Grey Highlands Newspapers

Flesherton Advance, 23 Apr 1914, p. 3

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The Wedding Eve ; J Or, Married to a Fairy, .Vi OH UTKR VIII. (Continued). I wisL that In my Inadequate word.-. I . M i'r a moment picture to your 1m- iiK*:i:iti<.ii half the natural grm-v. tho daintiness, and charm of thl young creature. Her beauty the smallnesrf anj ..*.! irit; of her features, the deli- iiM xiiftnesa and fai.-n.-.i.s of her skin. 1 the abnolute symmetry of her fterure. I>-III|IT aj uny fa^ry dancing on dew- ' , liuaK leaves hy moonlight, but perfect in si: i;i~ _i.< a sculptor's model these at- . tractions were bv no maru* th chief llnlu in the chain that so stronirlv bound me to her. Something In h-r in- ftla'A-- joyousness and sunny lieh*.- beartiMlueaii. in the frankness of h>-r chilHIIite chatter, and in her affectionate ' f-'inli-lintf tricks of manner, fafli'lnateil me '> absolutely that e\tn now. at this apace of time, I can hardly sit ami writu about her unmoved: and if any-, thing in my conduct strikes a reader as extravagant or absurd. I can pnlv M*V : "Hail you seen Llllth Saxon as 1 saw her. and loved her as I loved her. any- thin* and everything done for her sake ' would annear.to you comprehenaible an I excusable." funnily, no doubt you who read this will think but most disastrously as 1 considered it at that moment, the figure of I^idy M.idA Lorimer stood between me anJ this lovelv child, who might well , it t i*>t4e<l as the heroine of the old lir-k jn.fts tales of Psyche, the bride of !...--. ' Her fare clouded a little as I laughed K iv i'.-i- .suKKfHtions. Urown men did 1 not -uijaBt! themselves to little girls who had u..t yet left off growing. I assured ' her. and whenever I did marry. It would be some lady of my own age. That was a.-t '. .1: as 1 went to the absolute truth. ' Bamehcw the tale of my engagement to my Omsin Madge stuck in my throat. BesHes. how should It concern this < iill.l that I was to marry this person or that.' Hers was merely a childish fancv for lite, which would disappear when she pa.Hnvd to long gowns und grown-up coiffures. So- I argued with myself. whil.' aloud I laughed at I.ihth s dread of nchool-life. and at her last and most startling proposition that she should it'- ll I> to town to serve as a model for my pictures. "I'm not too young for that!" she had I'rot"l<Ml. "And. if I am not sent to si-hcX'l and made a young lady of. there'll Ito n>i reason why I shouldn't be your model. A girl r knew in \Vinchelsea be- came an artist's model when she wan jrongr than- 1 am. Artists have made iwm'il-sketrhes of me sometimes when I've be-n about with father: and thev'v- all said they'd like to paint a big uir- rirv frm rae. But father, he would n-wr l.-t me sit to anybody." "Nor would I. Llllth. I shall t.e v\- e<l if y.-.u talk like this any more. For o:i" thine. I only paint the sea." Hut vuu could paint me as a sea- 1 rvm;ih just sticking mv head out of th- wa-. fS. couldn't you.'" he aske<! eagerly. "No. dear- I never puint figures. You niu.it be a good girl and do just us 1 say." "But what will he the good of mv ed- uction if it's) inner to make m good enough for you?" ahe asked patheti"^.!- ly. and forthwith burst into tears up'jn my shoulder. 1 could do no leaa than Blip mv urra round her and soothe and console h-r. under which treatment her nobs rapidly li"<l away, and in a very few seconds she turner! a motet-eyed but radiant face up to mine, with soft lios curved into a kiss. ' Kiss nie. Mr H<-rver!" she whispered, 'and I'll promise tu be obedient and I kissed her" cheek softly, but she child- should Have taken It Intn her! head to follow ma up to town. It wa | now a little pat tx In the evening: tho funeral hail taken place at ten. and 1 1 had left ('ranting station by the on?