The Detroit times., 1910-02-16
CHAPTER /.
The Shadow OF a Fear.


and unnoticed. without thu wagging
of tongues and the prying Of idle curl
osity. II was not as II No. IL stood
dpalt-Ncrnon.ter was smart
row of houses, where for the most part
people OF means resided. The other
homesteads were bright and clean.
there were boxes OF flowers In the
windows. and silk blinds behind. Lights
CLEANED In them at night, glittering
carriages stood before the open doors.
So that the rustiness and neglect OF
No Is 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 We're greasy. the panes were
black with the passing OF years The
neighbors occasionally alluded TO No
l3 in careless kind Of way. they be-
lieved that a gentleman called Colville
lived there. He was understood 10 be
a scientific man or something OF that
sort. But nobody really knew. and no
body cared Nobody had ever been in
side the house. which was understood
10 be only partly furnished The
same sense OF loneliness and mystery
pervaded the interior OF No. 10 The
noble reception rooms on the first floor
wore never opened. indeed. for years
they had not seen the light OF day
\ sense OF mystery. the brooding
spirit OF some Unreasonable trouble
las 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 filed
an old Cellinl epergne with flowers.
and the blackened stalks still re
NAMED So much could be seen by
ne girl who stood there looking
fearsomely around with a solitary can
die in her hand
IL was a kind or tradition In Vernon
terrace that an exceedingly pretty girl
had been seen occasionally AT No. 49,
For once tradition was right. for Ailsa
LEROY was very pretty girl indeed
Her dress was OF the simplest. her
hair was caught mp 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 were unsteady now.
In age Ailsa 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 a dreary
prison house with nobody for company
a h.av r,ats tho a
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
close IT 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 or
her own. but the old house frightened
and depressed her. Strange things nap
pened from time TO time In the dead or
night Afterwards Ailsa wondered II
She had been dreaming. Once she
had stepped into the corridor from her
bedroom and listened. She had heard
blows and cries. prayer Tor mercy,
and silence And then she had seen
old Susan. the cast-iron housekceper,
came along Tho corridor wringing her
hands and crying bitterly Yes. over
all those things hung the shadow OF
a fear
Ailsa had her dinner In solitary
state served by the taclturn Susan.
and cleared away by the equally tact
turn Thomas. the butler She would
20 TO bed early and sleep TIL the fate
full morrow. Ailsa hardly dared to ask
herself what tomorrow would produce.
SomebOdy was Knocking loudly az the
front door. a heavy hand tangled at
the bell Such a thing had never hap
pened before I'm the recollection Of the
girl. She caught her breath quickly
with a sudden premonltion OF fear.
II was only a telegram after all. d.
rected 10 Ailsa II was curt intima-
ton from Archibald Colville, dis
patched from birmingham. 10 the ef-
fect that the sender could not possibly
return to London on the morrow. and
that Thomas was 20 take the midnight
train 20 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 fii0sy sheet OF paper.
II dare say he would know what IL
means"
Susan's hard corrugated features
GREW suddenly p5le and CHASTITY. Some
thing Ike groau escaped from her
ling. She stiffened again as she be
came aware of Ailsas widely opened.
questioning eyes She snatched the
raper almost angrily.
"Oh. yes. know she said hoarse
" More curses on this cursed
-.-r------- -AlrIl-ta-2n away Oh this OF
all nights OF the year, The hand %
the Lord is heavy on some OF MS. d.
You 90 10 bed. missy, and for
got what I've been saying.
nut Ailsa did not move The dread
fascination OF the old house was upon
Ter as II had never been before.
Hitherto she had closed her eyes 10
the suggestion OF wrong-doing. now
her senses were alert and awake. she
mad never seen old Susan in this
mood before. Usually. the aged serH-
Tor had been tacituru and sullen 70
l,beAla degree She had encouraged
mo- advances ON the part of Ailsa.
Il 40 not quite understand you.
The girl said What do You mean
yut seem 10 be I'm great trouble about
that -
y I'm I'm no trouble about any thing, ~
susan retortod. You go of TO bed
and mind your own business, my
nretty little soul Ask no questions,
and Won viii be tod no lies. as they