The Columbia register., April 21, 1905, Image 6

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I goiind by a Spell
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.CIUTTER XXY.-fContlnnedj
"On day he asked peraissiou to tske
Hit with him to se th horticultural
how, at Bury. I did not wish to gv I
alwaya bad a strange feline. almost
aniountiug to a dread, of being lofT al-me
with him; bat I would not bar men
tioned it for th world, Grandfather,
however, thinking that It would pleas
me, jrav a ready assent
"In th exhibition w met a very dis
agreeable looking old lad.r, who waa in
troduced to me aa Mr. Humphries, and
who Invited na horn to dint with ler.
Bh waa accompanied by a young lady,
with remarkably red hair, and strang
lookinf eyes, whom ah railed Judith.
"We went. Cousin Johu and I. horn
with them to a large brick house in a
retired part of the town. After dinner
Cousin John and the young lady, whom
he railed Miss Porter, began to ta!k
about mesmerism. I had never heard of
It before did not know the meaniug of
the- word. Suddenly she turned to me,
and asked tne how I should like to be
tr.esmeriied. I answered that 1 did not
know what It waa. Oh. it'a the strsng
t iention in the world.' said John.
This young lady i very clever at it.'
"After some little rernision. I con
sented, but very unwiiiing'y. Then they
took me into a dark wmi. Mi lrtr
at down in a cheir. Ou the wall at the
back waa hnng a black curtain, and
around her shoulder wa draped a b!ack
cloth. l"iia the table in front of her
was a lamp, in which waa fixed a pow
erful reflector, that threw a daxt'.ing
light npou her face. She seated uie op
posite to her. and bade nie fii my eyes
upon hers. I did . Never can I for
got the effect. I was ouce taken to a
wild beast show. The glare of her wide
ly distended eyes waa exactly like that
which I had seen there in the tigers. It
fastened upon mine, and held them fas
cinated. 1 had no power to shift thm;
and as I gated, spellbound, upon her,
they gradually dilated until they seemed
to be two enormous globes of fire, sus
pended in ntter darkness. Then I lost
all recollection.
"It appears that while In this condi
tion you are compelled to answer truth
fully any question put to you. and to
execute upon awaking any act you may
lave promised to perform while in the
mesmeric state. I believe that in my
trance they extracted from me eTery par
ticular of my uncle's wllL
"When I awoke I found myself In the
dining room, lying upon a sofa, and Mrs.
Humphries holding a vinaigrette to my
nose. I felt very weak, and strangely
dated. Couain John made very light of
the roatter-raid that I had got fright
ened, and fainted away, and impress
ed upon me that I must be sure not to
speak of it to grandfather. And I did
not
"I cannot dwell upon the dreadful
story. After this he found ways and
means to subject me again and again to
this terrible influence. I grew pale
and emaciated; my nerves were shat
tered, my memory was almost destroy
ed, and a kind of stupefaction aeixed up
on my brain. Night and day, aleeping
or waking, those awful globbea of fire
glared at m out of the darkness. It
was killing me, as slowly and surely as
the deadliest poison could hare done. My
grandfather was in a troubled stale of
mind. Fbyaicians were brought; tbey
pronounced my complaint to be a grad
ual softening of the brain.
"In the meantime, I was restrained
from divulging the truth by threats from
Cousin John threats not only against
myself, but against my dear grandfath
er. What torture could have excte.led
what J then endured? But I could not
reason. I had not the power to make
one effort to free myself from the hide
ous thraldom; and at last I became ut
terly passive.
'"One day, I was seized with a resist
less impulse to steal my grandfather's
keys, go to the cabinet, seek for the se
cret drawer, take out the will and carry
It to Cousin John. Then I knew that
ucb an act had been imposed upon me
by those terrible eyee in one of my
trancea. All day I fought against it: but
an invisible power seemed driving me
on. Suddenly, the thought flashed upon
me that I would run away fly from all,
everything. The instant it occurred, I
acted upon it. I run up into my room,
opened my desk, took out all the money
I bad saved, and while my grandfather
waa taking bis after dinner nap, stole
out of the house not thinking, in my
baste, even to put a hat on. It was quite
dark, and no one observed me. I went
on, taking no heed of my whereabout.
until I found myself in the streets of
Bury.
