Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1905-02-24
Bound by a Spell

ment. and thought it would suit the pur-
pose she had in view. She was most
particular in her injunctions that you
should be reared strictly and religiously.
Two days afterwards she brought you
here. She gave the name of Carston,
and said that you were to be called
Silas Carston. The money was to be
drawn half-yearly, Of Messrs. Fogle and
Quirk, solicitors. For the sake of the
precious soul entrusted to my keeping /
tried as discreetly as possible to CLEAN
little more information; but she was
very close, and awfully stern, and l
could not get even an address out of her.
The money has always been paid regu-
larly to the day. Once / called upon
Messrs. Fogle and Quick; but l found
them stiff-necked men, OF hard and unre-
generate hearts. Two years ago / wrote
to say that, as you had passed hey ond
the school boy age, l wished for further
instructions. About a week after, l got
short note, saying that you were still
to remain with me; but as they desired
that you should not contract idle habits,
| was to give you some sort of useful
employment. Why don't you say some
thing, Silas?" he cried, striking the ia
BILE sharply with his fist.
"What-what do you want me to say,
STRIP | stammered
"The truth-what you Know"
81 don't know anythiGg-indeed, l do
not"
There was a savage look about him, as
though he would have liked to have
squeezed something more out of my
throat Then he took out of a desk be-
side him a small gold locket, and passed
it to me, saying. "This was sewn up
in your frock when you were brought
here. l don't think she who brought
you knew anything about it,"
1t contained the portrait of a very
beautiful young woman foreigner, l
should have imagined; dark hair. olive
tinged complexion. also lock of brown
hair; and upon the back was engraved
the initials F b." and "E. NJ" joined
together by a true lovers knot.
''rhe woman who brought you here"
he went on, was tall; and big-boned;
thin, white lips; a nose like a parrots
beak; light gray eyes, as cold as stone.
She wore a front of dark brown hair,
dressed In small fiat curls, and bound
round the forehead by band of narrow
black velvet; she was dressed in black
silk, and wore a muslin handkerchief
cioHStu upon ner DoSOHl.
While he spoke, a veil seemed lifted
from my memory; the woman seemed to
stand before me. | had trembled be-
fore those cold. stony eyes. That por-
trait, too-my heart told me it was my
came upon me that l had been at some
time fondled by such face.
The Rev. Obadiah Porter was evident
ly disappointed at the result of his reve-
lations. He snatched the locket out of
my hand. and then locked it up in the
desk again.
'Well, well, If you can't remember,
you can't" he said, irritably. "But
when you are alone. or in bed, try and
think. Who nows?-you might be the
child of some great or rich people," he
added, cunningly. "Think what an ad-
vantage II would be il you could find
this outl But we won't talk any more
of this at present. l have something
else to speak to you about. Silas, it has
much troubled me, for some time. TO see
youth of your appearance and proba-
BILE prospects doing mental work. I've
long been thinking whether l couldn't
more proftably employ you; and, after a
talk with my daughter, I've come to the
conclusion that you shall. henceforth,
assist her in the care of the boys"
My duties as tutor were to commence
on the next day. l really felt very crate
to him for what appeared, to my unso-
phisticated mind, great kindness; and
so told Martha when l went back to
the kitchen.
well, don't know about being crate
full, Silas," she cried. depend upon it.
masters serving his own turn. Miss
Judith's getting very tired of the work:
and II she was to go away, what would
he do? 1t wouldn't suit him to have a
stranger in the house. Now don't you
see that he couldn't do without YOU
that you're the very thing he wants?'
Martha's worldly view of the matter
somewhat dashed my exalted feelings of
gratitude; yet, for all that, l still felt
very thankful for the change.