Newspaper Page Text
THE FARM a tale
-IN- -j- OF
THE HILLS MYSTERY
BY FLORENCE WARDEN.
Copyright, 1899, by Florence Warden.
saw t..> g.ay walls which had attract
ed him from the neighboring mountain
arid a ruined arch, lofty and pointed,
which had once been the east window
of an abbey church.
Even m the first brief glance through
the still falling snow and In the gath
ering darkness lie discerned that a
stately Gothic doorway had been fill
ed in to tit a mean little painted door
and that u portion of what had once
been a handsome pile of monastic
buildings bad been roughly roofed in
for modern occupation. To the left
of the door a window had been Insert
ed into the solid masonry, and through
this window a feeble light glimmered
so faintly that It threw no patch of
warning light on the snow outside.
At the corner of tiie building a large
snowdrift had already collected, and
this was gradually extending, as the
snow still fell and the wind still blew.
In the direction of tlit* window.
The fainter. after a long pause. an
iswered Masson's request ungraciously
enough. Ills manner was short, sharp,
surly. But It was less offensive than
defensive. Masson thought, betraying
as it did a mind ill at ease.
"Back to Trecoed! What made you
leave Trecoed on such a day as this?”
he said gruffly, while his quick eyes
looked searehlngly not nt Reginald. but
down into the valley from which he
liad just climbed "Yon must have
been out of your sondes, man. to try
Ano across the liiiis too!”
lie seemed less p ; irl for the strau
per s distress than scornful of Ills
folly.
"Yes, It was a rash tiling to do. I
was to have had a guide, hut 1 started
without him.”
The other man laughed mirthlessly
contemptuously.
“OK. aye; the guide knew better
whr.t he was about than you did."
"You won’t refuse me a night’s shel
ter?”
The man shook his head.
“We’ve no shelter to give,” he said ,
shortly.
“I can pay for it well.”
The unwilling host looked at him
with a little more interest, hut he |
again shook his head.
“It’s not possible just now,” said be i
In the same defiant, wholly surly tone.
“There’s illness iu the house ami no
time for waiting on strangers with ray
daughter, ray poor girl, lying at death’s
door.” I
As he uttered these words the ex
pression of his face underwent a sud
den change, and a look of unutterable
anguish shone in his black eyes.
“111?” said Masson. "Your daughter
IU? Perhaps I can be of some use
then. I’m a doctor.”
The tuan. who had turned away as
If to hide ids own distress, sprang up
on him with a wild look of joy In his
sensitive face. He seized Masson by
the arm with the nervous grip of a
small, strong hand and. holdiug him
tight, stared up into his face as If be
would torce out some truth which the
other wished to conceal from him.
“You—a doctor? No, no!” he said
hoarsely, stammering in his excite
ment. “Y’ou say so—you say that to
got the night's shelter you have been
asking for! No, no, you’re not a doc
tor! It's too much—too much to hope
for—too much, too much!”
“Let me go,” said Masson good hu
moredly. ”1 can soon prove it to you.
1 ihiuk. Let me get at my pockets.”
But already the man was convinced.
Masson's attitude, his readiness to give
his credentials, had been enough for
the eager father.
At the first plunge into his pockets
Masson brought out a small case of
surgical instruments which he always
carried about him, and the moment he
drew it out the little Welshman seized
him again and began to drag him up
ward toward his dwelling.
“Come in, come iu,” said he in a bro
ken whisper. “Come iu. sir, and don't
bear me malice for treating you so
shabbily at first. I’m nigh beside my
self. that 1 am, sir. and now—now —oh,
thank Cod, thank God!”
And the excitable little fellow burst
into loud sobbing and climbed up the
slope toward the gray ruiu above, still
bolding Masson in a firm grip with
one baud and hiding bis contorted face
with the other.
From the size of the ruined build
ing which had been converted into a
farmhouse and front the appearance of
*uch of the old walls as were left
Masson decided without difficulty that
the remains were monastic, although
the situation was higher than was usu
ally the case with such peaceful insti
tutions.
The position was, however, sheltered
ami pleasant, protected on the north
side by a mountain of great steepness
and so hemmed iu by lesser hills on
the east and west sides as to leave it
open only to the milder south.
As Masson allowed himself to be led
forward he noticed that the ruins on
the left and the fragments of an east
windotV were the remains of a church
of small size, and he conjectured that
the portion of the ruin which had been
made habitable was what was left of
the monastery itself.
