The Columbia register., December 01, 1905, Image 7

tAAAA4AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4j'iFon the southern slope of range of
-vsvAsrvjN-sj- round-topped moorland hills that frowa-
r TT i il vloomilr down nnon it from above.
lA Dead. Pasi
8
By MRS. LOVCTT
CHAPTER.X. (Continued.)
She stood before him trembling; some
thing, too, awoke in her also that vague
something which from the very first his
' presence had shadowed forth in her.
"Answer me. Kitten. Do you under
stand me?" he cried, eagerly; for now
that he had spoken, n hot, impetuous
lover could be more impatient "Do you
love me. child? Do you love me?"
"What is love?" she murmured, below
her breath.
"It is life and delight; It Is happiness,
Kitten: it is what you were longing for,
child."
"Is it happiness?" she ssked, dreamily,
looking away from him. Was this indeed
the answer to the great mystery, which
the wisest men on earth had been unable
to fathom! "Are you sure, quite sure,
.that it is happiness?" she repeated.
"Yes: is it not what you wanted your
self? That I should Btny with you al
ways; only that would not give you con-
i tent always unless you were one with
. me, part of my life, part of my very
self. To understand perfect happiness
.you must love me, and you must be my
wife."
She looked up straight into his eyes.
"And you?" she said, trembling. "Do
you love me, you? Is it perfect happi
ness for you, too?"
Something in the intense earnestness
of her wonderful eyes cut him through
for one moment like a knife; for half e
second he could not meet her look al
most winced before her.
"Are you sure, quite sure," she said
again, "that you, too you have this
wonderful thing, this love which you tell
me about? Is it to make you happy as
well? Or is it only for pity, and because
I spoke ignorantly and foolishly, not
knowing, what I said?"
"Kitten, dearest Kitten!" he cried, tat
ing her soft face between both his hands
and at his touch the blood rushed once
more In a flame to her cheeks. "Why
should you say that; why should I not
love you, child?"
Why, indeed! Perhaps for one swift
hour he believed it himself, her strange
ouestlonings, her persistent doubtful
ness. the curious blending of shrewdness
and of innocence which was the oddest
part of the remarkable creature's char
acter, fanned the flame within him, and
increased, as opposition invariably does,
his longing to take her to himself, until
in very truth he tod himself that he did
inoeea love ner.
"Who could help loving you, my fairy
oueen?" he cried. "Do you think because
I am so much older than you are that
am blind and daTtf and cold to your love
liiess and your sweetness? I cannot love
you as a father. Kitten; that love has
cone from your life forever, but I can
make it up to you, my sweetest, fo
can love, you as a lover and a husband,
and I can teach you, Kitten I can teach
you how to love me back again."
One of her rare sweet smiles stole into
her face, hovering first at the corners of
her mouth and then spreading like sun-
shine to her grave, still eyes, till they
were lit up by a strange, unusual light,
then slowly they sank before him.
"I think I have learned that already,
she whispered, "better oh, yes, far bet
ter than you can teach me."
That was Kitten Layboume's wooing.
And by and by, when the September
days were already drawing to a close,
very quietly, with no wedding guests and
no wedding festivities, with but the vil
lage doctor to give her away, and with
only a small crowd of village poor as
witnesses. In her black dress and bonnet,
with old Keziah behind her to hold her
Kloves, and. the parson who had christ
. fined her to read the service over her,
Catherine Elizabeth Laybourne was mar
ried to Brian Desmond in the little vil
lage church in which she had sat every
- Sunday of her life, and passed out of
its porch a serious-faced but happy
bride, along the path across the church
yard, where her young mother lay at rest
after the short fever of her happy life.
The clergyman kissed her and wished her
joy, the doctor grasped her hands and
blessed her. the school children scattered
autumn flowers under her feet. And
then she stepped into a carriage laden
with luggage which waited for her at the
church gate, and was driven away on her
new life straight from the church to the
station.