"I had crept under the old Norman
gateway, where you saw me. I remem
bered that I had once chanced to see
the city road pointed out from a spot
very near to where I stood. When you
left me, I took that road. That night,
or, rather, towards morning, I slept in a
wood. For a long time I dared not in
quire my way, nor, until I was half dead
with exhaustion, did I venture to buy
food.
"After terrible hardships. I reached
Ipswich. There I purchased new clothes
and took the train to the city. Although
I had still money in my pocket when I
arrived, I began to think of how I should
get my living."
"But did you not think of writing to
your grandfather of telling him all you
bad suffered?" I interrupted.
"Oh, no; I dared not. In the first
place, I felt what a wicked creature
they had made of me how I had be
trayed his confidence how I had almost
become a thief! and I knew that if I
went back to him to-morrow, the same
thing would begin over again. For while
they knew my whereabouts, no earthly
power could protect ma from the in flu
euce of those awful eyes. My grand
father would think me dead my cousin
. would Inherit all bis wealth, and I ahould
be safe; and so I resolved that hence
forth I would live unknown, and that
not even my name should ever paas my
lips."
"And how did you obtain employ
ment?" I asked.
"Well, people bad always praised my
drawings, and paintings, and needlework
very ranch. Seeing such thtnra exposed
for sale, suggested th Mea of offeting
some of my owa work. 1 found a ready
sale, and so I have gone on ever since.
And now you know my history
"IIsv you seen your cousin John
since you bar been in this house T 1
Inquired. (
"Tea, aha answered, shuddering.
"This evening, as I waa sitting at the
window watching the sunset. I heird
my door open, and there, staudlng upon
the threshold. I turner! and saw him
ami that awful woman. I screamed with
terror, and then the room seemed to
awitn round, and I almost fainted."
"And what did they want of you?"
"Cousin John pretended to be very
mneh in love with me, and proposed that
we should marry. He said that he bad
come from my grandfather, who was
very angry at my flight, and who would
neer forgive me but upon those tenns;
but that it I consented, we should at
once return to Rosa Cottage, and all
would be forgiven."
The door was suddenly burst open.
Judith appeared!
CHATTER XXVI.
With a faint cry. CUra shrank back,
shuddering, whilst I stood motionless for
a moment, transfixed with dismay, gat
ing upon our mutual enemy.
"My appearance aevma a pleasure
more startling than agreeable." said
Judith, with that stinging Irony that
was to me worse fian her most fiendish
mood. "One would suppose you were
about to leave the house without one
word of adieu to your host or hostess,
Iiut we do not part with our guests so
easily."
Instinctively I had drawn near to
Clara, aa though I would protect her.
She had sunk into a chair, trembling,
not daring to cast a glance at Judith,
who had now advanced Into the room.
"You do not seem to be aware. Miss
Clara, that thia gentleman and I are
well acquainted. He has not told you
of our connection. I presume?"
"No. no; for heaven's sske. do not tell
her. if you bsve any mercy, I implore
youT I interrupted, throwing myself np
ou my knees before her.
I might as well have pleaded to a
hungry tigress. Withont deigning to no
tice my supplication, she still went on.
In the same strain of cold-blooded mock
ery. "Perhaps you are not aware that
this lover of yours la my Jmaband!"
For a moment Clara looked stunned,
bewildered, unable to realize the Mea
those words contained; but ss 1 made
a movement towards her. she uttered a
low cry, and ahrank cowering Into a
corner.
"No. no!" I exclaimed. In a voice of
anguish.
"I dare you to deny It." cried Judith.
"Deny It if you can!"
I slunk ont of the room like a beaten
dog. I dared not cast even a look upon
her. The last blow had fallen; and.
most agonising thought of all, I felt that
I bad bitterly deserved it.
Judith led the way downstairs Into
my own room, and I mechanically fol
lowed. She reprimanded the nurse, who
awoke In a fright at our entrance, for
her negligence in suffering me to leave
the chamber: would not listen for a mo
ment to her protestations, but ordered
ber to quit the room.
I had listlessly sst myself upon the
side of the bed. "Oh, If I could but
die!" I thought.
Judith gazed at me intently for a mo
ment, and something almost skin to pity
came into ber face at the sight of my
despsir.
"Silas." she said. In a tone different
to any one she had ever used to me,
"were It not for your conduct to that
girl. I could pity you: but you have
behaved to her like a dishonorable cur;
you have gained her affections withi.ut
giving her the shadow of a hint of your
position."