In the darkness, however, with the
Know still falling, and his companion
hurrying him forward, he had little
leisure to take accurate uote of his sur
roundings. The ground, moreover, was
uneven and rough, being incumbered
by stones and by fragments of over
grown ruiu. They came upon the door
quite suddenly, ns they got round the
base of a massive pillar, which, no
louger supporting anything, stood by
itself like a sentinel before the incon
gruous pile of old and new, mean
things and stately, which formed the
farmer’s home.
They dashed into the dwelling quick
ly. and the farmer, drawing his com
panion in. shut tiie door and paused
for breath.
Heginald looked round him with as
tonishment and interest.
The room In which he found himself
had evidently been tiie refectory of the
monastery, for the stone pulpit in the
wall where the reader used to stand
during the dinner hour was still to be
seen, though broken and imperfect, on
the south sale of the room.
A rough partition wall of lath and
plaster had been erected just beyond
this pulpit, and rn this partition were
two doors leading to the other apart
ments of the farmhouse.
On the right, opposite to the pulpit
iu the wall, was a huge open fireplace
partly tilled in with bricks, iu which a
fire of logs was burning.
On the left wall, which was roughly
whitewashed, the outlines of the low
er part of a row of beautiful early
English windows, divided by clusters
of slender pillars, were plainly to be
eon. Small latticed windows and
note bricks and mortar filled up the
es where tlie* lights had been.
The huge beams of rough wood over
head. (lark and dusty, showed that the
farmhouse had stood in its present
condition for a length of years. The
floor was red tiled, clean and bright;
the oak settees and presses, the pots
and pans on the white dresser, the
neat hearth, the fresli white walls, all
testified to the care of a housewifely
hand.
But the only creature in the room
was a withered and bent old woman,
wearing a large apron of check print
over her dark dress, a small shawl
drawn tightly round her shoulders and
a clean white cap. who sat In a root
ing chair almost over tiie fire, with
crossed legs, a short pipe between her
lips and her eyes fixed on the red
heart of the fire.
She neither spoke nor moved when
the farmer and his guest entered; only
her eyes, black and keen as those of
the farmer himself, turned slowly.
L'—
Nut the only creature, in the ro >m was a
withered ami ban old woman.
took In all the details of the stranger’s
appearance and then moved round
again slowly toward the glowing logs.
Masson, bewildered and dazzled by
the change Into light and warmth, al
most staggered when he found himself
once more ou a level tloor.
The farmer had advanced to the
fire and, bending to warm his hands in
the blaze, said a few words to the old
woman. They formed a question.
Masson knew by the tone. But he
could not understand it, as it was iu
the Welsh language.
As the farmer’s thin, muscular hands
were stretched out over the flames
Masson caught sight of a ring on the
little linger of his right hand which
caused him to shudder with a horror
which chilled his blood.
It was au old fashioned ring, of sin
gular design. In a broad band of gold
deeply and heavily chased was set a
circle of plain gold half au inch wide,
in which was au amethyst of a deep
purple color.
A most singular ring, not to be mis
taken for another; old fashioned,
quaint, clumsy, handsome, with au old
time beauty of good workmanship and
of old association.
For Heginald Masson recognized it
as a ring which had belonged to his
own grandfather, a ring which his
brother Granville had worn always on
the little finger of his left hand.
CHAPTER V.
A HOUSE OF MYSTERY.
Reginald Masson could not repress
an exclamation when he recognized his
brother’s ring on the farmer’s hand.
He came a step nearer, still with his
eyes steadily fixed on the jewel, until
at last he touched it with his trembling
linger. The farmer, who bad watched
him in some surprise, frowned and
drew back as the other advanced.
“I beg your pardon,” said Masson
quickly, "but—the ring on your finger
—l—l—have only seen one like it be
fore.” As he spoke he came a step
nearer still and seized the farmer's
hand. His own agitation increased as
he examined the ring more closely and
assured himself beyond a doubt that It
was indeed his brother's. ”I—l Will
you tell me how you got It? You must
forgive the question. You will for
give it when i tell you that when I
last saw the ring it was upon the hand
of my own brother,”
His feelings had by this time pos
sessed him so strongly that he dropped
the band of the farmer, which had
remained passive and cold iu his. and
supported himself for a few moments
against the wall by the fireplace. The
awful fears as to his brother’s fate
which had filled his heart for so long
had, upon this strange discovery,
reached the point of acute agony. Al
though he felt, he knew, that he had
need of all Ins coolness, of all his self
possession, to get at the heart of the
mystery upon the borders of which be
found himself, neither feeling uor
knowledge helped him in that first aw
ful moment.
