| Show 1 4 t 0 01 LA in the fowlers I 1 f 31 W i sr sul are re i ot ft 01 31 MANWELL 0 rf IX Continued looking oa on thankful for hta his whitest jap Amp ortry brightness bright ne was flerdia too puch uch encumbered ly ty ble robes of f let id and mow snow to join the th dancer dancers anil and idlor bit his hand wa was little ithe I bahe the I 1 too 00 perforce being a apo atoe and never an actor in the merry amr of life it a 4 pretty tight lant lint it little 2 lb bt 2 atily bald gervis 1 determined la in lis hi boneet honest manir manly fashion to be proud ot 0 f the wife be he had wod bladdy jr light ks a sprite arlt waa dart dirt Is fog up and down dowd in the old fashioned dance and every eye was via flied upon her dainty figure la in its it dress of all tery bro ade she too bad had blood red berries betries fattened la in the old told ot of her f wedding gon nad bad a it great bunch on jer left shoulder if aella l all had on a drca dread of silver brocade and diamonds ili monda on her neck necks nhe she would look a thousand thoua and times prettier than that thin garil was syba sybil chirib reply aa as she glowered ai it the shiling little figure dancing denting up and add u uba un n the middle before thalar d 0 ma could cot coi lect elect himself to r ay iy a disagreeable jw laugh made both syb and be hil turn kuckly temple dene waa was liberty arid the scientist bad had again nhut abut bi if tip in bli room ail day ateo d in some abstruse abi calculations doub doubt tleta lead but 1 the and laughter bad drawn the be he mit from hia his cell tell and he stoob close behind thain with a strange mocking anille smile on his thin lips attle missy bai has distinct powers bt bf evidently 1 paul ads an dell mid paid fixing hia his black byes full on the frowning face ot of the deformed child at the same time he lifted bla his right hand but on thought dropped it at hia his side furtively you ought to hare have been ben among the merry dancers anadell baid id 1 a little puzzled by hia his new hend friend the merry dancers dinc ereT repeated re the scientist clent lt quickly why do you know bat hat you are saying the merry dancer dancers are the famous northern lights and we folk across the herring pond have a superstition that they are never seen save before some terr adie ole calamity bile paul waa was peaking speaking bla his gaze grew more intent and hia his dark eyes seemed to be drawing out the soul of the deformed child the frown bad had faded from her uplifted face facie and in a Ls tead stead an expectant look leaped it wu was as though sis were baying saying dumb IT 17 1 I am N what bat would you bare have i nah ath me ray master rna ater well retorted gerals get f la whoa whose eyed wandering back to the quaint old dance bad had loaf lost the byplay I 1 it the merry dancers are to bring a calamity calami tf it must be adois yourself youra elf Al midell seeing we have no such superstition among us that I 1 know of and he moved off with a train of clamoring children at his hi beela heels the dance waa was over and laughing chattering and battering flutter lug the dancer dancers old and young gathered aronno lady I ady jane who determined to hare have A TA biety of entertainment at her ber christmas party wa was urging a shrinking shy hy boy bay to recite the mistletoe letoe bough lou m know dobby bobby you can do it 0 so o beautifully and mrs templeton would like to hear bear it 0 to o nobby bobby vane waa was the ble big brother from eton of the mall small per in blue velvet who clung to gladdys skirts hen he could bobby waa was a born but unfortunately shy aby horribly aby shy however at last cajoled hustled and goaded the boy with hia his era ears pink and his hi knees klocki knocking n C together for he had never faced so large an audience rushed at ble big task after the first line bobby felt hia his feet ills ilia voice was good clear a and round aa as a bell it showed no bint blut of breaking aa as yet the gay company breathing brea thIns and intent closed round the youthful as the a 0 d legend in verse tell fell in cear clear dropping syllables ylla blea from bis his lips the mistletoe hur burg lo 10 the castle bijl bill and the holly branch breach ahone shone on the old oak wall and the barona barons retainer were blithe blit and gay keeping their christmas holiday and as the poem went on all were forcibly impressed by the curious altri larity ot of their present surrounding surroundings to 0 o coee detailed by the the old world ballroom with its it dark oak rafters its rowa of glittering ar armor for temple dene dena was notta for its it armor armors the goodly company nf of gallants and fair dames the merry children rh ildren the old canoed walla walls blushing 1 red with larlah lavish wealth of scarlet holly berries