The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-16
CHAPTER 1.
The Shadow OF a Fear.

ana unnOticed. without the wagglnS
OF tongues and the prying OF idle curt
osity IL was not as II No. Is stood
APATHY circumference was smart
row of houses. where for the most part
people of means resided. The other
homesteads We're bright and clean.
there were boxes OF flowers in the
windows aud SILK blinds behind. Lights
cleaned In them AT night. glittering
carriages stood before the open doors.
So that the rustiness and neglect OF
No. H. WAS all the more remarked. IL
was like one horribly black. decayed
tooth IN an otherwise perfect set. No
lights showed there. the ill-painted
blinds were always down. the front
steps Were greasy, the panes We're
black with the passing of years. The
neighbors occasionally alluded 10 No.
l3 i'm a careless kind of way. they be-
lieyed that gentleman called Colville
nVed there lie was understood To be
Il scientific man or something of that
sort lIut nobody really knew, and no.
body cared Nobody had ever been in
side the house, which was understood
10 be only partly furnished. TIE
same sense OF loneliness and mystery
pervaded the interior OF No. IL. The
noble reception rooms on the first floor
were never opened. indeed. for years
they had not seen the light OF day.
\ sense of mystery, the brooding
spirit of some unreasonable trouble
lay everywhere And yet the black
dust and hanging cobwebs rested on
priceless pictures and works OF art. on
old tapestry, furniture. and eastern
carpets. Somebody years ago had filled
an old Celln epergne with flowers,
and the blackened stalks still re-
NAMED So much could be seen by
the girl who stood there looking
fearsomely around with a solitary can
die In her hand
II was a kind OF tradition in Vernon
terrace that an exceedingly pretty girl
had been seen occasionally at No. l3.
For once tradition was right for Ailsa
LEROY was very pretty girl indeed.
Her dress was of the simplest. her
hair was caught up in a very severe
fashion. but all this did not detract
from the girls beauty. or rob her deep
violet eyes OF the sweetness OF their
expression. Her face was little pale.
vet the skin was clear and healthy.
the little red lips We're unsteady now.
In age Aisa might have been taken
FOR one.and-twenty. Anybody who
guessed that would not have been far
wrong. for she would be twenty-one
on the morrow.
Five years she had spent under the
roof OF Archibald Colville since her
father died. Five years in dreary
| prison house with nobody for company
| but her books and her painting, the
strange taciturn old servants. and an
occasional glimpse of the man who
called himself her guardian. Other
: girls tasted the delights OF life. Ailsa
had none OF them And the time was
I close ri hand when she would be her
own mistress. Many things would be
made plain tomorrow Ailsa was look
ing forward TO the morrow with min
gled feelings
She had naturally high courage OF
/ her own. bat the old house frightened
and depressed her Strange things hap
pened from time 10 time In the dead or
night Afterwards Ailsa wondered N
she had been dreaming. Once she
had stepped into the corridor from her
: bedroom and listened She had heard
blows and cries. prayer for mercy,
and silence And then she had seen
old Susan the cast-iron housekceper.
came along the corridor wringing her
hands and crying bitterly. Yes. over
all those things hung the shadow or
7 fear
Ailsa had her dinner IN solitary
4 state. served by the taciturn Susan.
and cleared away by the equally tact
/ turn Thomas. the butler. She would
/ 20 to bed early and sleep till the fate
T hll morrow Ailsa hardly dared 10 ask
herself what tomorrow would produce.
Somebody was knocking loudly at the
front door. heavy hand tangled az
! the bell Such thing had never hap
Dened before In the recollection OF the
girl. She caught her breath quickly
with sudden premonition Of fear.
II was only telegram. after all. di-
rected TO Ailsa. II was a curt intima-
| ton from Archibald Colville. dis
matched from Birmingham. TO the eff
/ feet that the sender could not possibly
return to London on the morrow. and
! that Thomas was to take the midnight
train TO birmingham and there meet
his master with the Gladstone bag.
You had better give this 10
Thomas. Susan" Ailsa said as she
handed over the fildsy sheet OF paper.
II dare say he would know what Il
means"
Susan's hard, corrugated features
grew suddenly pale and CHASTITY Some
thing like a groan escaped from her
lips. She stiffened again as she De-
came aware OF Ailsas widely opened,
questioning eyes. She snatched the
lraper almost angrily.
"Oh. yes | know, she said hoarse.
Nv More curses on this cursed
house. And him to go away on this or
All nights or -ttfr-yeart -fha-hand- ot
the Lord is heavy on some OF us.
You go To bed. missy, and for
get what I've been saying.
But Ailsa did not move. The drea1
fascination of the old house was upon
her as IL had never been before.
Hitherto she had closed her eyes to
the suggestion OF Wrong-doing, now
her senses were alert and awake. She
had never seen old Susan in thiH
mood before. Usually the aged serH-
tor had been taciturn and Sullen to
the last degree. She had encourasch
TO arfvarrrt-s- t,tf the part If -Ailsa.
Il do not quite understand you,
the Girl said What do you mean
You seem To be IN great trouble about
something that -"
I'm I'm no trouble about any thing,
Susan retorted. You go on TO bed
and mind your own business, my
pretty little soul ASK no questions,
end YOU will be tod no lies. as they
oh