“My brother! My poor brother!”
His lips formed the words, but did
not utter them. He was unable to see
or to think. The pitiful consciousness
that the ring was now nothing but a
relic of the dead unnerved, overwhelm
ed him.
The farmer’s husky voice roused
him after the lapse of a few seconds.
”It’s very strange, sir; very strange.
If what you say should turn out to be
true," said hl\ less brusquely than be
fore. “But. for sure, it’s a most un
common ring, and it’s true 1 haven’t
had it king, nor I can’t tell who had it
before me."
Masson had roused himself already
from the desponueney and despair into
which the first sight of the ring had
thrown him. As he turned toward the
farmer the latter took the ring from
his finger and put it into the trembling
hand of his guest.
“Maybe.” went on the farmer, “you’ll
see some marks, if you look nt It close,
by which you may tell for certain one
way or the other.”
Heginald nodded.
“I can identify it beyond all shadow
of a doubt,” said he in a broken voice.
“It was left to my brother by my
mother’s father. How did It come
into your possession?”
"I'll tell you all about it, sir, present
ly. when you have seen my daughter,”
said lie. “But meantime you’re wel
come to keep it, sir, till you’ve heard
all there is to tell about it. When you
have heard that, you’ll be able to say
for certain, I expect, whether the ring
was your brother’s. This way, sir,
please.”
The matter of tiie ring, singular as it
was, seemed to have but little interest
for him, so deeply absorbed was he in
anxiety for his daughter. But it was
not unnatural that he should appear
to look with something like suspicion
at a guest who had made so strange a
claim. As Masson advanced, there
fore, toward the inner door, which was
held open for him to pass through, the
farmer watched him narrowly with his
keen black eyes.
And Masson, returning his gaze, was
more impressed than before a coun
tenance which changed' so rapidly in
its expression from despair to curiosity
and back again to despair.
They passed into the back room,
formed by the remaining portion of
the refectory. It was evidently used
as a washhouse, bakehouse and as a
place of storage, not as a living room.
The walls were characterized by the
same free use of whitewash as iu the
big kitchen, a beautiful arcade with
clusters of slender pillars on the left
hand side, which time had defaced
lint little, having been included iu this
modern "restoration.”
in one corner was a rough wooden
staircase, with a small landing at the
top. On each side of this was a door,
and, having ascended the stairs with
the farmer, Masson followed him into
a large room at the back, where there
were two small beds and a few pieces
of substantial old fashioned furniture.
There were some strips of drugget on
the clean floor. There were curtains
of bright turkey red over the win
dows, of which there were two, look
lug west. A lire was burning iu a
small grate on the right, and the whole
loom showed the cleanliness and care
which liad been noticeable in the kitch
en. On tiie top of a chest of drawers
the farmer pointed out a little medi
cine chest.
Only one of the beds was occupied,
and as the farmer led the way toward
it the girl lying in it turned her head
quickly and fixed upon the stranger a
pair of large, glittering eyes.
Masson took the chair beside the
bed which the farmer placed for him
and looked at her by the light of a
candle which her father brought across
the room from the mantelpiece.
While lie made his examination the
girl continued to stare at him fixedly,
and as she did so her brows gradual
ly contracted with a slight frown. Not
a word had been uttered by any one of
the three.
At last the farmer spoke.
“Well, sir?” said he in a tremulous
voice.
Masson looked up quickly and was
touched to the heart. Down the farm
er’s thin, swarthy face the tears were
streaming like rain.
“She’s very ill, ain’t she, sir? My
poor Gwyn.”
“She’s ill certainly, but you mustn't
give way like that,” said Masson.
lie had taken the girl's hand and
was feeling her pulse. The moment
he spoke he felt a strong tremor run
through her, and. glancing at her
quickly, he saw that the strained, in
tent look with which she had previ
i ously regarded him_had changed to an
j expression of terror.
Still she did not utter a sound.
Perceiving that for some reason
which he could not divine his patient
looked upon him with fear, if not mis
trust, the young doctor hastened to
| leave the room after uttering a few
more reassuring words, each one of
which seemed, however, to have the
effect of deepening the impression of
‘loo Ilnurs
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horror with which he appeared to have
Inspired-her.