She paused for a moment, and then
said, in a low voice:
"There has been a curse upon me from
my birth. My childhood was passed, in
squalor aud degradation, but my soul
loathed my condition. I was exquisite
ly sensitive to ridicule, and brimming
over with self-love; and I was hooted
at for my red hair, and awkward figure,
and strange eyes. Oh, if I had known
the power there was in those eyes, what
a revenge I would have had upon the
mockersl When my condition was bet
tered. I tried hard to cast away the past
I read, I studied. I cultivated my mind.
but my associates were changed only
from vagabonds to hypocrites. Then I
began to love him! Oh, how I loved
him! His love was to carry me away
from all this to regenerate me. And
then he left me, and Satan filled his
plate in my soul. There was only one
thing more wanted to complete my de
gradation to be despised by you. You
loathe me, and yet yon would lay down
your life for that girl! In what is she
so much my superior? Were you an
emperor, aud did you love me with your
whole heart and soul, I could never feel
for you the shadow of love. But still
I am a woman. You are my husband in
name, at least, and I cannot forgive
your hatred of me.
"Wreak what vengeance you please
upon me; there is no suffering thut I
cannot endure for her sake to suve
her!" I pleaded.
"How fortunate It Is that I have a soul
above jealousy, or your passiouate pray
era might haye quite an opposite effect
upon me," she said, sarcastically. Then,
with a change of tone, "Acknowledge
me aa your wife before this woman,
who will be here in the morning, and I
will save this girl, and thus be revenged.
I would hare informed her grandfather
of her whereabouts, and a great deal
more, the moment I beard of it, had it
not suited me to keep her here as an in
strument against you. Render ber use
less to ma by consenting to my wishes,
and It will suit my purpose to release
her. You know that I could force you
to do this or anything I pleased," she
added, Imperiously, "without any auch
aid, If I chose. Now, will you do what
I require, or will you not?'
"1 Willi" I answered, firmly. What
waa It to me now who knew that she
waa my wife? Had she desired It, I
would have led her through tua public ,
sirxia, auj r.s pro, Utinej u.e u t to
every passer by. If 1 could save CUra
by such a now triSiug saeritlc, it would
be at least some reparation for my cruel
conduct to her.
When our bargain waa couclnded, she
lay down upon the soft; I still sat In
the same position upon the bed, with
my elbows, resting upon my knees and
my face buried lna my hands; and thus
the broad dayllght'ssw me aa it tried to
struggl through the curtalued window.
CHAPTKU XXVII.
Vtterly worn out. I was Just sinking
Into a doming sleep, when I waa roused
by the hateful tones of Mr. Porter'a
voice greeting bi daughter, aa she sat at
breakfast la my room. Another enemy
added to the number that encompassed
me!
He quickly turned to me and began,
in his usual hypocritical snutfle, "1 hear
that It bath pleased l'rovjdeuc to put
you In a fair way of recovery. So you
thought to get off. Master Silas, did
you?" he said, with a satyr-like leer up
on hia face; "but Judith has laid her
run away husband safely by the heels
thia time."
About 12 o'clock that same morning
there came a knock at the door. It was
th nure; there waa a whispered con
versation, and then Judith came up to
nje I waa sitting before the fire In aa
easy chair and said, quietly, "Mad.Mue
Bern, th woman whom I told you was
com lug to-day, is here; retnemlr your
promise, and I will remember mine."
In a few momeuts ther came Into
th room a tall, iron-looking woman.
Judith' father cringed, aud fawned, sud
leered, aud Slturllcd. Hut Judith Sttod
with her hand resting upon th table,
cold and defiant, never deigning to Ler
visitor even a salutation.
"And you ar Silas Carton?" she
said, tuiug upon in a straugety intense
look.
"That is th nam I am known by, I
answered.
"And ia this woman your wife?" she
asked, pointing to Judith.
I paused for ou moment. I could feel
Judith's fierce eyes were upon m; then
I answered quietly. "She is."
Madam Kern pained again, and
turned her cold glance upon her; It was
met by on as fearless ss her own.
"The sum of fi.ZM a year is settled
upon you as sn annuity," she said, again
turning to me aa th door closed upon
Mr. Porter. "It will be paid you quar
terly, on personal application, by Messrs.
