at Brompton. A sense of indescribable
terror seized upon him as he perceived
that every blind in the house was drawn
down. He bounded up the steps, and
knocked at the door with a trembling
hand. His summons was answered by
the elder of two servants. She held a
letter in her hand, which she said ber
mistress had desired her to give it to
him when he came.
He took it without a word, and broke
open the envelope. It contained these
words ;
"Dearest Love:
"When these' lines meet your eyes I
shall be far away. For your take, It is
better we should part. Do not doubt my
love, for while I write these cruel words
it Is deeper than ever. Perhaps we
shall never meet again. Forgive me
pardon me I can write no more. Fare
well."
CHAPTER XVIII.
The day after his visit to Curtain
Road, Stafford made a call at the quar
ters of his old friend Jerome, which were
situated in a dingy street.
Jerome was an artist of the true Bo
hemian class working only when the
want of money pressed him ; spending
one day with the most reckless extrava
gance, dining the next upon bread and
cheese.
Jerome's studio was a garret lit by a
skylight a blank, dreary looking room,
with yellow-ochred walls, broken away In
places. Old canvasses, old plaster casts,
bits of mediieval armour, unfinished
sketches, lumps of whiting, palettes, and
all the litter of an artist's room, lay about
in the wildest confusion.
As Stafford entered the room, he could
but dimly discern the figures within
through the dense cloud of tobacco smoke,
which, combining with puffs from a
smoky chimney, formed a most salubri
ous atmosphere. A snout of welcome
hailed the new arrival.
The occupants of tse room were Je
romLeland and one or two other art
ists, and a well-dressed, aristocratic look
ing man to whom the reader has been
already slightly introduced Mr. Parsons.
"Welcome, wanderer, back again to the
sweet shades of Soho," cried Jerome, the
atrically, embracing his visitor.
"Yes, boys," said Stafford, "I have
come back to the regions of fog and
smoke vnce more, and none the worse for
my Journey.
"Oh, by the bye, I quite forgot to do
the honors," said Jerome. "Allow me to
Introduce you, Mr. Parsons, to an esteem
ed friend of ours, Mr. Edward Stafford,
a brother artist."
Mr. Parsons twirled hie moustache,
stared, and bowed slightly. Stafford
haughtily acknowledged the introduction
by a curt bow.
And you have really managed to exist
for one month without gazing upon the
gas it glories of the Strand. It is won
derful what human nature can go
through," exclaimed Jerome.
Stafford called Jerome aside.
"By the by," he said, "I want you to
give me en exact description of that girl
who sat to you for Circe '
"Oh, I have wonderful news to tell
you about her," interrupted Jerome. "I
have found out who she Is. My lady
turns out to be a great heiress one Miss
Grierson."
"No, no ; you are mistaken," cried Staf- j
ford, turning pale -r "it is not she I mean ;
it could not be ; it What proof have .
you of this?" .
"Proof enough to convince any judge
that ever sat upon the bench. Listen I"
And he told him the adventure at the
Haymarket
"A most palpable mistake," exclaimed
Stafford. "You were deceived by a re
semblance; such things are of daily oc
currence." "Oh I of course you must start the re
semblance theary," answered Jerome,
mockingly. "You are another of those
who believe an heiress can do no wrong.
But I have not near finished yet. Listen
to the sequel. I had made up my mind
to look in the 'Court Guide' next morning
for Miss Heiress' address, and pay her
a visit, but I was fool enough to be
talked over by Mr. Arthur Penrhyddyn,
who was iu a Jieailful state of mini nt
the thought of one of his swell lot being
shown up. He told me that he knew the
young lady; that he waa going to visit
her the next morning ; and that he would
put the question to her point blank
whether she knew me or not"
"Well?" cried Stafford, eagerly.
"Well, It turned out just as I might
have expected. He appointed to meet me
at the 'Bedford' that same night and In-
lis
COMMUNICATION,
stead of coming sent a note of apology,
saying that he had quite forgotten to
speak to the lady upon the subject; was
very sorry he could not see me, but was
unwell, and so on. All a parcel of pre
varications; and I have never set eyes
upon him since."
"But what motive do you suppose Mr,
Penrhyddyn should have for purposely
avoiding the meeting?" asked Stafford,
whose face had fallen during Jerome's
last speech.
"What motive? Why, he had spoken
to Miss Grierson, and the reult was too
favorable to my opinion to be reported to
me.
"Mr. Arthur Penrhyddyn is utterly In
capable of subterfuge," cried Stafford,
warmly; but for all his warmth, he felt
but 111 at ease.