CHAPTER XI.
"Good gracious, wonders will never
cease! Felicia, I shall faint! Hold me
or futch my salts bottle!"
The speaker flung down the paper and
threw herself back in her chair with a
gesture of mock despair. She sat upon
the balcony in a low straw chair with
a red and white striped awning over
her head. The little seaside town, with
Its dead-alive streets and its empty es
planade, lay absolutely silent In the calm
of the midday dinner hour, beneath the
windows of the hotel. The sea, calm as
a duck pond, stretched away to heaven
In a great brazen sheet beyond the edge
f the cliffs tiny fishing smacks, brown
or white-sailed, rested motionless upon
Its breezeless bosom. A few straggling
parties of nurses and little children came
laggingly up from the sands below, pat
tering home on stout little stockingless
lew to fteir midday dinners. There was
nothing else to look at, no other evi
dence of life in the primitive little York
shire watering place, nothing but that
niece of news in the pages of the Morn'
ine Post which bad caused Gertrude
Talbot to dash down the offending paper
with a riolence which summoned her
CAMtRON
companion from the cool shadiness of the
hotel sitting room behind her.
"What on earth has happened?" ex
claimed Felicia Grantley, stepping out
through the French window on to the
balcony.
What on earth has not happened"
cried Mrs. Talbot. "I am broken heart
ed! Read that Brian Desmond is mar
ried!" x
Felicia laughed. "What an emotional
woman you are, Uertrude: How mucn
of all this agitation is real, and how
much of it sham? Even if Mr. Desmond
is married, I don't see what it matters
to you you've got a husband. Let us
see who the lady is."
She picked up the paper and began
studying the anouncement herself.
"Laybourne Laybourne! Where have
heard that name?" murmured Felicia
to herself. ','And they were married at
Frierly. The late Prof. Layboume's
only daughter. Why, of course, it must
be the same girl. Oh, poor, poor Roy!
and she, too, dashed down the paper im
patiently. "Koy being- the schoolboy cousin they
wanted you to marry?" inquired Ger
trude. "But why poor Roy? And what
can he have to do with Brian Desmond's
marriage?"
"Oh, never mind, never mind, replied
Felicia, almost angrily, retreating sud
denly back into the room behind her
She was genuinely sorry, and angry, too,
with the girl who perhaps had broken
her faith to Roy to marry DesmonU.
But Roy's love affairs did not interest
Mrs. Talbot; she was thinking of other
things.
Then I suppose he married her either
out of pity or because he did not know
what else to do with her. Mark my
words, Felicia, that marriage will be an
unhappy one."
"I don't see how you can tell- that
"Yes, because Brian Desmond does
pot love her! he has had a past, that
man, a grand passion in his life, which
is by no means dead. I don't kuow
what It Is, but it is certain that little
Miss Laybourne has nothing to do with
it Brian Desmonds life is not over
yet; he is a long way from the blessed
condition of callous indifference to the
reopening of an old wouud that i the
nearest approach to happiness for which
some of us can ever hope. ' You will see
that he will live to break, his wife's
heart yet if she loves him and to wish
himself dead and buried, too."
Gertrude Talbot flung back her hand
some head and laughed, showing all her
white teeth and flourishing about her
hands with a free, careless abandon of
action, till all the rows of little gold
bangles on her wrists jingled merrily
upon her hands.
"What are we going to do to-day, my
dear?" she cried gayly. "This dead
alive place is becoming almost too much
for my strength of mind; the sands are
infested with babies and the cliffs are
hot and blazing. What possible enter
tainment can you suggest for the day
for a woman of intelligent aspirations
and a temperament that positively col
lapses without the stimulus of novelty
and excitement?"
"I am at my wits' ends. Suppose
send for the waiter" suggested Felicia
The bell was rung, and the waiter
shortly appeared.