- 1 thirty train. So that l.lllth had clearly t tarried at the Koae and I'rown not mtirr- \ than three hours after my departure. The disagreeable smile which T ! Plainly saw gathering about Nicholas | Wray'H full lips, and his prompt nueges- | tion that he should at om- retire, an- gered me deeply. LiUth's action, as Could gee very well, had placed both hT j and myself tn a false uoattion. oblMtinjs me to adopt an explanatory attitude , in Itself always a suspicious circum- stance- toward my servant and my ; friend. "It's a little girl whose father was. burled this morning. " I said. "1 wa at tli* funeral, and did mv best to comfort' her. So I suppove she got my address from the landlady, and h.i.* tracked me >U>wn. Since I arrived in town I have ueen trying to find her relatives, but. unfortunately, they ar- dead." That's very unlU'-kv." sneered \N ray. , nudging my elbow. P felt 1 hated the man at that moment. ' I'ntil then his bad moral character and cynical \lews about women had never, been brought before me tn a repulsive light: hut. with the thought of Llllth in mv mind, the coarse suggestiveness of i the man's tone offended me deeply- i There was no end to the mischief h? I ha\e it in his power to make he- | und offered me her lip*. "Otherwise I shall think you are croeti with me." sh* said. I kissed her. then, as coldly as I could, and led her home to Mrs. Nokes. in whose care I placed her. being resolved to go at once to London in order to dis- cover her lawful guardian. 1 could he were not at least forced to see the; baselessness of his objectionable ideas with regard to her: and I resolved at ' once not to let him go until he had seen .in. I spoken with Lilith. 1 therefore passed him. where we all stood in the passage outside the studio. ; without spi-aklng. and. throwing open [ii^onable little witch was safelv un- der th care of older heads than mine. I avoided telling Ullth of mv de- parture, lest she might draw me into a protraeteil and demonstrative leave-tak- ing, for. after all. s.-ven-and-twentv Is hardly a patriarchlal age. nor could I expect the child to regard me with awe and veneration, at least for some years to come. I therefore slipped off very quietly while Lilith was In her room, telling Mrs. Nokes I would return In a dav or two. and giving her my address and more money tiian she could possiblv re- <iuire for UllitVs simple wants. Before e\en returning to mv studio. I sought out the Reverend James Prit- i-hard at the city church where, at th time of Mn daughter's elopement with Horatio Saxon, he had been officiating as curate. And here a complete dis- appointment awaited me. Th Reverend James Prit'-hard had been dead for more than four years, and I was shown hi* headstone In the adjacent cemetery Inspirited and troubled In mind I mai)e the best of mv wav home In a cab. and upon the door-step of my house I found Nicholas Wray. whom. In my new r<>3ponslblll(i-s I h:ul entirely for- gotten, with his hand upon the knocker of the door. He greeted me with some effusion, which I feur I did not reciprocate very heartily, and together we passed up to the studio on the first Hour. outside the studio mv man Wrenshaw stood waiting, having heard mv step on the stairs. Indignant protest was writ- ten in _ every line of his hard, pale face, an.l his tones when he addressed me were such as: might be employed bv a i igorous judge toward a spectallv hard- ened criminal. ' AaUiiur vour pardon, sir." he said, a youns person arrived here about an hour ago. and would not leave She id she knew you would be eleased to ed the room. And here I ma>- as well own that a.11 my vexation at Lilith's invasion melted when my eyes lighted upon her The light from the great sloping north window fell full upon where sh lay curled up fa*t asleep in a car\el uak armchair, covered with cushions of Oriental silk. A curtain of blue nnd gold tapestry was tlung across the high back of the chair over the cushions, and against this Lilith's little hea.i shone out. making a radiance of shin- ing, tangled yellow silk over her drooo- tng fa.