"Oh, of course because he's an aristo
crat I" sneered Jerome. "But I have not
done yet. Now comes the grand tableau,
Behold the group ready arranged. Leland.
these other two fellows and our aristo
cratic friend here" pointing to Parsons
behold my witnesses, listen to my tes
timony, ana tnen doubt If you can. Hav
ing, about a fortnight ago, run out of
cash, I was seized with an inclination
for work. Consequently, I had no leis
ure to devote to the pursuit of my ex
inamorata; but being, two days ago, the
happy possessor of certain coins of the
realm, the fever suddenly seized uoon me,
So I Immediately consulted the pages of
the 'Court Guide ;' discovered that a Miss
Grierson resided In Harley street; made
inquiries In the region of flunkeydom, and
discovered that It was a lady witji golden
hair; and yesterday morning, In the com
pany of the gentlemen present strolled
down Harley street. Just aa we got with
in two doors of the house, who should
issue forth from It, to step Into the car
riage that was waiting at the curt, but
my lady herself, accompanied by the very
old fellow I saw her with at the theater.
I pressed forward she turned her head
in my direction, and you should have seen
the expression of her face; here's my
aristocratic friend, here, was standing
close at my elbow ask him."
(To be continued.)
Didn't Snft.
Didn't that new nurse come that I
engaged for little Reginald?" asked Mr.
Stiles.
"Oh, yes," replied Mrs. Stilea"but
she wouldn't do. She had nothing but
blue dresses to wear, and blue, you
know, Is only for girl babies. Pink's
for boys."
Dark Town.
Pearl And the novel says they "lived
happily ever after."
Ruby I don't see how that waa poo
alble whan they lived In Pittsburg.
9
Sleep.
Although the phenomenon has been
observed since man has existed, the
true nature of sleep and what causes
It are practically mysteries to-day. All
recognize the necessity of sleep and
kiiow mai u is me sovereign remeuy
for fatigue "tired nature's sweet re
storer." This fact has led to the theory that
sleep Is induced by the poisons which
are known to be formed and passed in
to the blood stream during wearying
exercise of mind or body. The theory
Is that these poisons benumb the
uerve-center controlling the circulation
in the brain, with a consequent reduc
tion In the blood supply; this "ane
mia" of the brain produces uncon
sciousness, or sleep, during which the
activities of body and mind are re
pressed, the formation of "fatigue poi
sons" Is arrested, and those already
formed and circulating in the blood are
eliminated.
When this has taken place the puri
fied blood flgRln nnurlslips and stimu
lates the circulation ceuter, an In
creased volume of blood flows to the
brain, and the subject awakes, renew
ed in spirit and flesh, and ready for
the labors of the day.
This explanation Is only a theoreti
cal one, but It Is plausible. Whatever
may produce It and whether It Is a
cause or an accompaniment, we know
that a lessened blood supply In the
brain Is associated with healthy sleep,
and that cerebral excitement and con
gestion must be overcome before nor
mal sleep can take place.
The relation of the circulation to
sleep Is seen in the alternate drowsi
ness and Insomnia of the very aged.
While sitting up they are drowsy and
cannot keep their eyes open, but the
minute they lie down the power to
sleep forsakes them. This Is probably
due to the fact that the arteries have
lot their tone. While the subject sits
np the blood sinks away from the brain
because the weakened heart Is unable to
overcome the pull of gravity ; but when
be lies down the blood trickles Into the
vessels of the brain rind the smaller ar
teries are passively dilated by Its pres
ture. Of course the process Is not quite
bo purely mechanical as this, for no one
could live with such flabby arteries, but
the force of gravity does act In a meas
ure. The treatment of this form of Insom
nia of the aged Is not in the giving of
hypnotics, but of something that will
tone up the blood-vessels, such as a cup
of hot beef tea, of not too strong tea, or
even of weak coffee a paradox, since
these things are usually supposed to be
inimical to sleep. Youth's Companion.
Knew No State's nigrhta.
No criminal could ever get away
from "Big Sim" by the cross-country
method. He Is familiar with every
foot of ground in eastern Nevada and
can outtrall a kl-yo-te. As deputy sher
iff of Eureka he engaged In several
long chases, always with success. Ills
capture of a horse thief known as
"Spanish Abe" was the toast of Eureka
for many a day.
This "Spanish Abe" was a bad actor
who made It a business to appropriate
stray cattle and the blooded mores of
the neighborhood. With a companion
he was finally rounded up and Incarce
rated In the Eureka jail. The next
night, however, the criminals forced
the window of their cell and took to
the brush, mounted on the fleetest ani
mals they could steal'. "Big Sim" hours
later "hit the trail" In pursuit. "Span
ish Abe" turned toward Utah and was
changing horses along the road.