while here and there and every wf ere in the most unexpected plan large bunches of mistletoe hung to tempt and entrap the un wary and above all there was the chief teafile te afire the bride fhe rho atar star of that goodly company 1 I think we ought to carry it out to the lett letter ert excitedly cried gladdy when the recitation was aa over and the deafening applause cause shamefaced shame faced it 11 abby to 11 for shelter behind a suit of ot armor am 11 ag 11 berf r eq p nine mine blandly said id lady 1 jane to her dowager cronies ontee cr aa as gladar sped throng h the hilt to the ceist aal case if it gladdy had not been the g feat geat eat american belr heiress ah on wa was ber bar e asap ap 0 ade ads would have been promptly frowned down they knew very welt well upstairs in the lery that ran I 1 round the hall ball paul ansdell waa was pacing paci tip up and down with folded arm arms and deeply frowning brow tonight meant tor for thia this man other things than it did tor for th the merry veaters below the crucial mow comat 21 liefl come when he wa was about to alak stake his all either he boull be in a po alion to grasp a fortune or be he would find in a cell it that a knew know I 1 AC As he be P istead abs gallery a light I footstep astep to 0 tish behind I 1 I 1 in d him so go WAS if patter potter that tb t ru rul r ul u did not hr bear IL yo at A be h kurnol al he b faced little figure in glea civer robot with u patches of ol crimson her here and there blood red ot borries and lt at her throat a dasil of diamonds it WAA a gladdy on tiptoe I 1 have mine to hide to bidet hidel her tole abruptly died away for lul Ats dens yea eyes held beta her her whole daure drooped the joyousness Joyous nesa died out of her small face and bit lar ass y krew grew large and dilated ai as they gued back smoot 10 glued 11 to thom those qt of the scientist 1 ll 11 motionless immovable she he waited while hi drew nearer to hr her there was a tor for her ter the fascination ot of the via 10 lo tins far the rattlesnake and while the two master matter and tool tam tame closer and closer there came floating up from below the sound of music slid revelry erml gay laughter the dancing had bad begun again and ind there was a flash 0 of cringing color aa the couples whirled round id the gallery a strange silence reigned one little watcher hidden bidden clone close b bind lint m a bak of fern terns and fes toong of holly beff berries hear bear her own heartbeats tt it waa was syb ae he deformed girl who had stolen away from the throng of merrymakers ra an sit hour pineil something strange eti ange and ance uncanny n ir had befallen syb sime inscrutable e ence held her pt pr ner iner her will mill wa was chained up she he wa powerless power teu to come and go ae as she be would but only ao to far fir waa was he every other enie sense she he ha h I 1 w waa as mett and ahe she watched with bonde bride whom she hated bated for tn in the this place that should hare hate beta been leila a droop before the slowly waving handa hands of paul ansdell the set cl enlist the train strain not to loe lose any thing in the strange scene being enacted before her waa was too much tor for syb even to wonder why the lour lean hand hands went up and down up and down slowly and methodically the gay music from below roe rose and fell and between ita its bureta bursts syb x sharp young eara ears caught the hissed out command aa as paul anadell bent over the little crouching figure in silver 11 brocade 00 oo got do my will with a faint almont almost inarticulate cry gladdy stra tra herself here elf and turning went slowly along the gallery paul ansdell a eyes followed her until ahe the disappeared on the opposite aide the music below ceased with 11 crash of chords the dance waa was over and in is the lull syb heard a sharp click so go did paul anadell for he quickly lifted hj his head bead and a gray pallor crept over his fae faze then he be hurried away in the direction ot of the bachelors bach elora wing where here he be andya had been located on hie big arrival I 1 hate him too irritably said by syb b in truth the poor misshapen girl hated most people aa As it some balet il it thing had departed ahe she roae rose and shook hers heraelto it the holly had scratched her thin bare arms and there waa was a trickle of red that dropped on nr bet white muslin f rock ugh its U a all bor horrid rid she he shad dered impatiently 1 I wish leila and I 1 could run away fros from it all and live in a cottage by ourselves oure elvee she murmured aa as ahe she went wa wandering round the bone borse shoe gallery for to this afflicted child all the aa dc and brightness and ley joy in the hall ball below waa was gall and wormwood CHAPTER X even the maddest merriest of reveler revelers must grow