"Waiter," said Mrs. Talbot, "we want
something to do; how do people as
rule amuse themselves when they come
down here to stay, when they are tired
of looking at the sea and of sitting on
the beach?"
Thus appealed to', , Caleb Griggs
scratched his head, pushed out his lower
lip and pondered deeply.
Ah, yes! he exclaimed suddenly
there . is a house, a fine house, too
not an old house but a very nice place
with a good park. It s a long way from
here, certainly a good ten mile or moie,
but then the horse could be put up for
an hour, while the ladies walked about
the park, and the family is away, so that
no doubt the housekeeper could be in
duced to show two ladies over it, and if
they would like to take their lunch in
a basket '
"The very thing! the very thing!" cried
Mrs. Talbot, excitedly; "we will go there,
What is the name of this place, and who
does it belong to?"
"It's called Keppington Hall, ma'am,
and it belongs to a family of the name
of Desmond. The present owner he ain
been there much; but I did hear as how
be- was lately married, and is to bring
his lady home soon.
Gertrude glanced at Felicia significant
ly.
"Order the fly at once," she said
tne man, ana we win so and put our
things on. It really is a wonderful piece
of luck; of all places on earth Bria
Desmond s house is the one I most wish
to inspect just now, and I had no idea
it was within reach of Smackton. I al
ways think tnere must be some reason
why he never goes there; he succeeded
his . uncle, you know, three rears ago,
There was a horrible railway accident to
the Flying Dutchman, you remember.
daresay. Lots of people were smashed,
and old Mr. Desmond and both his sons
were killed; it was awful, of course, for
them, but a capital thing for Brian, who
was poor as a rat before that; but it hag
always passed my comprehension why
he has never lived at this place; perhaps
we shall hear something from the house
keeper. I shall tip her well and see if
we can pick up anything."
; CHAPTER XII.
Keppington Hall stood half way
and fiat-terraced gardens, well laid out
and well kept surrouuding it; but upon
the tlopes above the solid white stone
building, the trees became sparser and
were more stunted in form and height,
till at last they melted away altogether
mong heather and clumps of grey rock
into the sterner landscape of the moors
overhead.
The woman at the lodge, upon Mrs.
Talbot's request that thejr might .be per
mitted to go over the house and to eat
their luncheon in some corner of the
park, had returned a bewildered answer
that they had better inquire up at the
house of Mrs. Succurden, the housekeep-
er.
They drove up to the door, the flyman
got lumberingly down from his box and
rang the bell; it clanged loudly and jar
ringly out into the silence. Then they
sited.
In a few minutes a lady made her ap
pearance, a very tall, upright old woman,
in a white cap tied under her chin, and
with spectacles on her nose. -Mrs. Tal
bot began her story over again; they had
driven over from Smackton; might they
be allowed to see the house and to eat
their luncheon somewhere in the park?
Mrs. Succurden looked suspicious and
doubtful; tourists were her detestation.
Mr. Desmond is a friend of mine,"
added Gertrude: "I am sure he would
allow me."
"Of course, ma'am, that maKes a aif-
ferenee, " replied Mrs. isuceurden more
graciously; "not that there's much to be
seen, and the house has been so long
empty still, if you would care to see it,
ladies "
The ladies did care to see it, and
promptly descended. As Mrs. Succurden
had told them, there was little or noth
ing to be seen in the iuterior of Kep
pington Hall. There were handsome
suites of rooms opening one out of the
other, a few family portraits of doubtful
merit, a good deal of old china stored
away behind glass doored cabinets in
such heaps that it could hardly be seen,
and miscellaneous furniture that was old
fashioned without being in any way
beautiful.
"This was Mr. Brian's owu room,"
said Mrs. Succurden; "the only time he
stayed here he lived here entirely. He
was here for three weeks after his poor
uncle's funeral, and that is all the time
he has ever stayed at Keppington since
he became its master." And then the
old woman sighed. "Eh, dear! it's a
sad house now, when one comes to re
member the past, when all the young
ones were about and there was noise and
laughter from morning till night; but it's
no wonder he hates it now, poor fellow,
no wonder!"