-e. In her tan mv gra.- Persian cat Saladln lav comfortably ensconsed. purring with content. In her scanty- black stuff gown, from which one slen- der black-stockinged foot hung down, minus the well-worn walking shoe sh? had kicked off before going tn sleep, with her long brown lashes resting ->n her flushed cheeks, and her rose-r.-.l mouth half open. DIV marsh fairy look- ed no more than a lovely child of twelve For the moment, though. I for- got even to be glad that-she had lustl- fled us both bv the extreme vouthfulnesa of her appearance. She looked so thoroughly at home, so much part and parcel of 'my studio, and she supplied so perfectly the one thing that had al- ways been' wanting there, that rav heart seemed to contract at sight of her. in mingled pleasure and Pain This was the presence 1 had dreamed of longed for. the embodiment of all my Ideals of beauty, gentleness and grace Of her own accord she had co I knew It would be all ri.-ht when TOII aim* home And. oh. dear Mr. Her\ey. I am so hungrv." W'hai . ould I sav to th child? Th- uncnm entlon.-ilky of her proceedings nevvr for a moment struck her. and I could not see my way to making her appreciate It. Wnty stood a little way behind ua while I. huh talked to m thus. His Kiittenag. gray eyes never for one ma- mem left the girl's face: but she seem- ed to (tenor- him altogether until, be- coming swiftly conscious of, his pre- eore. she made a swift dart at hU sketch-bouk and began to eager! v studv her own picture. "You have done it nicely." she ex- claimed, "thouglv I thought I was pret- tier than that. Have vou been doing one. too. Mr. Hervey? Do let me see! Oh. that Is rather smudgy, isn't it? But. then. [ don't understand plcturex. I like being painted though. It's so In- teresting to w.v. how one' comes out. MV I wish I could paint. And isn't this :i lo\ely big room: These polished boards with rugs over them are mu<*!i nicer than stuffy rurpets. And so beautiful for dancing uii too. I'd ii'Ke to dance on them now only I'm that hungry you can't think! I've had nothing to eat since breakfast at eight, and though I've often been as long as that and longer without food, the railway Journey and being a bit tired make me worse." She resumed her seat in the great armchair, curling herself up as before. i'learly. she had come to stay, and I rung for Wrenshaw to help me In this When the old soldier appeared in an- swer tti my summons. I ignored th* mute protest of his face and appealed to tils softer sMt>. "Wrenshaw." I *aid. "this is Miss Lilith SSaxon. a very young friend of mine and an orphan. Her father was burled this morning, and. having no friends In the world but myself. she has i-ome to ask mv advice, and I In turn, appeal to you. You know this neighborhood: Jo vou know of anv kind, respectable, motherly soul, who will , take Miss Sa*0n in for the night and I make h-r thoroughly comfortable until I can find a school for her to go to to- morrow or the next dav? Wrenshaw was mollified bv being ap- pealed to thus. He was a man of some riimmon sens*, apart from his crotchets, and he stroked his chin reflectively the while he scanned Lllith with a critical ''"Mrs Philips. In Jersey Street. Is us- ed to children." he began PACKAGE. Why take chances by asking for "A Dollar's Worth of Sugar?" SUGAR BuyREDPATHin Original Packages and you'll be sura of full weight highest qjality absolute purity. "But I'm not a child." put In Lilith. interrupting him. "I'm sixteen, riearlv." "Is she really as much . as that?" Wray a^ked me 1:1 an aside. "She looks about twelve." "Or there's my married sister over at Ratters<?a- Wrenshaw