Fogle St Quirk. Your wife" there was
a strsnge emphasis upon th word
"commuuirated with me through those
lawyers; and as I waa Informed that you
were too ill to atteud at their office, 1
bav come her b-Judge. I ,m
able, whether you ar th man you pre
tend to be."
"Have you no wish to Inquire Into
your parentage. Silas?" sakl Judith,
spesklng for th first time.
"It will be useless if be has." answered
Madame l'.erne, freeiingly; "he will nev
er know it."
Aa she turned to leave th room, an
other figure appeared upon the scene
Montgomery was stsnding In th door
way. She started bark, with a look
and gesture of loathing; but the next mo
ment drew herself up. with the same
frigid, psssionless look upon ber fare as
before.
For a moment Montgomery stood look
ing at her with an exultant grin. "You
see, we have met again,' b said. "It
seems that you and I cannot help get
ting mixed up with one another. Your
protege has married a very old friend
of mine. Mile. Zenobia, clalrvoyante, as
the bills used to ssy. Her father, too,
sn old boon companion."
Then, suddenly chnnging his ton from
mockery to mslignancy. be added, hiss
ing out his words, "This la my work;
but it Is only the beginning of my ven
geance. You shall feel It yet."'
(To M continued.!
Gem from the German.
Sophron. a wise teaclnr, dkl not al
low bis grown-up sons and daughters
to associate with those w hose conduct
was not perfectly correct ami proper.
"Dear father,' said the gentle F.ula-
He to him one day when he forbade
her going In company with her brother
to se the light-minded Luclnda, "you
must take us to be very childish if you
think she can do us any barm!"
But the father quietly took an ex
tinguish d coal front the fireplace and
reached It to his daughter.
"It docs not burn," said he; "take It,
child r
Eulalle did ao, and behold! her deli
cate hand and pure white dress were
soiled at once. ,
"One cannot be too careful In touch
ing coals!" aald he Impatiently.
'Certainly!" replied her father. "You
see, my child, that conl blacken even
where It does not burn; ao does the
society of the Immoral."
Good Title.
Poet The edltordldn't pay the leaat
attention to my last verses. Now. I
have written a comic poem entitled
"The Alarm Clock."
Friend Io you think he will take
any notice of It?
Poet Oh, yes; It'll make him open
his eye.
Tip that Failed.
Walter (In rexUiurant) Pardon me.
but gentlemen usually remember the
waiter here, Mir.
Guert Do they? Well, I have a
poor memory for facea, bo If I fall to
recognize you when we meet again,
kindly call my attention to the over
night. Might Ite True.
Wife This pper tells about a man
who says he never made love to a
woman In his life. Do you believe It?
Husband Well, I have no reason to
doubt It Perhaps be didn't have to.
Wife Didn't have to?
nusband That's what I aaid. II
probably made a specialty of wldowa.
Might Have Been Worse.
"Truly," said the disappointed fe
male, "marriage Is a lottery.''
"What did you draw?" asked the
Inquisitive person.
"Less than half the alimony I expected."
WiCKlY'S WOOD
By It. W.
CnAPTEH X.-Cetla4.)
Sh could not bllv It Tbla man
who bad stovd Sunday after Sunday In
th llttl whit church, and had talked
so earnestly f th after life lu relation
to th infinitely smaller questions of this
lit! thia man who had first given her
so lofty a perception of the character aud
person of his principal, by revealing a
surprising breadth aud depth-lu himself!
It could not h that h could slink
away from all of them for th has pur
poe of perfecting a villainous schem to
rob th people among whom h had lived
continuously for nearly half a yar; and
who kindly acta of confident, trustful
hospitality had fallen about him Ilk th
Jews of heaven, aa he had said.
It had been said that ah had become
his only defender. But sh could do no
less than belter that th assistant and
confidant of Prof. Huntley could b
nothing less than a situ-vr and honorable
man In all his dealing.
But why! why! could h not com to
her and tell her all? He had shown, and
had spoken In hundred of ways an ad
miration and fondness for her that had
given Snndtowu the undoubted right to
say that h was "head over heel lu love
ttith her."
She had been jestingly cruel to him In
that respect. It I true! Rut he knew that
waa bevaus of her love for the man who
was hi master and employer. How could
the slav aud the hireling expect more
of her?
