The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-04-11
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
/ frequently looked in upon the
ladies at Timperley Hall, and took a
four.o clock cup of tea with them (not,
however, to the neglect of other, if less
pleasant, parochial visitations). Dur
ing these visits we talked without that
constraint which somehow Mr.. Stein
hardt's presence imposed upon us.
Miss Lacroix and | agreed in our opin-
ions concerning the ruthlessness with
which Lancashire pushed on its indus
trial way: we often astonished poor
Mrs. Steinhardt (sometimes even our
selves) by the warmth with which we
would discuss the outrage done to man
and nature.
One afternoon we talked thus. It
was we'll on in springtime; the stream
was running full and all nature, in
spite of drawbacks, was striving to look
green. l told them how that morning
] had stood by the little plank bridge
just below Timperley Hall, looking
across at the dreadfully numbered little
peninsula on which the ruined spinning
mill stood, when there turned up at my
elbow an old man whom knew by
sight as an ex-handloom weaver.
"a fine brook, that, parson," he
said.
EYES," said l, suiting my reply to
what l thought his persiAage; "what
pity no trout seem to know Of i'll"
"Ah, but" said he, sadly, "there
we're trout in it wonst though there's
been none for mony day. Trout
Aw defy onything to live in that, bout
gettin' cured first, like red herrin' or
eallymander! There was lad
drowned like as it might be this spring,
and he we're never found till like as it
might be next back end. down theer in
that mud; he we're not gone at all, but
he were cured thro' and thro'; black,
mon--blackp
This told; and then continued:
Drowning, they say, is an easy death;
but to drown in such stream as that
seems horribly repulsive. | fancy no
one would care to commit suicide in it. "
perceived my stupid blunder as
soon as | had spoken; | had not
thought that what said could be taken
as "allusive" to the disappearance OF
Mr.. Lacroix.
Excuse me" said Miss Lacroix, ris-
ing hurriedly, 81 do not feel very we'll.
Do not come, Mrs. Steinhardt; shall
get better by myself"
of course made apology to Mrs.
steinhardt for my stupidity.
"Yes," said she; "you see she can't
bear any kind of allusion to her
fathers end. She told me soon after
she came here (she couldn't, you know,
go on living in that big house up there
all by herself)-she told me strange
dream she had once or twice when her
father was missing-the strangest thing,
but scolded her so, she has never said
another word to me about it. Still /
fancy she thinks great deal about her
father, though she does not say much ;
they we're rare and fond o. one another. /"
That very evening / Unexpectedly
learned from Miss Lacroix herself what
that strange dream was. was return
ing by moonlight from the house of a
parishioner along that same road which
first brought me upon the valley. Pass
ing the pond on my right (Which l be-
fore mentioned as rejecting the lighted
windows of the many storeyed MILD, |
observed a figure, cloaked and hooded
standing on the margin of the pond
under one of the trees. paused a
minute, while my heart beat with ap-
prehension, and then passed through
a gap in the fence and approached.
The figure turned quickly, as il impa-
tient at the intrusion, and in the pale
moonlight I recognized the face Of Miss
Lacroix.
"Miss LacrOix" exclaimed
"You here!"
"0h, Mr.. Unwin," she began, in
evident tension Of feeling, 81 could moi
rest indoors, and 90 l came down to see
Uncle Jacques; | could not remain with
him, and so came out here to look at
this, which always fsscinates me
'Lookl"
stood by her side and looked; this
is what l saw: An inverted reflection
of the tall chimney of the chemical
works which was emitting, as it often
did late in the evening, its strange
pinkish vapor; this vapor in the refiec
tion looked as il it were slowly rising
from the bottom of the pond, and, as
its color blended with the tints the
water somehow took as the breeze ruff
fed it this way or that, produced the
impression of a slowly simmering caul
dron OF red, green, and copper-browr
fame. This was so wonderfully weirC
fancy that I confess l felt my Skin
creep. l turned my eyes away, anC
then looked again, and again, but the
impression was ever the same.
"lt's indeed very strange!" said.
"Is it not?" said she. "You see i
also? Mr.. Unwin," she went on, turn
ing suddenly to me, and speaking will
a vehemence which increased as tn,
words came, 81 have wished to tell you
You are a clergyman, and must heal
me make my confession; and you vii
keep it secret to yourself. You hav,
heard, perhaps, that my father-my
} dear father!-is thought to be dead
now just year ago?"
81 have" said /.
"He went to London and to Pari
! on business, and he never came back
! 1t happened while he was away that
lived all by myself at home. slep'
sound that night without dreaming
when suddenly had dream. l saw
vapor or flame slowly rising just lik,
that-I saw a man plunge into it, anS
knew the man was my father-I fel
} he was. Iawoke at once all trembling
! and did not go to sleep again. Tha
} was all my dream"
; "Are you sure.".T said, "that yo,
had not heard some one-Mrs. Stein
hardt, for instances suggest that he ha,
been drowned, and then you went an,
, dreamt Of the peculiar appearance o.
I this pond7"