Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-02-03
CHAPTER ".

what stormy interview with Mrs Dali
las. For once the mother of Isabella
was reused out of her habituaI indif-
ference, and she refused absolutely to
accept AyImer as her son-in-Iaw-
Tt is because that black woman dis
trusts me that you object" he said.
7 wonder that an educated person
should be dominated by that uncivil-
lied creature.
Dido has nothing to do with my
refusal" said the widow, cOldly; and
although I take her advice in some
things, I do not in this I don't wish
Isabella to marry you, and I request
you to leave my house"
AS a gentleman I must accept your
dismissal, but I decline to give up Isa-
bella
and ~ cried the girl swear to re-
main true to Maurice"
Yoau do nothing Of the sort said
her mother, violently. I forbid you
even TO think Of that young man You
shall marry whom choose"
"Dr. Etwald, I suppose"
20. Mr.. Sarby."
David" calculated Maurice, in an.
astonished tone. You wish Isabella
70 marry him. :"
Yes. He loves Isabella much more
than you do, and he asked permission
which YOU didnt-to pay his ad-
dresses to her. l consented, and So"
Mrs. Dallas raised her voice. "he shall
marry her"
I refuse to marry Mr.. Sarby," said
Isabella, vehemently. 4 hate htm!"
That is no matter!" replied her
mother coldly. You must marry
him
Must" repeated Maurice. with
great Indignation
Yes, Mr. Aylmer! Must! Must!
Must, If you want an explanation of
thar You can ask Major Jen!"
The Major. My guardian!" cried
Ayimer, quite thunderstruck. rs he
against me?"
Ask him. I want no further speech
es from YOU. Go to your room. Isa-
bella"
Resigaing himself to the inevitable,
Maurice gave one glance at Isabella,
and went outside with a heavy heart.
Dido was standing upon the veranda,
with her eyes glowing like two Goals.
Yet there was an fu-concealed express
sion of triumph in her gaze which
Maurice, in his then disturbed and an
gered state of mind, could i'll brook
He paused abruptly as he passed by
her, and asked a direct question:
Why do YOU hate me, Dido?"
NoOdoo!" said she in a harsh voice
Bah! YOU black parrot" muttered
Maurice. scornfully, and turned upon
his heel. AS he vanished down the
walk Dido clapped her hands together
with great satisfaction, and began to
sing in low tones. Her song was bar
barrie in words, and strange beyond all
telling in the music. 1t rose and fell,
and moaned and drawled in curious
y painful manner. In the drawing
room Mrs. Dallas had risen to her feet
at the first deep contraIto note. and
now stood rocking herself to and fro
with ar expression of alarm on her
face. Isabella was terrified in her
turn. She shrieked and ran out of the
room, Then Dido, still singing, ap-
peared at the window, and looked at
Mrs Dallas with an expression of
triumph
Why do you sing the death song"
asked Mrs. Dallas. opening her eyes.
Because de master hab doomed dat
yaller-har!" said Dido, and continued
her song.
In the meantime, Maurice walked
slowly homeward, puzzllng out his own
mind. as to what could be the meaning
OF these strange things. He could not
understand why Mrs. Dallas objected
to him as a sOn-in- law: nor could he
surmise the meaning of the mysterious
word 'Noodoo," pronounced so signih-
cantly by Dido. However. he saw
plainly that the negress was the dis
turhing element in the Dallas house
hold. and by a half-hypnotic control
over the weak will of her mistress. she
could act as she pleased
Maurice simple and upright in CON
duet and character. was no match for
the unscrupuIous Vaccinations of Di-
do She hated the young man. and
was determined that he should not
marry her nursing. But whether she
had, like Mrs Dallas, a preference for
David over DR.. Etwald Maurice couId
not determine The more he thought
over affairs, the more incoherent and
complicated did they become: so Avl-
mer gave up the task in despair Then
1t occurred to him that Mrs. Dallas had
referred him to Major Jen; so to his
guardian Maurice went the moment he
arrived at the big house.
Major gone out, sir" explained
Jaggard, to whom Maurice applied for
information He got a MESSAGE from
DR.. Etwald, and went to see him. Be
back to dinner, sir. I bIieve."
Where is Mr.. Sarby?"
Gone over to Branch Hall, sir"
'Ho, ho." thought Maurice. as he
turned away, SO David had gone to
see Meg. Now if he is in love with
Isabella, and Mrs Dallas favors his
suit. | wonder why he acts in that
way"
The question he could not answer, so
dismissing it from his memory. he re-
tired to the smoking room with a nov
ell When Jen and David returned he
intended to question both, and. is pos
sible. set to the bottom of these sick
ening mysteries
Hang it," soliloquized Maurice over
his book; since yesterday everything
seems to have gone wrong. That ne
gross and DR.. Etwald are at the bot
tom Of affairs. But I can't see their
Then he laid aside his book 10 think,
and stared idly at the opposite wall.
It CHANGED to be that upon which the
harbaric weapons before alluded to
were arranged and conspicuous among
them the golden handle of the devil
stick. Recalling the mention of Woo
doc, and Etwald's reference to African
witchcraft Maurice connected in his
own mind the devil-sticll with those
barbarisms, and on the impulse of the
moment ne rose TO examine the magic
wand Handling it carefully-for he
dreaded the poison, although it was
said TO be dried up-he wondered if
Dido could make use of it were it in
her possession.
4 heard Mrs. Dallas say that Dido's
people came from Ashantee," solilo-
Quized Maurice, so I have no doubt
she can work the internal thing. Per-
haps she knows enough TO fill the bag
with fresh poison. If she did So.
wouldn't trust myself near her. She
would be sure to experiment on me-"