gro weary the Carist christmas mas merrymakers ra flagged the gay music dragged a little slowly here and there a tired child guest yawned in a corner then nodded and finally wae was carried away in a deep sleep outside under the stars stare a long line of carriages waited and the hostess with tired eyes wondered why people did not go it had been a fatiguing day tor for lady jane and tor for leila who had bad not pared spared herself in helping she and lady jane aide side by aide side ran tan the gantlet of the interminable good byes frum exhausted but delighted gue diets ts th the christmas gathering bad been the greatest success the county had known for or years year and la lady baie ale was excite by the pat cries and thanks of the departing agwu AV berea your wife dear she ought to have been here to see the gunts guests oaf off ladi lady jane laid her hand on her e es en n 4 ar arm she was in her tired rati ua ready to be cross even with the heir MA gladdy Gladd rf I 1 ira m sure I 1 don t know mother dear gervis yawned dawned he ile waa was pining to get off bla his santa sant a clau trappings gift and to have a it quiet alipe ilp by himself A quarter of an hour later nearly every soul andar und r the temple dene deno roof waa was echoing lady ladr J janes 04 question where ws was the bride not in her own room not li ili th tbt I 1 lot deserted desert deser tod fd ballroom she waa was not 4 2 ts th A air 1 ahr her the th were already being put out all seno of fatigue wa was put to flight by a vague terror it t some evil hanging banging over ever the tho house 0 VI dens o under be the ancient root roof only two penona did cot rot share the terrified ex lt emt t when it wa was discovered that mm mr oe ge vis via templeton was n nowhere to be counti its mis er i and the american amerlean guest gervis hibit ras it ile had bad brought all bis his strength of 0 will to bear on an nobly doing hie his duty to the woman he had won for his wife wits no one but he be would ever know how hard bard the tight feed bed ben an and now VOW tt it wes all in its vain tor for gladdy bad gone where noone no one knew know since the n the canadian tl 1 ellway or over barema or a gladdy had been a 1 ing pull 10 to tier ter hustind but hus bind list vague 1 I had bad made him wonley a it tim it u be bed bad married a lunatic la natla I 1 up I 1 agala great t leer faar wadd loom J op that bu his wife had bad fahe some oa te reble wasting dia dis eft cosse and wu was about to through bit fingers and 4 out ot at idt itself f out bot this ctr c troph oj christmus Christ mes bicht night all hat that he b aga ev im dreaded gladdy gonel abi who bid be n the gladdest Klad tt happiest happ leit of ai all I 1 the th comly 1 companell compan 11 ll it WM was ln inscrutable crat ble horrible maddeningly madden out into the freezing fi night wot went pertle of searchers rubrn rc brn not a man under denea root roof gentle nil or simple save re two if its muter master and nd tir the american guest paul but joined the tb anxious huat hunt all WM was la in lalni nothing Not hint more can b ba done daylight comes com hoarsely hoa reely aid said gems 0 ai as h he into the kull still gayly lighted hall ball tod and stamped tb hard iced noir snow off hi his boots ilia face ce wai was gray ray sal a a look ot of age bd had crept ored eyed it which mad made it startlingly like that ot of his mother lady jane worn out and pent down beside the be creet great yalo log that crackled creck led and roared the tb only c beery thine thing around sho and nd gervis rated blankly at ich each haf MI what it h 2 4 they doze t aba ta tso 1 I iglus buo r sli 11 that thia this disgrace should bare have come to aham shame can call anybody tell me who saw or of poke spoke with my wife lint I 1 there waa was a catch in the young husband a voice as he h put the question to the circle ot of anxious eyed searchers round him she slid said she he waa was going to lide don I 1 t you remember f hobby bobby I 1 in ane who had recited craned his hl neck toy ward to ay say then everybody erry body did re bt what they hd had forgotten gladdys Ol addy wild pro posit to enact the bride in the toe dough bough and a gasp of relief cua A jr h ahe she a in the houe house somewhere safe an am found sound laughing lau chloc in her ier sleeve at a t us all and weve teen for or the cikot hour tearing our clothes and the alilis off our handa hands in that thicket of holly bushes round the let a go all 11 II over the houie house aln again 0 o suggested somebody ele else perhaps ba oboe crept inside one on of the suits of armor suggested bobby with protruding eye eyes what a tale it was boing to be to carry back bask to abo ai another nother hour waa was spent la in eideh atoch rut tat all fruitlessly to toe canh ted |