continued. Ig- noring the interruption. "She'd do any- thing In her power to oblige you. sir. and she has. 1 know, a bedroom to let in her house. So that if Miss Saxon will come with me " i To be continue.!, i Main Thiug. Madge: "Charlie whistled that !w tune last night. Do you re- member how it goes !" Marjorie: ''Xo; but I can dance it." Take the conceit out of some men and you've bardlv gi>t a grease spot left. should provide for her. She had slid Int.. mv life as- >udden- Iv. as unexpectedly, and as Irresistibly as a rav of sunlight, and the sight of her here in niv studio, in st.lte of drawbars It entailed. SSfft^VO^SSl with a thrill of CHAPTER IX I hardly knew with whom to be moat yed Wreoahaw. \Vray Llllth myself Both my friend and mv servant wt-re canning me with mtnKlwl (.worious- iiesa and curiosity. Wrenshaw being one of thus,- .-rubbed oltl curiosities a faithful ret-ilner. He had been all his life 111 the service of the Hervey family und he therefore felt himself entitled to criticlie his master's conduct and to : :.ike himself unpleasant wln-i;-' . ... any- thing happened to dUnleuse him. Formerly, Wr?nsh;u. had been mv father's body-serxant. and his army training tendl to emphasiz.- his notions of oteclpUa* and decorum. Wray's In- cursion into r:iv studio ha.l tried the . old soldier sorely, and. as I Inttantly guessed, the arrival of Llllth hud been in the nature of a last straw to his canabiilty of endurance. j 11 was terribly unnoving that the COLT DISTEMPER Can be handled very easily. The sick are c::red. and ail In ame ttabl. no irauer how "exputrd. kept from having lh disease, bv usinj SPOHN S LIQUID DISTEMPER CURE. Give on the tongue or in feed. Acte on the blood and expela e*rnu of all forme of distemper. B9t rcxcly ever known tor maren in foal. Dru>Ki9t< ai:.i hsroeu dealers. Our (re Booklet five* eTcrychiug. Lar(ct veiling hone r.;.nedy in eiiitence IS yearn. Distributors AM. WHOr.KSALK DJICO- U1ST8 SPOHM MEDICAL CO.. Chemists and BacteriologiiU. Csthen. Ind., U. I. A. \ ''.1,' ' HP .V A Concrete Root Cellar is one of the farmer's greatest money makers. It makes money by keep- ing produce in good condition until it can b taken to market, or until better prices can be obtained. It maintains a cool, even temperature that Keep* Produce Perfect A concrete root cellar ii itoiyi dry, clean and unitary. It i proof againit hest, cold, water, rtre nJ uts. Although the greater part of it b undtiajTOund, it cannot crumble or rot awjr. It ii permanent md Medt no repair*. Tell - ui to tend you thi haiwboinely iUwtnted ftee Hock "What the Farmer can do with Concrete. " It contain.* th fullett informarion about concrete reft tf Han and other farm buildings that nerer wear out and dtowj how you cu build them at small cost. Farmer 1 * Infono^Ucm Bureau Canada Cental Cemp; ny Limited 5>6 HeraU Building, Montreal '" '.;W r>Ui ail liu w**w whom 1 had half forgot t-n. was gaiuii it 1 ilith over mv shoul.l-r. and ' 10W - when I advanced to awalfn her. he laid hi* hand on mv sleeve. .._.,., -... k _ \\ lit' he winsi,..red. her Just yet. Let me sketch her first Befo'.- I could remonstrate, he ha.a wniuoe.t out his_ sketch-book, and. eat- i,,:.- himself at a little- distance from Lilith's chair was deep In the stud\ of his charming subject I was b> no n.-ins pleased at his .eedillK .mil **t I k "" W ""' "Ulf ''"! to take ex.epticn to it Almost mechanl- ( . a l lv ; ' to mv easel DlBOld small c*nvs on it an.l t-.king uu rn> brushes i.n.l color* began to lot do ,n a few color notes of the tints In her cheeks and her bright h;ti The minutes Mew bv as we grew mor an.l more absorbed In our rCMMCtri SSk Wr-enshaw ha.l l-'l "* " , tn< ': door "in disgust, and we had the place to ourxeUes. the sl-eptng girl and th' sl.ieutnir .