Rut at last It was daylight, and Mrs.
Redden waa calling thorn to breakfast.
"Coonrod et hin a god spell ago."
Mr. Redden said in explanation of the
absence- of the head of the house from
the head of th table. "II yur, .Miss
Weekly! you set right down In this ehur
rloete to the stove. Hit's kitie uli damp
un chilly this mornun. I.Uiy. you set
down thar. Your' young uu hearty, uu
kin stan' th damp better'n your mammy.
How did you sleep? I waa certain at
you wouldn't have enough klvvrrs on
ynr bed las' night Hit's been so sweltry
fur th last three-four week. You tske
rreatu un sugar both, don't yuh? I do!
I don't wawn't no coffy leu hit gut
good froUh cream un sugar, both. H
ynrsef to th fry, I.itiy, un pas It to
yur mammy. That salt-risun bread hslnt
as fraisti ua bit ort to be! When did you
fust nodus anytheng outen th way with
John Mis Weekly r
"Never till yesterday morning, after
we bad heart th news of th bsuk
breaking," said Mrs. Wtckly, who wa
sitting at th right of her friend and
neighbor, trying very hard to show her
appreciation of the friendly office of the
kind-hearted old Hixwler woman, by nib
bling a very little at almost every bit of
delicacy that waa heaped in almost un
limited variety and profusion upon her
plate.
"Well. well. I do say! Why. I aea to
Coonrod two week ago. Mis Weekfy,
They' sme-h'n the matter with Squsr
Weekly. He's a do-on work at he'd
ortn't to do,' s'tl. 'I nuvvr see a man
a do-un uv weemun's work, but ome-h'n
wrong.' Why, I'd git down un crawl
on my han's un knees. Mis Weekly,
'fore I'd uvver thenk a lettuu Coonrod
go nut un milk one uh sr cows. He
liu int tiuvver done no weemuu's work
scant him un uie went togyuther, so he
ha Int. Why, w heu I. urn thar w as a
toby "
"Now, mother," said Columbus Red
den, wsmingly, "please don't ssy any
thing alMMit that interesting period of
my existence, on this occasion, will you?
I don't care for those reminiscences my
self, having heard them twice a week
for, say fifteen years."
. i
CHAPTKR XI.
Columbus glauced a little confusedly
at Lizzy Wh-kly. Hi mother paused in
the very act of cutting her fried ham,
and sat ominously stiff with both arms
extended and the knife nud fork held
ready to resume operutioii so kuoii as
she could get sufficient command of her
self to turn her head nwny from the di
rection of Columbus Redden' chair to
ward her own plate.
"You don't k-yur! Huh! Well, I
reckon yon don't k-yur. Hit halnt ben
no trouble to you, ef hit has ben to me,
tih! Hit's mighty tiux to hnve some
body to work fur yuh! uu sen' you to
collige, un pay fur your aigecation so
your kin set roun' un make fun tir the
way your mother tin your father talks.
At's about whus nige-catlon's good fur,
Miss Weekly! Hit's a good theng you
ain't gut no boys to raise un alge-cnte!
A g'yurl haint a go-un to set up un mock
fun a thur mother's way a talkun right
to thur falst."
"You don't happen to have any girls,
mother," retorted Columbus Redden,
smiling in a very self-possessed and ex
asperating way.
"I wush to thuh Ian I had g-yurls,
Instld a the klne uv a boy I've gut. Ho
I do! Whur did you stny so late Ins'
night, my lnrkey? I wnwnt to know
some-b'n 'bout whur you put In so much
time. So I do!" broke In Mrs. Redden,
in a fury.
Mr. Columbus Redden smiled, and.
winked deliberately at Miss Uxzy Wlckly
before proceeding in a calm and pleas
antly mischievous manner:
"Oh, these secrets of ours are not at
all to be Intrusted to the keeping of
women, mother. J here never was a
woman who could keep a secret, you
know. Ami, of course, I couldn't for a
moment entertain the Idea, Indeed, I
couldn't. I'd do anything to oblige you.
But really "
And Mr. Columbus Redden smiled
again and winked at Lizzy Wlckly, with
quiet, enjoyable humor.
"Yes, you'd do lots to uhbleege me,"
retorted his mother with great scorn, and
going on to cut and eat her fried ham
with great vigor.
