The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-02-24
A buSbaQd'S
~QiM2.
BY FLORENCE WARDEN.
CHAPTER II-(Continued.)

CHAPTER II-(Continued.)
Duke came first, looking flushed, ex-
cited, and as If scarcely master OF him
self. But there was no relief in his
face: he seemed strung up to a high
pitch of nervous anxiety. Algy Hurst
followed, plump and placidly self-sads-
fed, a little too much like a very high
Unfinished fashion plate, perhaps, with
his glossy clothes, his silk Innings and
his white flower, but withal beautiful
to look upon. Then came Leorard lar
vey, a gaunt figure, on whom the cas-
iest-fitting clothes would hang loosely.
And last of all, in shutied the quaint
est figure that ever wore wore evening
dress.
Mr.. Joseph Radstock was evidently
overwhelmed by the honor OF dining
with his prosperous nephew. TO do
Justice to the occasion, he had appar-
emily borrowed the waistcoat and trous
ers of a city waiter, while the coat he
wore was evidently a CASTOR one OF
Dukes and was a great deal too short
in the waist and sleeves. He was a
tall, lean man, with 4 STOPPING, sham
bling figure and a sOdden, mean face.
His manners were those OF the most
offensive type Of poor relation, alter
nately servile and familiar. Duke &C
corded him a half-tilerant, h~alf-insolent
patronage, but the rest, with the excep-
tion of Cicely, ignored him as far as
they could. Radstock, who had a great
deal more astuteness than any one
present gave him credit for, observed q
discreet sobriety in his enjoyment OF
the wines, though he gazed with loving
eyes on the decantcrs. In serv1le graft
tude, or the semblance Of it, he echoed
all Dke's remuarks but directed his con-
~versation chiefly to Cicely. In whose
gel. tie courtesy he found 1 refuge from
the coldness Of the rest.
But, although she listened to tue un-
welcome guest with patience, n an
swered him with kindness, Cicely was
absorbed all the time in watching her
husband, who, under the influence or
the wine, was growing more and more
excited, more reckless in manner. loud
er In tolk. The young wife fingered at
the table, unwilling to lose sight OF him
and full Of vague uneasiness. Leonard
Harvey noticed the anxious lock on her
face. and ne and Algy became resolute-
" slow in emptying their glasses. .
"Why, you drink nothing, either OF
you!" cried Duke, impatient at their
moderation Here, Radstock, can't
YOU set them an example! Or have you
oil an idea that there is something bet
ter in the cellar than anything l have
offered your
NO. indeed, Mr.. Berrington; moth
ing in any gentleman's cellar be
better than what you have put before
us, I'm sure"
There you're wrong. Uncle Joseph.
There's some wine in my cellar com
pared to which what we've been drink
ing Is as tenpenny claret to Chateau
Latitte. You know" he went on turning
to Hurst, "that I bought this house, just
as it stood, from the son Of a Wine-mer'
chants who had built it out OF the pill
ferings of q lifetime. Well, the young
fool hadn't taken the trouble to 60 into
the details Of his Inheritance, and l
have had the benefit of his neglect. In
the cellar, the designing Of which had
evidently been a Labor Of love to the old
boy,I discovered, not long ago. a row OF
secret bins where the ex-wine merchant
must have buried his heart. 1t was the
strangest find in the world. I was try
ing to poke into a rat-hole behind n
of the bins, and I came upon a padlick-
ed door. Quite exciting, Ell: But moth
ing romantic inside; only bin after bin
of choice wine in a small ROOM"
"ANop't you let us have q peep at your
mysterious chamber, Duke?' asked
Minna, who wanted to relieve Cicely's
anxiety by getting her husband away
from the table. I'VE ire a little in
ciined to be sceptical about treasure
trove."
Come along, then, all of you. You
shall sample my discovery, and IT I've
overrated it I give you leave to smash
every bottle.
He sprang up from his chair, found
the cellar-key after mOmentary forget
fitness where he had put it, and led the
way downstairs. The rest all followed.
The cellars Of Dial House, had evident
ly, as Duke said, been a hobby OF the
builder. They extended under the
ground for some distance.
1t was grewsome after the soft lights
and the scent of flowers they had left
in the dining o The spiders had
spun their webs from wall to wall in
the dark corners, and these, thickly
hung with dust, yelled the dark hooks
before which they were suspended, and
gave an upcanny suggestion of there
being unexplored vaults and passages
behind. AS they approached the fur
ther extremity OF the range of cellars,
Duke, trying to turn up the last gas-jet
with unstead,' fingers, put out the light
altogether
Never mind" he said, with a bolster
GUS laugh, II car find my way In the
dark"
However the next moment a crash OF
broken glass was heard, and he uttered
a sharp exclamation Of pain and impa-
tience.
Duke you have hurt yourself!' cried
Cicely's voice in agony.
A stealthy figure passed the rest, half
seen in the obscu1ity. Hurst struck a
wax vesta and lit the gas. He was SO
quick that the stealthy figure was seen
to be Radstock, who was discovered
with his hand on a bottle of wine. He
withdrew his %larcenous fingers quickly,
but not before a litter had been raised
at his expense.
And there came into his drink-sodden
face an evil look Of baffied cunning as
the clerk ~retreated again into the back
ground.
Duke, who had not noticed this INCL
dent, was revealed by the light leaning
against a narrow, padlocked door, with
his blood-stained handkerchief twisted
round his wrist. On his face was IN
expression for which the accident
scarcely accounted, The flush Of excite
ment had left his cheeks, the exhilara:
ton brought by the wine had died out
Of his eyes, which were fixed, and a
CLASSY stare as Of a dead man, on the
group in front Of him. Cicely uttered a
cry and spranc forward
Duke! Duke! What have you done3"
He started. as If interrupted when he