-at serving as models, wnile fhe" reguUr breathing, and the nolsv , licking 5f mv tall, carved corner-clock. . alone broke the perfect silliness. Presently ITO.-sed to where \\ ra> rat. and looked over his "h,"" 1 .' 1 " 1 !...} have that selfsame drawing of his. with, the date roughK Dene led ben-atl, , I' hanging "" the wall .'lose to the desK at wh " -h I am at -this moment writing. ; and of all Wray's brilliant black-and- white work It Is to niv mind the ''le^r- et example. S'.ialit as It Is. a mer- penciled outline, he has cmight to per- fection the Inimitable girlish grace oi Lilith's ngure and face Half child half woman, sleeping and dreaming as contentedly, and basking as halM.llv In the sunshine and In the comfort of t chair as the ,-at on her lap. the drawing brings back Llltth to mv nmorv a she then was. .is the most highiv nmsh- ed painting could ne\-r- do. , Snce during the v-ars that have Passed that summer >-ve nlns. I have e- 1 wived t" destroy that picture but. when I huve come fare to face with it. . I ,-oiUd never llnd it In mv heart "Atolrabtet" I murmured .is I at_-h- ! ed \Vii-v imtting the nnisluns touches Hs'looked ui> aivt sii'lle.l. Then he [wrote umleinciitlv M;ii>itv Animals ' I sn-t..h<"l bis pencil Indignantly : from Mm. and drew a llll- lh:-vih the ' offensive words. II, Uiughed. look the pencil gln ami wrote Instead. Just below the words ef- fa I "So.illess l>..,. a ins" ! \nd HI tli-it inoinen'. wuh :i ! sigh and ;L stretching out ot hei- arn i and rubbing of her eves, our model 1 awoke ami stared about tier. Perceiving me. she sprang UP in great hurrv upscttlnK Salailm. who be- ing a Inftv-mlndeU cat of Kastern ..t igln. mfwe.1 with disgust, and creft under e chair to sullt. Meantime l.lllth darted across the room to me. and laid her hands on my shoulder. Ignoring Wrsv altogether "t couldn't mav at l.vthlnge wlihou vou- 1 couldn't, indeed!" she salil. don't know what Mrs. N-K. s wax like us soon as your back was turned. OoiniK on at m- ^iln.ut not being .-Htefu enough to \..u for 11 you d done for me: and then when I told her I loved you very much, she was worse than i-ivr V'l that old doctor drove over with his wife from Samlhvthe the doc- tor as saw poor father, vou know AnO Ihev all three went on at me. savin* how 1 mustn't be a burden to the nice, kind. VOUHK gentleman <""< ^|' 11 and as how 1 had no claim u, .on him- whl>-li was true, of course and that yr rotation, would be angw when they heard how vou meant fo .-dujute n* above mv station, like I told them, vou <lld. an.l that I ought to go int.. iom- dreadful home Poctor Martin =. wife has for training voung servants where they cook and scrub ami *e\v <" Jay You would soon see. thcv saiM when you rot UP In town among vour ( own relations and pjenOs. how r<j;s ; ami how inappropriate it as to and make a lady of me. or to bother vour head about me at all. Thev made me cry a bl: but when they all wen! awav and left me alone. I said to inv- self that I w.;ul.l foll-w vou up to Lop- , flon. as I'd got the -e'' lns . nf . pound you gave me. and 1 d hoard > give Mrs Nokes vour adores*, and Set hold of vou before vour relations and friends ha.l persuaded voi- 10 lav. nothing to do with me. and I'd beg vou not to listen to them. So I slipped out at the back of the Inn. and climbed over the fence, and ran all the way to the t railway station, and lust caught the train, and then found my way here b omnibuses and by asking. That old , gentleman who opened the door dldn t want to let me in. but T told him v ou .1 be anrv If I wasn't allowed to wait for vim for I didn't know where to go. and Twas so tired! So at lastj ran rm.t him and up-stalvs. because he sld II watted anywhere. I must wait UD here. And then 1 was so tired I went to sleep. The POPULAR POLISHES Black, Tan and White lOc THE F. F. DALLEY Co, LTD- BUFFAJ.O. N. Y. 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