In apite of a downpour of rain, cool
and even chilling in the mero suddenness
of Its fall of temperature from ninety de
grees to sixty-eight degrees, there was a!
most a continuous procession 'of two
horse farm wagons along the Overcoat
road In the dlrcTlTonTif Sandtown.
Little troops of horsemen went scurry
Ing round these wagons at every point,
going this wry and that, and looking not
T4Y10K
unplcturqu. tad even cavalierly, drap.
ed a they wr, In variously colored
hor blanketa and llnsey counterpane,
whoa variegated color and cunningly
woven ornamentations ar marvels of th
ancient housewifely skill In many In
diana bom. And very efficient "water
proofs" tbey wr, loo; th fin long
wool of which thry wer closely woven
"shedding" th water of an ordinary rain
and th coldest wind of any wluter day
In a maimer that secured th wearer
from these Inclemenrle of the weather
to a very satisfactory drgre Indeed
considering all thing.
Directly after breakfast Columbus
Redden donned hi ow n long raped over
coat, and with an umbrvlla In hi hand
and hia pautalooua turned up at th bot
toms until bla neat fitting ralfsklti boots
showed to advantage, had gone cautious
ly out of th front yard Into the aid
lane, and stepping on bunches of grass
and chunk of firewood and large chips
a a Sort of disconnected pontoon, h
passed scatheless over the water that
had spread about th level of th field
of corn and the narrow lane and so
Joined th processlou of ws)f.irer going
to Saudtown.
Conrad Redden did not com home to
dinner, and supper wa upon the table
and watting at that, wheu he finally
tuadn hi appearance,
"Whut hr the wurl's Up' yuh this
way, Coonrod? Why, I 'lowed some h'n
must a happened to yuh, rcle you'd ho
hotn to dinner, shorely," Mr. Redden
said S Coonrod hurriedly Jerked hi
thalr up, and nodded to hi two guest,
who wer already seated In olwsllence
to the urgvut request of their kind heart
cd hostess.
"I Shni you give I. nut a purty gixd
rakeun, did yoh?" he ssld. winking sly
ly at his two guests and legluulng to pile
eatable upon hi plate, and to hurry
the dishes around lu a way that Indicated
the extreme psugs of htwiger. "Hit don't
do bo good, ole woiner Ji. J is s'well l
the boy 'Ion. I'll git Mm a plslst en the
bonk when hits Bird so hit kin open
sgln, ur when a new un start. II don't
w aw tit to farm ut. t'n I don't blame
him. He' gut a algerotlon sot h kin
meek a llvun without work. In uv
course no feller's a go-un to work ef he
kin hep ut. Rut I've gut to eat. un hurry
bark to town to-night I'm needed up
there."
"Whut fur. Coonrod?" ssid hi wife,
pausing again with her arms extended,
th points of knlf and fork resting om
inously upon her piste, whll her face
was turned with fixed scrutiny toward
that of th head of th house. "What
you needed up thar fur? You halnt a
go-un a step to town, ef they'e go un
t be a rukus up thar now."
"They halnt a go-un to he no rukus tip
town If 1 kin hep ut. I don't know
whurrer I ken or nut. But I've klne a
kept ut down all day. But they 'a a lot
a th Dikee un th Hparkse un the
Kllet un the Shipley, un I don't know
who offun Rig Rattlesnake Crlk, Jist
com en. this rvenun. I'n they're fur
hossinj that feller Masn up. t'n he'll be
bosst up, too, rf I callit keep up down."
"Is Mr. Mason n town?" Lixzy asked.'
She did not know what It wa to be
"host up," but she knew enough about
the Impetuous people upon the Rig Rat
tlesnake Creek to know that he wss men
aced with a real danger. And the very
uncertainty of It nature made It perhaps
ir.or threatening more to be dreaded.
"I don't know Jist whur he I nt. He's
some'rs up awn your Isn 1 thenk. Camp
ed up there, so I h yearn. They's two
companies uv railroad feller up thar
wsti-hun one iiuuther, I low. You see
they both wawnt your Inn.' Llc! I'n this
feller Mason's gut some h'n to do with
nt some-way iirruther. I'n one com
pany'e tryun to sk-yrsr the other'n off;
in lilt a tryun to sk year thatu. t'n ao
they have ut."
CHAITKIt XH.
