Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-11-30
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
BREAKING THE ICE
The cottage from the window of which
the Misses Williams had looked out
and has stood for many year. in
that pleasant suburban district which
lies beween Norwood, Anerley and For
est Hill. Long before there had been
thought of a township there, when the
was still quite distant thing,
old Mr.. Williams had inhabited 1.-The
Brambles," as the little house was called,
and had owned all the fields about it.
Six or eight such cottages scattered over
o rolling countryside were all the houses
to be found there in the days when the
century was young. From afar, when
the breeze came from the north, the dull,
low roar of the great city might be heard
like the breaking of the tide of life, while
along the horizon might be seen the dim
curtain of smoke, the grim spray which
that tide threw up.
Gradually, however, as the years
passed, the city had thrown out a long
brick feeler here and there, curving, ex-
tending and coalescing, until at last the
little cottages had been gripped round by
these red tentacles and had been abb
sorbed to make room for the modern vii
la. Field by field the estate Of old Mr..
Williams had been sold to the specula-
tive builder and had borne rich crops Of
snug suburban dwellings arranged in
curving crescents and tree lined avenues.
The father had passed away before his
cottage was entirely bricked round, but
his two daughters, to whom the property
had descended, lived to see the last ves-
tige of country taken from them.
For wears they had clung to the one
field which faced their windows, and it
was only after much argument and
many heartburnings that they had at
last consented that it should share the
fate of the others. A broad road was
driven through their quiet domain, the
quarter was renamed 1.-The Wilderness, !"
and three square, staring, uncompromis-
ing villas began to sprout up on the 9TH
er side. With sore hearts the two shy
little old maids watched their steady
progress and speculated as to what fash
ion of neighbors chance would bring into
the little nook which had always been
their own.
And at last they were all three finished
Wooden balconies and overhanging caves
had been added to them, so that, in the
language of the advertisement, there
were vacant three eligible Swiss built
villas, with 18 rooms, no basement, cleo
tric bells, hot and cold water and every
modern convenience, including com
mon tennis lawn, to be let at e100a year
or 81 500 purchase. So tempting an offer
did not long remain open. Within few
weeks the card had vanished from No.
/, and it was known that Admiral Hay
Denver, V. c., C. B., with Mrs. Hay
Denver and their only son, was about
to move into it. The news brought peace
to the hearts of the Williams sisters.
They had lived with settled conviction
that some wild, impossible colony, some
shouting, singing family of madcaps
would break in upon their peace. This
establishment at least was irreproacha'
BILE.
A reference to "Men of the Time
showed them that Admiral Hay Denver
was a most distinguished officer who
had begun his active career at Bomar-
sund and had ended it at Alexandria,
having managed between these two cpl
sodes to see as much service as any man
of his years. From the Taku forts and
the Shannon brigade to dhow marrying
off Zanzibar there was no variety o1
naval work which did not appear In his
record, while the Victoria cross and the
Albert medal for saving life vouched fol
it that in peace as in war his courage
was still of the same true temper. Clear
" a very eligible neighbor this, the more
so as they had been confdentially assured
by the estate agent that Mr.. Harold Den
yer, the son, was most quiet young
gentlemen, and that he was busy from
morning to night on the Stock Exchange
The Hay Denvers had hardly moved
In before No. Q also struck its plac
ard, and again the ladies found tina
they had no reason to be discoItente'
with their neighbors. DR.. Balshaza
Walker was very well known name Il
the medical world. Did not hiH qualifi
cations, his memberships and the recor'
of his writings fill long half column Il
The Medical Directory from his first lit
tie paper on the "Gouty Diathesis" il
1859 to his exhaustive treatise upon "At
fections of the Vaso-Motor System" L
1884? A successful medical career whic
promised to end in presidentship of
college and baronetcy had been Gu
short by his sudden inheritance of cor
siderable sum from a grateful patient
which had rendered him Independent fo
life and had enabled him to turn his al
tention to the more scientific part of hi
profession, which had always had
greater charm for him than its NOR
practical and commercial aspect. I
this end he had given up his house
Weymouth street and had taken thl
opportunity Of moving himself, hi
scientific instruments and his tw
charming daughters Che had been a wit
over for some years. into the moI
peaceful atmosphere of Norwood.
There was thus but one villa unoccI
pied, and it was no wonder that the tW
maiden ladies watched with keen II
terest. which deepened into dire al
prehension, the curious incidents whic
heralded the coming Of the new tenant
They had already learned from Il
agent that the family consisted of tw
only, Mrs. Westmacott, a widow, an
her nephew, Charles Westmacott. Ho
simple and how select it had sounde'
Who could have foreseen from it the
fearful potents which seemed to threate
violence and dincerd among the dwelle
in The Wilderness? Again the two o
maids cried in heartfelt chorus that the
wished they had not sold their field.
"Well, at least, Monica" remark'
Bertha as they sat over their teacul