When he reached the door, Masson
threw, iu turning to leave the room,
one last glance at the girl. She had
raised her head a little, the better to
watch him, and her lips were moving
rapidly, as if she were forming words
with her mouth which something with
in bade her not to utter.
So much struck was he by this atti
tude of his patient that he turned to
her father and said in a low voice:
“Is she aiways shy and afraid of
strangers? My coming seems to alarm
her terribly.”
“No, sir,” answered the farmer.
“Gwyn’s not so shy. considering she
lives in the wilds.”
The girl was still watching wdth the
same feverish inteutuess, and Masson,
gljyi
fjL^j
He had taken the ijirl's hand and was
fcclina her pulse.
who began to fear that this horror or
aversion ou her part would interfere
with his chances of success with the
case, went back to the bedside in the
hope of finding some words to say to
her which would put him on a more
favorable footing.
But on seeing him approach, she
sank back on her pillow and closed
her eyes. He stood for a few seconds
looking at her face, which was that of
a well grown, handsome girl of some
1C or 20 years, with masses of black
hair, and then, as she kept her eyes
resolutely shut and still uttered no
word, he withdrew without disturbing
her.
At the door, however, for the second
time, be saw that 3he had raised her
head to watch him go out.
"* {TO BK OOmiflD.] ”3
Beware of green fruit. —Now in
the heated term people should pay
attention to their diet,avoiding un
ripe fruit and stale vegetables which
invariably brings on cramps, chol
era morbus, or diarrhoea. Chil
dren are particularly subject to
complaints of this kind, and no
mother can feel safe without a bot
tle of Pain-Killer. It is a safe,
sure and speedy cure. Avoid sub
stitutes, there is but one Pain-
Killer, Perry Davis’. Price 25c.
and 50c.
She Felt Sure
“ Your husband has a heap to
say about how the country shall
be run,” said the neighbor. “I
reckon he takes hisself fur a purty
smart man.”
“I reckon he does.” said Mrs.
Corntossel. but I don’t ’low he’s
ever goin’ to set the.world on fire.”
No not if he has to git out him
self an’ chop the wood fur kindlin’
to start the blnze ” —Washington
Star.
CASTORS®
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have
Always Bough!
Bears the i
Signature / Jt\ w
h W
/yp Kind
\} You Have
| Always Bought.
THE CENTAUR COMPANY. NCWYOf" CITY.
JUDGE GOBER’S PEACHES-
He Is Preparing to Plant 200,000
Trees in North Georjria,
Woodstock, Ga., May 7. —The
peach crop in this section of the
state is the finest it has ever seen.
Farmers for some years past have
been giving more attention to the
diversification of crops than they
did before cotton went so low. The
result is that there are now many
fi e peach orchards in the country.
This will soon be one of the lead
ing fruit growing sections of the
state. Judge George Gober is now
making arrangements to get out in
Woodstock district 200,000 peach
trees. While Judge Gober is one
of the best judges in the state,
there is no man doing more for
the people in a material way than
he. Many hills that a few years
ago were covered with brambles
and were unprofitable, are now fine
peach orchards and are paying the
farmers as well as any part of their
land.
FREE BLOOI) CURE.
An Oft'ar Providing Faith to Sufferer*.
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Boils? Scrofula? Rheumatism? Foul
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purifv your blood at once'with B. B. B.
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Deepseated cases like ulcers,cancer,eat
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treatment) So. So sufferers may test
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Describe trouble and free advice giyen
Brave Men Fall,
Victims to stomach, liver and
kidney troubles as well as women,
and all feel the results in loss of
appetite, poisons in the blood, back
ache, nervousness, headache and
tired, listless, run down feeling.
But there’s no need to feel like
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ville, Ind. He says: “Electric Bit
ters are just the thing for a man
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Only 50 cents, at Young Bros.’Drug
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The Modern Mother
Has found that her little ones are
improved more by the pleasant
Syrup of Figs, when in need of toe
laxative effect of a gentle remedy,
* ban by any other. Childrt enjoy
it and it benefits them. The irue
remedy Syrup of Figs, is manufact
ured by the California Fig Syrup
Cos. only.
“Delays are dangerous ” Chose who
have poor, weak, impme blood should
take Hood's Sarsaparilla at one. It
never disapi oints,
Unreliable.
