The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-07-25


Meanwhile, the two dogs. Uno and
Ino, were TO be banished. The village
people were afraid OF them. and they
were TO be taken away during the time
of the wedding TO nm old llo,lse In the
suburbs. where tlog-faileer lived.
"Yonr mother shudders at their very
sight, Madame yiuton had said to her
betrothed husband; "and no longer
need such fierce protectors. ! am not
10 be lone woman any more. 1 will
sell the dogs u any Que can be found
TO buy them"
And the day before the wedding, she
with her own hands. led them to their
new home. and knet before them aud
talked TO them "a though they were
human beings, bidding Them be good
aud obey their new master.
Only one night more.r said Squire
Gilbert. as he took his beautiful brides
hands la his. 'sOnly Que night more.
dearest Tomorrow you are mine.n
He kissed her and turned away.
turned back TO kiss her hands over and
over again. fingered still, very 10th TO
go. until at last she playfully drew TO
the door. saying that she never allowed
him TO remain so late. aud that he must
20 home; and he went down the garden
path.
IL was past eleven o'clock. The full
moon shnne overhead. casting the
shadows Of the bare wintry shrubbery
In dark outlines ON the white paths.
The iron gate, set deep Ia the stone
wall, looked like Jet against snow. In
contrast with the smooth road without.
A screech owl Ia the grove near by
uttered It's melancholy who! Who'll whol
and the lover looked back at his lads's
house regretfnlly. Ii seemed so lonely
a spot 10 leave her In.
Stepping back. he looked up nj the
windows. where 4 light now shone. aud
ran against some in the road. who utter
ed foreign oath aud struck at him.
Squire Gilbert turned. his hand i'm
voluntarily going To his pistol-belt; and
the stranger, on whose toes he had
trodden. followed the motion with his
eyes.
Excuse me, /" he said. with strong
French accent. ..You came out of this
honse in such hurry. at this late hour.
| believed You were, perhaps, thief.
Pardon"
at is my place TO beg pardon" said
the squire. whom the very accent of
his beloved ones native language mol
lifted. III myself fancied | might have
met some dangerous person. ! hope
did not hurt YOU"
..0h. no. said the other. II was
only startled little. A thousand par
dons." Aud he passed on. The squire
also went his way.
After few steps he looked back.
The stranger seemed TO have vanished
mysteriously into the earth. But IL
seemed 10 Squire Gilbert that he never
shonld forget his long. hooked nose.
his pointed chin. the narrow eyes. set
close together. the straight line of his
small mouth. and the intense blackness
of his hair and moustache-a very
Mephistopheles in modern costume.
On the morrow. bright aud early. the
household was astir. The bridegroom
dressed in his new garments ;his mother
in her elegant gray satin and point
lace. But just as the moment came
for the carriage to be called, a messen-
ger from the house on the hill came TO
the door in violent haste.
That morning. when the servants
awoke, they found the hall-tioor open.
and their lady gone. She had not re-
turned. Her clothing had not been
taken. Her wedding-dress was ready
10 put on; but her jewel-cases were all
unlocked and empty. as was the tiny
ornamental safe ia which she kept her
money.
The wedding company was coming
in; the lady had not returned; no one
knew what To do.
Words cannot describe the c0nster-
nation Of the squire. lie hurried to
Madame Ninton's house. and found all
as described. He sent for the police,
for detectives from the nearest city.
He searched frantically far and near,
fearing to lind his love lying dead in
some part Of her garden, or the woods
near by. Ii was many, many days be-
fore he gave up his hopeless wander
inAS.
He only thought of accident. II
seemed plain to others that she had left
the place of her own free will. having
some unknown motive. AT last the
squire himself declared that IL Madame
Wilton had met with violence. her body
must have been found; but he still fell
perfect faith in her. and. In his miser-
able love and longing. clung To the re-
newed hope that il gave him to believe
her still alive. He took possession OF
the house on the hill. dismissed the
servants, and went thither to live alone.
''She will return some day." he said.
land she shall lind me there waiting
for her."
unheeded before, he clung to his resolu-
ton.
One man only waited upon him, an
old and faithful servant; but one day
he sent to the dog-fancier to reclaim
the blood-hounds. and Uno aud Ino, led
In leash came eagerly up the village
street, about noon, one windy March
day.
They dashed into the house wild with
Joy. They fawned on Squire Gilbert,
whom they had learned to love. They
searched everywhere for Madame Vim
ton. and at last went down to their old
haunts in the garden. Longing for
home joy at their return, seemed to
have softened their natures. But sud-
denly Uno. the tiercest of the two, put
his nose to the ground uttered a low
cry, and began to run about the place
in circles. shifting strangely. A mo-
ment more aud Ino initiated him.
Their eyes changed and burnt like
Goals of fire, their frames seemed to
stilfen. They coursed about the garden
and out toward field which had been
planted with vegetables. and which lay
fallow under its late autumn plough
ing.
About this field they circled, each
circle growing narrower, their noses
still to the ground. Then, with a
trumpet-like call, they began to dig.
throwing up the soft earth about them
with fury.
The squire. his man and the dog
fancier had followed. All were pale
with horror. Suddenly the latter sprang
forward.
Take your master awayw he shouted
An fha oarvont. h,,f tho ont,s,.a NTH