There wn perhaps a much of III omen
In "Cootirod'' Reddcn'a Information a
to make Mm. Redden visibly uneasy, and
so, by natural and obvlou processes, to
ci.mtnunicate her uneasiness to one of
ber two guests, at least.
Mrs. Wlckly, perhaps, having no other
sorrow pressing upon her snve the one
Involved In her husband's enforced ab
sence on account of his dreadful malady,
bail, even In that, some return of satis
faction. "Your father would never have dreamt
of such a thing as mortgaging your land
without your permission, Lizzy, If he had
not been actually Insane then," she said.
as the two undressed for bed, leaving
Mrs. Redden trying the front door to see
If it had unlocked itself within the last
ten minutes. "What a great pity such
a dreadful disease cannot be known In
time to prevent it, Ilk other diseases."
"You remember that he was wakeful,
mother. He slept very badly for weeks,"
Lizzy said, thinking of her own wakeful
nights of late.
"Yes, but we thought he was only
studying about the fortune that we have
been making fun of him about. Poor
man! I wonder how he Is faring? I
wonder if they are kind to him? Mr,
Redden assured me that tliey would treat
him very kindly. But I'm afraid they
won't understand him."
Simple and unemotional ns were her
mother's words and gestures, Lizzy knew
Hint they indicated a depth of feeling
that no one else would suspect. Ho she
set about the task of reassuring her
mother, with all that Mr. Redden had
suid to her on tho subject.
They talked together in low tones for
a long time whilo the wind nud rain
beat upon the resounding weatherboards
sud shook tho window sashes in the win
dows, and pattered drops of rain against
the panes, with a sound that might hove
hitcn made if the Overcoat road had
thrown its coarsest sands In showers
against the farm house, in a burst of
anger at the Innovation that put a new
and painted building In the place of ihe
old Jog cabin that now leaned lonely and
dejected against a bunch of dreary, sob
bing, soughing pines a quarter of a mllu
awny.
Finally Mrs. Wlckly sank Into a deep
land restful sleep; and Lizzy, feeling that
her only hop of sleep lay In tiring kr
..If lK..rlltfhlv t, Wrslkllltf. PiMI. itfMI i
ed hereelf, and lipped nolehssly down
Siairs). ItHfMIOifg S ti.roii.a ..!
halt L.( K .ru ! f nut nn tha Inti ahl.
It Ht.W ' . ..-- .... ... .-
tired soma porcn wner sn nun in waig
and walk uutll h was tired enough.
without disturbing any on.
In fact, ther was verr llttl dan tee
of being beard, otic sh succeeded In
reaching th long, wide-roofed and 'lat
ticed porck, rut off aa It wss front all
th sleeping apartments, so far as sh
knew. Put scarcely had ah reached th
foot of th stairway, when th "front
door" opened, disclosing Mrs, Redden
also dressed and holding a rand! In her
I1SIK1.
"Is Ihst ti Must rf I'.t'a t
shor you wss awake, I'd a hen upstair
ft
ter you to go witn in. I cainl staouut
iy longer, Kome b'n must a happened,
....
an
ur
s HnrtMi wouiiin i a sisi-i out litis
aw
ar. I wtistt vim J nut in ilU
shawl over yur head, aud com along.
IV yur shoe all right? I'v gut a tair
good una h'yur ef yourn woiit ket
wurter out."
"Mill Br lirtmf atrslnal
1 amount of water. Mr lt.l,ln An.l
IttM-ldca, It doesn't hurt Uie iu th least
get my feet wet.
"Oh. dear! I dasn't to eel mine th
least bit wet. I.as' fall I gut on foot
et ell S lout. ltd mil an ll.
- - , - ,.. aiy,
ro hit thod m rtito a chill un I had
n fevers rur Ibr four week. Retter
111) this llliser sk'surt over tour wMia
dref. Whit show too much after
light. There, Iriiimy pin ut good un
ight. Sih- iroll kin c hull roll ii en nt ft
you wawnt to, ihout ut drappun offun
r un.
Llaiy had tit had time to offer any oh
lectlon. If she had really thought i.f
d'Jevtlug to this short and usually saf
talk to town. For in those day th
somen of I ud una were f anywhere,
for many and cogent reason. Ther
acre no tramp. And In tide, women
aero strong and coursireoiia l.r reason ,.e
th bard work they .II I with their hands;
and msi wer able to make a tfiN.it .I.'-!...
of themselves if Deed be.
