The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-11-08

a food Of the gayest talk, yet al.
! ways ofa world that felt was before
1 my time. He spoke OF Bleakirk and
displayed a knowledge sufficient
" thorough-intimate sven-yct oi
the old friends for whom he inquired
many names were unknown to mo,
many familiar only through their
cpitaphs in the windy cemetery above
the cliff. Of the rest the pretty girls
he named were grandmothers, the
young men long since bent and rheu-
matte, the youngest well over 80.
This, however, seemed to dcprcss
him little. His eyes would
sadden Tor n moment, then laugh
again. "Well, well, he said, "wrink-
les: bald heads, and the deafness OF
the tomb-we have our day notwith-
standing. Pluck the bloom of it
hey? commonplace OF the poets"
But, sir" put in politely as
might. "you have not yet told me
with whom have the pleasure OF
lunching."
Gently, young SIR" He waved
his hand toward the eencircling moors.
"We have feasttd more H0merico,
and in Homer, you remember, the
host allowed his guest fourteen days
before asking that question. Permit
me to delay the answer only till
have poured lihntion on the turfherc.
Ah! l perceive the whisky il exhaust
ed: water shall suffice. May troub-
le you-my joints are stiff-to fill
your drinking-cup from the brook at
your teet?"
took the cup from his hands and
stopped over the water. As l did 80
he lrape'l ON me like II cut from be,
hind. l telt IL hilcous blow on the
nape of the neck; Il jnggged flame leap
ed up; the sunshine turned to blood
then to darkness. With hands
spread out stumbled hlindly for.
ward and fell at full length into the
beck.
When my senses returned / became
aware, first that was lying, bound
hand and foot and securely gagged
upon the turf; secondly, that the
horses were still tethercd and stand
ing quietly at the foot-bridge; and,
thirdly, that my companion had re.
sumel his position on the b0wlder
and there sat watching my recovery.
Seeing my eyes open, he raised his
hat and addressed me in tones OF
grave punctilio:
"Believe me, sir, am earnest in my
regret for this state OF things. Notll.
ing but the severest necessity could
have persuaded me to knock the son
ofmy late esteemed friend over the
skull and gag his utterance w::;h i,
stone-to pass over the fact that il
fairly lays my sense of your hospi.
tality under suspicion. Upon my
word, sir, it places me in u cursedly
equivocal position!"
He took a pinch of snuff, absorbed
it slowly, and pursued:
"lt was necessary, however. You
will partly grasp the situation when
tell you that my name is Teague-
the Rev. William league, doctor al
divinity, and formerly incumbent OF
Bleakirk-on-Sands."
His words explained much, though
not everything. The circumstances
which led to the Rev, Williams de-
parture from Bleakirk had happened
some two years before my BIRTH; but
they were startling enough to sup
ply talk in that dull fishing village fol
lnanyn long day. Inmy had
heard the tnle that my companion +
name-recalled; and if till now had
felt humiliation. henceforth / felt ab.
solute fear for | knew that I had to
deal with n madman.
"Iperceive by your eyes, SIR" he
went on, 'sthat with Il part of my
story you are already familiar.
The rest ! am about to tell you. 1t
will he within your knowlcd gc that
late on Il Sunday night just twenty
nine years ago, my wife left the
Vicnrnge house, }leakirk, and never
returned; that subsequent inquiry
yielded no trace OF her flight beyond
the fact that she went provided with
Il small handbag containing Il
<I,., <~c .,lx, ,
% ,;'...i at,,o.. W. t' s .m"., . "e W. '.':. ~
.h,. '.' .ten'' ;,.s4 ~. ."e''S Scais III ~
o.,,, o.,. I.la.so .,.', .. lonS, no re'lSoii
I""'u tnui a;t, ~ .a..erM,.ra , oc EVEN lol
wv, ,.o,, "H ,.;,l ''a -, .o 4i,.t -. o,eu.ei'
me was tragical; that my lively emo
tions underneath the stock deepened
t;as S tnntor;o,,si etu = .S j., y y l,nt .Ieu
t;,m. @ l'oo"n" a.l9,,,aa e, no,, :" a,;'., q s.oIo
,o ,,n.os.;t at;,,,. ] ',a,'. n' .."' ..;,, @
r"9;no"t" a ,nn.,ho"so 10y H. WI; l. ''Gt ~
'.n,ny" '',. W, " '''''o'''''"e hes' 10 IL
'Jo ,,i.,,, ao o.a,,. u, ,..u ..,.
IL. .o ,.'a', aoa. '..:.,. d: , WI as eou.' r :
',o, 70" u pn% thnmh m az % "mJ h,l I"Ie' ~ ,,," mn
Hni E,, l anh Iliu''p' ~: =" nou .h,ch 10 ne.
...;.,, sm .,.'o n'n .y'H "'iI ~, noM .'''H.l,
ss,,.m,, um .' n'.a,. M W., u' ..',;. WI"
W. ..W', :,.;ta ,,a,",, "oo.vI pon'c o,.
,u,.@ wy WI" eie' .,a :, ,a,ao in,, Da'A' '''''
"Ti' H. sM s,,;f."a . s',G i;tt, - ue.,a @ a.. ,,
.,;,,nod ] th. s',,g s vi i,"l. " u" ;"." ~,
nv. nnlnt tion om on,,ss;,', ," Is I,;s
M"'n,.I W.. ',,'l uino.' ''eh, , 'l'es n.s
',.a % h.nt % fdr,a ri "s MI u u,s, 'me ,',e
axa',,, d D''' 'o' ""'o '''' 's"'"eo '"'
"H.",a, ~ ,,,,,,doco,, ,,o, ;. ,o s,;, ,,a,,.,,.
'uc, iici' he ""'' s'o"'A,