"Big Sim," renewing his mount like
wise and cutting cross country, gained
on the fugitives In the desert Pur
sued and pursuer had been riding con
tinuously and the horses were giving
way under the strain. But "Big Sim"
kept on, and they say he was well Into
Utah near Fillmore, to be specific
when he brought "Spanish Abe" and
his companion upon a level with his
gun and clapped on the handcuffs.
"You ain't got no right to take us,
81m," the Spaniard whined. "We're In
Utah."
"Rats!" "Big Sim" replied. "I'm no
surveyor. Come on." White Pine,
Nev., News.
Not Homo Grown.
"He planted some mint In his back
yard."
"Any come up?"
"Some came up yesterday, but It
came up with the spring lamb from
the market" Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Probably more men would Join the
burcb if some Initiatory work were
pot on whan new member Is added.
JAMES H. ECKELS
lnddea Death of Former Comptroller
of CmmmcT.
The death in Chicago of James II.
Eckels, president of the Commercial
I National Bank of that city, and a for
mer comptroller of the currency, re
moved a figure of national interest. Mr.
Eckels' end came suddenly and was
due to heart disease.
James Herron Eckels was born at
Princeton, 111., November 22, 1868, and
most of his life had been spent In Illi
nois. He wn aril dim tori from tha Al.
bany (N y.) Law school in 1880. He
practlced ,aw at Ottawa, 111., until ap-
p,,, by Pre8,dent Cleveland comp-
troUer of currency in 1893. This
act of Cleveland's early in his second
tePn, when e,t hmttim ... f
ver was almost at its height, set the
erar heads In the United States Ren-
ate wagging with distrust and they held
up Mr. Eckels' appointment. They de
clared that a stripling lawyer from the
backwoods of Illinois, one who did not
even know the A. B. C's of finance,
could not administer the duties and
pilot the treasury ship through the tern-
w-v?
JAMES II . ECKELS.
pest then raging. In six months these
same Senators who had opposed, criti
cised and ridiculed Eckels' nomination
were praising him, for he had succeed
ed from the start.
Mr. Eckels was long an admirer and
an ardent supporter of President
Cleveland. Mr. Eckels' friends in Illi
nois had asked tlie President to name
him United States District Attorney for
the Northern District of that State, and
that was the place he expected to get
But Mr. Cleveland saw In him quali
ties which he thought could be put to
use In a better cause. They were
strong common sense, aggressive hones
ty, Intrepid courage and untiring In
dustry, and he determined on the mas
terstroke. Mr. Eckels made an enviable record
In aiding tottering banks during the
dark days of 1893. It has been said
of bim that he was "unstampedable,
coolest and most courageous in the hour
of greatest danger, and with all his
powers constantly at full command."
rime and again he saved banks, and
even business communities, from disas
ter by his timely, tactful and sensible
action. When he retired from office la
1897 It was to accept, almost at once,
the presidency of the Commercial Na
tional Bank, of Chicago, a place now
made vacant by his early death. H
became one of the foremost financial
advisers of the country, rising from an
obscure lawyer, little known outside of
Ottawa, 111., his home.
Some Temperature,
The Quaker's habit of calm some
times deceives onlookers as to bis real
feelings. There was an occasion on
which Mrs. Abigail Gray's peaceful
countenance aroused resentment In the
heart of her niece, one of "the world's
people."
"I don't see how you could sit there,
Aunt Abigail, and bear that man talk
and never look as If you cared," she
said, tearfully, referring to a late In
terview with an unprincipled shop
keeper. "There I was boiling, and not
even so much as one of your cap ruf
fles stirred."
"If thee could have seen far enough,
below the cap ruffles," replied Mrs.
Gray, sedately, "thee would have seen
that I was boiling, also, but without
steam, my child."
A Waato of Good EnsIUh.
Bobby's mother was often distressed
by her smal son's lapses from correct
speech, all the more because his reports
from school were always so good.
"Bobby," she said, plaintively, ona
day, "why do you keep telling Major to
'set up' when you know "sit up' Is what
you should say?"
"Oh, well, mother," Bobby answered
hastily, "of course I have lots of gram
mar, but I don't like to waste It oa
Major when 1 doesn't know the differ
ence, being a dog."
Perfmnte Worth IS a. Drop.
The Chinese have a perfume made of
water lilies that costs 8 a drop.
A man Is always at least as old as h
ooufttMt to being.