This endowed them with
that Women Im k lu lilrr .tnr' V.., r.
ter all, what we call courage I simply
confidence In one's ou power, phH'sl
or inenisi.
Th ItlSn who knntra n
- -. -Sell
deficient III such tihtslral t.P etlasllta.!
power a ar to b raited lato anion
h any emergency, I necessarily row.
nrd. Ths man who is confident la aixt.
brav. ,
What If mother should kit.
w ar away, Mr. Ked.Un? Oughtn't
1 to wsks her and tell herT" M.. .At
a th two stood at th frout door,
t)h. W Won t be tia tin lima at all
Rut Webby you better writ a little not
un leav ut by th ran'l h yur awn th
stin'. She'll ! shore to ut ef sh
git up. I'd hat to wake Vr outen sl.-h
a good Sleep she's a haven liat imar.
(Jut a pencil? yur's some paper."
in ever resiiy and capable old
Ilooalrr woman had found a scrap of
f.olscap paper wher she had put It
among th leaves of a lara hlstorr of
th world, that, alone with aoittai
almanac snd a book nn "Tin It.,-."
constituted th whole library of the Red
den family, save the big. brown hacked
lentner nrnie out or Whlrh Coonrod Red
den "loved to read out loud" on a Sun
day afternoon when he had tired himself
with a walk around th farm to see If
th "armr worm" and the "ft-"
making their annus! Incursions in their
usual lore.
Liy rspldly wrote a few lines, ex
plaining their teiuMrary absence by say
lug that she had gone with Mr. Reddcrt
at II o'cliH-k. to sscertsln what hsl de
tained Mr. Conrad Redden so long, aud
that sh would be back very soon.
(T b continue!!
A LIBRARY 8,004 YEARS OLD.
Tablet Taken from (In at Nippur Hat)
Hack 7,MM It C.
The oldest city public Hilary In th)
I'liltetl State I that of Ronton, which
wna founded In 1N.1I. any the Nr-vr
York Mall. That make It very old,
according to our standards. But Prof.
AngHo llllprccht of the I'nlvcrslly of
Petuieylvnnln has been examining a
library, nud n public library of com
sort, which Is n little older than that
It consists of a ninss of documents, In
sitIIhm! In fiiiiriforin letters on tiles.
In n whig of the temple of Baal nt
Nippur, the ancient Rnbylonlnn city
which. Ilea between Uie Tigris and th
I'tiphrates.
Prof. llllprccht hnd already rtitg out
of tho ruin of this temple nlsnit .'!,
(Kin comtniTclnl, legal nud literary tab
let, ami tliU Inst summer he lias
found 4,Xi0 more. The tablets whlctt
he lins dlwovred this year are the old
eat ever, ao to po4ik, for ho declare
t lint they dale buck as far as 7,000
enrs lieforp Cbrbit,
This discovery Is startling In niorw
setiMOH than one. If the familiar ami
so-called biblical chronology Is right
the Nippur jicople had n library of doc
tumult and stories, probably free to
those who could rend them, some !,
years before Adam was created
or, according to Archbishop I'ssher'a
chronology. 1,102 years before It; for
this lennnsl man supposed (lint exact
ly 4.001 yonrs had elapsed from thu
emit Ion of Ada in to the birth of
Christ, and IIKM your nro sttpiMised to
huve elapsed since (tint ditto.
This chronology luis 1mcii somewhat
illacreillted slncn Archlilxhop Ussher
inuiie his coniputitlotm, and discredit
ed largely ns the result of such ills
covcrlo na those ititule by Prof. H.
priM-lit In Babylonia. It Is to he wild,
however, that the more the Vld Asay
rlan or Babylonian records are looked.
Into the more tliey Increase the re
spect of students for tho Hebrew
HcrlptureH. Reveronco and authority
mtust always go with tho record which
survives In men's lives and thoughts.
Ages after the temple of Buul and tin
great library had boon "a poaseHHlon
for tho bittern, and pools of water,"
and after the very dust of the iitKt syr
vlvor of tho old lllrnirlnns had vnn
Inlicd from, the Interior of Its tomb,
tho stories of OenoHls were ntlll told
by the living BuecesHors of tb priest
who compiled them.