"Why does he hate it, Mrs. Succur
den?" asked Gertrude.
And then Felicia at the window asked
question, too. "Is that the church
down there among the trees?"
"Yes, miss," replied the housekeeper,
"that is the church, and that yonder is
the gable of the vicarage. Ah! and that
a changed house, too, nowadays! a
stranger there with a sickly wife aud a
tribe of noisy children so different."
Meanwhile Gertrude leaned her elbow
upon the mantel shelf; before her was
a picture frame of dark wood with closed
doors shut to with a tiny gilded key,
Something, she knew not what, made
her suddenly inquisitive concerning this
frame. She glanced round; Mrs. Suc
curden and Felicia stood with their backs
to her, looking out of windows; she turn
ed the tiny key quickly and opened its
doors. Before her was a painted minia
ture of a young girl in a riding habit
wearing an old-fashioned felt hat with
a bird's wing at the side; the face was
exceedingly beautiful, the eyes large and
dark, the features regular, the lips full
and very sweet, and hair too was dark,
and the figure appeared to be tall and
perfectly symmetrical.
That is Miss Gray, said the voice
of the housekeeper behind her. Ger
trude started and shut to the little door
almost guiltily.
But before they left the little study,
Felicia lingering behind had time to
make one or two private- observations,
"Do you think, she whispered to
Gertrude while they waited at the open
doorway that led into the gardens, when
Mrs. Succurden had gone in quest of the
man who was to take her place as
cicerone; "do you think that there is a
Mr. Succurden about, Gertrude?"
. "Impossible to say why?"
"Because somebody has been sitting In
that room, I am convinced, just before
we went into it. Did you notice the
newspaper on the floor? and a pen in the
Inkstand was wet, and the blotting book
was awry, and, oh, my dear, didn't you
notice the strongest smell of smoke?"
"Well, I thought I did, certainly. Very
likely some mart servant, who appropri-
ates his master's sitting room. Hush,
here comes the old lady. When do you
expect Mr. Desmond and his bride back,
Mrs. Succurden?" -
"I doubt if Mr. Brjan will ever bring
her here to this house, ma'am, and in
any case they are abroad for a year,
hear. If you will walk out into the gar
dens, ladies, the head gardener will meet
you outside.
(To be continued.)
Peculiar Theory.
'"Uncle Rufus," said the man who
takes an Interest In -everybody, "what
is your idea of emancipation?"
"Well, sun," was the answer, "some
of dem farm hands wasn't earnin' der
salt, an' 'mancipation were Jes
p'lite way of tellin' 'em dat de white
folks wouldn' be 'cponslble for delr
board an' keep no longer." Washing
ton Star.
, Surprised.
"Ella gets her beautiful complexion
from her mother."
"Is her mother a chemist?" Cleve
land Plain Dealer.
! . ... .
I OHEGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST !
I i i
AID FROM STATE.
It Necessary In Road Construction,
Says Convention.
Corvallia The voice of the Good
Roads convention is unanimously for
state aid in the construction of public
roads. No resolution to this effect I
was adopted, bat throughout the two C. D. Huffman, of this place, has re
days' session the idea came to the front ce'ved many communtcatioLS from del-
at unexpected times and always with
the apparent approval of the delegates.
It was injected into the proceedings by
an Aleea farmer, who declared that
there ought to be state aid, so that
Portland would have to help pay the
price, because all that Portland iB or
all that she hopes to be has come or is
to come from the products of the farms, and many other froitgr0wing communi
mmes and mil.a in the territory of ties are ar0UBing interest. La Grande
which she is the commercial mistress.
