The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-05-30
/" COME ASHORE. !"
BY ROBERT BUCHANAN.
CHAPTER XIV.

n DHlDAL AMI a ol hlSE
A week passed away. Tho shadow Of the
caravan no longer fell ON the green meadow
by the lake, and the struggling population Of
Aberglyn, unsuspicious of foul play, haC
already forgotten both the caravan and til,
owner.
And if farts We're to be taken into con
sideration in estimating the extent Of hel
memory, Matt, too, had forgotten. 1t wa:
common talk now that she, the grammarles:
castaway, the neglected protegee of William
Jones, was to DO married to the master OF
the great bousel Nay, the very day wa:
fixed; and that very day was only two sun
rises distant, and Monk, of Monkhurst, haG
in his pocket special license, which he hat
procured, at an expenditure OF five pounds
from London.
Doubtless, in any other more populous 10
cality the affair would have occasioned NJ
little scandal and many ominous shakings Of
the head; but the inhabitants were few and
far between, and had little or no time fol
idle goSsiping. The coast-guardsmen and
their wives were the only individuals who
exhibited any interest, and even their excite
ment was faint and evanescent, like the
movements Of fish in a shallow and un.
wholesome pool
But the really extraordinary part Of the
whole affair wcs the conduct of Matt herself
Apparently quite cured Of her former repug-
nance to union with Monk, she made no OBJ
lection whatever to the performance Of the
ceremony, and laus shed merrily when she was
informed that the day was fixed. Monk, in
his grim, teciturn way, was jubilant. He
came to end fro constantly, and assumed the
manners Of lover. Had he been less bent
on one particular object two things might
have struck him as curious: ~ That Matt,
though she had consented to marry him,
steadfastly refused to wear his ring or accept
any other present; and C9 that she still
shrunk with persistent and ill-disguised dis
like from his carcsscs.
1t was now late in the month of August,
and tho weather was broken by troublous
winds and fretfulmoon. For several weeks
William Jones, in his mortal terror, had re
Trained from visiting the cave; he had never
set his foot therein, indeed, since the night of
the assassination. At last ho could bear the
suspense no longer.
So late one windy and rainy night re stole
forth with his uIlit lantern, AID fought his
way in the teeth Of half q gale t. The familiar
place, which he found, however, with some
little difficulty. He was neither supcrst;tious
nor imaginative, but throughout tie journey
he was prey to nameless terrors. Ever gust
Of wind went through his heart like knife {;
every sound of wind or sea made that same
heart stop and listen. Only supreme greed
and misery anxiety led him on. But at last
he gained tho cave, within which there was
sound as Of clashing legions, c.arions shrek
ing, drums beating, all the storm and stress
Of the awful waters clashing on the cliffs
without, and boiling with unusual screams
through the black slit between the cave and
the Devils Caldron.
Trembling, with perspiration standing In
great beads on his face, he searched the cave
for the corpse Of the murdered man, expect
ing to find it well advanced in decomposition.
Strange to say, however, it Lad disappeared.
William Jones was at once relieved and
alarmed; relieved because lie was spared q
horrible experience; alarmed because he
could not account for the disappearance. A
little reelection, however, suggested that one
Of those tidal waves so common ON tho coast
might have risen well up into the cavern,
washed away the body from its place on the
shingle, and carried it away in the direction
of tho Caldron. "In which case" Lereflected,
''them coastguard chaps would find it some
day among the rocks or on tie Shore and
think it had been drownded in the way of
natur'"
Satisfied that everything else was undis-
turbed, lie retired as hastily as possible, sea.ei
up tic entrance to the cavern, and ran Last ;ly
home.
The morning Of the marriage canle-a fiac
sunny morning. An open dCgcart belonging
H., 10 l.,
stood at William Jones' door, and Close to it
a light country cart borrowed by William
Jones himself from a neighboring farmer.
The population, consisting of en- aged coa;.-
guardmen, two coastguardmen's wives ami
half dozen detected children, crowded in
front Of the cottage.
The bridegroom, attired in decent black,
with a flower in his buttonho!e, stood waiting
in the garden. DESPITE the festive
he had a gloomy and hangjog
appearance. Presently there emerged from
the door William Jones, attired in drow ned
suit several sizes too large for him,
and wearing a chimney-pot hat and white
-osette. Leaning on his arm was Mat
lressed in dress Of blue silk, newly made
ior her, out Of damaged materials supplied b.
Jones, by one of the coastgua-d women, q
light straw hat with blue ribbons to match,
md light lace shawl Behind this pair
,obbled William Jones' father, whose COS
,ums was nautical, like his sons, but more |
damaged, and who also sported q chimney.
,ot hat and white rosette
The crowd gave feeble cheer. Matt |
ooked round and smiled, but mingled with |
Ter smile there was q kind of vague anxiety |
md expectation.
1t was arranged that Monk should drive
datt in the dogcart, while William Jones |
md his father followed In the commoner
-ehicle At Pencroes, where the ceremony
vas to be performed, they were to inset with
ne Mr.. Penarvon, q country squire and
,indred spirit Of Monk'S who bad promised
o b best man.