‘‘The trouble about these p
said the English officer - 5 -
they are v\ holly unreliable 1S
“They seem able to dene nH
one another.” o
“Possibly. But so far as v.
concerned we can never tell J 3l
er we have caught them nanniT
whether they are merely k
quiet until we get close enough?
them to do damage.” 5
Red Hot From t!ieGu n .
Was the ball that hit G
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the Civil wa . It caused horrhi
Ulcers that no treatment helm
for 20 years. Then BuckU
Arnica Salve cured him. Cur ,
Cuts, Bruises, Burns, Boils, F ell)
Corns, Skin Eruption, Best Piled,
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anteed. Sold uy Young Bros.
Three Papers a Week
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TwiceeaeWeek Journal for
Here you get the news of
the world and all your local
news while it is fresh, paying
very little more than one
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IS well worth $-.00, but by
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cannot equal this anywhere
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who want a great paper and
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and jou will keep up with
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Besides general news, the
Tw ice-a-Week Journal has
much agricultural matter
and other articles of special
interest to farmers. It has
regular contributions by Sam
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John Temple Graves, Hon.
C. H. Jordan and other dis
tinguished writers.
Call at this office and lesve jronr
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get a sample copy of either paper here
ou application.
TAX RECEIVER'S NOTICE.
1 will be at tbe places named below
on the date s stated for receiving tax re
turns loi the year 1900, to wit:
Cartersvi le April 9; May 4, 19; June
1. 16
Wo;f Pen, April 10; May 7,28.
Stamp Creek, April 11; May 8, 29,
Allaloona, April 12; May P, 30-
Emerson, April 13; May 10,31.
Pine Log, April 10; May 14; June!.
Salacoa, April 17; Mav 15; June 5.
Gum Spring, April 17, at night.
Sixth, April 18; May 16; June 6.
Hobos Shop, April In .
Adairsville, April 20; May l<;Junel
Linwood, Apiii 24, p. in.
Barnsieys, April 25, a. m.
Cement, April 24, a. m. _
Kingston, April 23; May 25; June la.
Ford, April 26, a m.
Iron Hill, April 27; May 24; June 14.
Euharlee, May 1, 22; June 12.
Taylorsville, April 30; May 23; Jnn
Stilesboro, April 28; May 21; Junell
Cassville, April 21; May 18; Junes.
Cass Station, May 2, a. 111.
Rogers, May 2, p. m.
Ladds, April 14, p, in.
Douthitt’s, April .4, a. m.
Wliites. Mav 3, a. in.
HitclicoeKs Mill, April 26, p. m.
REAL) CAREFULLY
All property, monev, etc., weld on 1*
day of February, 1899, mustbereturnea
Under recent laws and regulation
require the questions to be answere
and sworn to in my presence.
question on the tax lists must bean
swered.
All city and town property niusiw
returned, giving its location, street, e
The given names of tax payers mus
be given and returns must not be line
mingled with that of other persons.
Each white tax payer is requireoi*
give a list of all the freedmen m b> s ®
ployment between 21 and 60 year
Every freeholder or agent is requ'**
to make return to me of nameso
tax payers residing on their prem
on April Ist. ,
Many other changes have been
wliieh will be suggested by the tax < > -
I trust all persons will give thein
tui attention and avoid having tnei
jected. T benn t ETT ,
Tax Receiver.
Registration books will .accoiop* ■
tlie Receiver, and all qualified pi
can register. t r.
JAS. M. BOHANNON T.G
Citation for Dismission.
GEORG!A—Bartow County. , - 0
Whereas, A. L. Barron, exe in
David. Gay, represents to t " e has f U iir
his petition duly tiled, that be n
administered David Gay's esta • rn .
is therefore to cite all persons
ed, kindred and creditors, to si ut „r
if any they can why, said * a( j,
should not be discharged fro' 0 f t )js
ministration and receive j un e,
mission on the first Mondaj
1900. This March 7, 1900. , jnar f.
G. W. HkxdricksOi^>
Citation for Dismission
GEORGIA, Bartow County. rfm j D js-
Whereas, K. S. Anderson, nts>
trator of Mattie Wesley, ten
that he has fully admin'sterea
Wesley’s estate. This is tl pr and
cite all persons concerned, *>' t pe.v
creditms to show cause, 11 ho ' a idf°*
can. why sal administrator - . . ra tjen,
be discharged from his adm .■ 0 „ tli
ami receive letters of dGnic
first Monday in Jiilv. 1900* , jn , r y.
G. W. HENDRICKS. Orm