This brought Judge Webster into the
open, and he declared his approval of
the sentiment expressed by the Alsean,
and announced a belief that state aid
should be vouchsafed in road construe-
lion, the state to pay about 50 cents
vrjr a wriaiicuuiiuuuny cirug-
gling with a road raised 50 cents.
HAILEY ON SUPREME BENCH
Governor Chamberlain Will Appoint
Pendleton Man.
Salem Governor Chamberlain hai
announced that he will appoint T. G
Hailey, of Pendleton, to succeed Jus
tice Wolverton on the supreme bench
This appointment was expected, but
came much sooner than anticipated, for
there is really no vacancy as yet.
Governor Chamberlain hap been con
sidering the matter of an appointment
to the supreme bench ever since it be
came probable that one of the superior
juages wouia oe appoiaiea 10 xne rea-
eral bench. He had therefore weighed
woUiuiimMuuiiow vunuio lucu ami I
wan reauy 10 mane u seme won.
By announcing the appointment at
once, the governor has faved the
trouble of receiving and considering
the flood of recommendations and ap
plications that would soon have been
pouring in.
Books for Christmas.
usually take what they can get most
pbhi v. nr vhat. t.ha rlorV wnrntnoi
Everyone likes to make a good invest-
ment, to get value received. The Ore
gon Library commission makes this
possible in so far as children's bocks
.are concerned, for it has publisehd for
free distribution a list of something
over, a nundred titles ot children's
books for Christmas guts and for the
home library. There are notes on the
books, and prices are given ranging
from 15 cents to $3. Any one, may get
t'lis list by applying to the secntiry of
the commission at Salem.
More Smallpox at Eugene.
Eugene Two more cases of small
pox have been reported to the health
authorities, and the houses of A. J.
Pickard and Warren Luckey are now in
quarantine. Earl Lucaev, son of War
ren Luckey, was taken down and began
to break out while in the school room,
but it is not believed the other stu
dents were endangered, because the dis
ease had not reached thetage where it
would become contagious. Strict meas
ures are in force for stamping out the
disease as quickly as possible.
Big Ranch Sold.
PAnd1at.nnOno t.ha hiorraaf. fonh
deals in the history of Eastern Oregon
was just consummated here, in which
the ranches and sheep of Charles Cun
ningham, the Umatilla county sheep
king, were sold to a company composed
of J. N. Burgess, J. M. Keeny, R. A.
Kelsayand Dun J. Malarkey. The
price paid was in the neighborhood of
$200,000. The deal has been pending
since October, when an option was giv-
en the purchasers for $5,000. About
20,000 acres, 20,000 sheep and 1,000
tons of hay are included in the deal.
May Replace Woolen Mills.
Albany A proposition which would
allow Albany to regain some of the pay
roll she lost through the burning ot the
Albany woolen mill last spring, has
been received from an Eastern man
who will remove a six set woolen mill
plant to Albany, if local capitalists will
furnish the buildings. Besides having
double the capacity of the old mill, the
i i t
. . .it, , m, .
Z Y u "a . . 7:
M VIUVUlllBj U1UU UAUVbV4T S
Use Wagons in Lieu of Cars.
Athena On account of the scarcity
of cars, the Preston-Parton Milling
company; is obliged to employ teams
to haul wheat overland to keep their
mills running. The conditions are
growing worse daily at the mills, which
are congested with the large amount of
accumulated flour, there being several
hundred thousand barrels on hand
awaiting shipment. Just when this
condition will be relieved is hard to
state.
ELABORATE PREPARATIONS.
Seven States Witt Be Represented at
Fruitgrowers! Convention.
La Grande Elaborate preparations
ate being made in this city for the en
tertainment of the Fruitgrowereg' con-
venticn here January 3 to 5. Secretary
egates, and Oregon, Washington, Cali
fornia, Idaho, Utah, Montana and
Wyoming will be represented. .
The exercises will probably be held
in the opera house, and the commercial
club hall will be utilized for an exhi
bition room. Hood River has signified
its intention ol having an exhibit here,
will be well represented. A large
number of growers of this valley will
save their best fruits for the occasion,
and anyone alone iB able to make a
creditable showing. One Soaring mill
is pnnnidnrinir rptin hnoa nvramid
o flour reaching to the ceiling to ad-
ver!,jse tne grains.
A strenuous campaign will be started
soon and delegates from alt over the
valley will be asked to prepare the ex
hibit.
Fishing Law Is Defied.
Tillamook Although the fishing
season for Tillamook cloeed on the
20th, fishing is in full blast on Tilla
mook bay, and Elmore's cannery is also
running to its capacity and is receiving
a large quantity of fiift, as there is a
fine run of silversides, and the fisher
men are doing well. The cannery has
agreed to take all the fish, and as it
has a lot of empty cans on hand that it,
wants to fill this season, no attention
ia being paid to the cloeed 8eason by
the canneiy pBOple. Only one or two
flghermen have 8topped filing and
complied With the laW.
Much Work for Wolverton.
Salem There are 84 cases to be de
cided bythe Supreme court, preeuma-
oly before Judge Wolverton leaves the
bench. These cases have all been
argued before the court. Twenty-four
of these cases were heard at the recent
session of the court at Pendleton. Ten
P" , "V:"" , un
""D "I""- -""'"6
note? "aTam C8Ie' whic the cour,k
has had under advisement for several
months. If all these cases are decided
before Judge Wolverton retires, it
will require at least two weeks.
New Road In Baker County.
Baker City Private advices received
from engineers in the field state that
surveys have been approved for build
ing another railroad in Baker county,
connecting Union with the Cornucopia
timber country. The promoters are
after timber traffic and nothing else.
For obvious reasons the names of the
promoters and financiers are kept quiet
fcr the present. The money is guaran
teed in New York.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, 71c per bushel; blue-
stem, 7374c; valley, 7475c: red,
67c.
Oats No. 1 white feed, 128: gray,
$26 per ton.
Barley Feed, $22 per ton; brewing.
$2222 50; rolled. $22.6023.50.
Rye $1.501 60 per cental.
Hay Eastern Oregon timothy, $150
16 per ton; valley timothy, $1112:
clover, $89 ; grain hay, $89.
Fruits Apples, $11.50 per box;
huckleberries, 7c per pound; pears,
$1.251.50 per box; quinces, $1 per
box.
vegetables Jjeans, wax, 12c per
pounn; caDnage, jcsic per pound;
cauliflower, $1.752.25 per crate; cel-
ery, 75c per dozen; cucumbers, 5060c
per ozen' Pipkins, lc per
Pound: tomatoes, $1 per crate; sprouts,
7c Per Pound; cqnaah, lc per
P3undi turnips, 90c$l per sack; car-
ru'.n, ouyjiou per buck, ueeis, OQC(gsi
per sack.
Onions Oregon yellow Danvers,
$1.25 per sack.
Potatoes Fancy graded Burbanks,
65 70c per' sack; ordinary, 5560c;
Merced sweets, sacks, $1.90; crates,
$2.15.
Butter Fancy creamery, 2527o
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 85c per dozen.
Poultry Average old hens, 10c per
poumi; young roosters, wc; springs.
6 "c; dressed chickens, 1214c; tur-
keys, live. 1617Jc; turkeys, dressed,
choice, 17(322c; geese, live, 89o;
ducks, 1415c.
Hops Oregon, 1905, choice, 10
11c; olds, 57c.
Wool Eastern Oregon, average best,
1621c; valley, 2426c per pound;
mohair, choice, 80c.
, Beef Dressed bulls, l2cppr pound;
cows, 84c; country steers, 44c.
Veal Drepsed, 37Jc per pound.
Mutton Dressed, fancy. 77c per
pound; ordinary, 45c; lambs, 7)
8c. " '
Pork Dressed, 67c per pound.