The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-16

"S" VI Nhat hluu bf tllug.
Ailsa hushed a vivid crimson She
could nave told tale had she pleased.
~ the men thai make us what wo
are The old woman croaked Don't
let one ~ them spoil your life. And
now be on. for you have no business
here"
The last words were almost kindly
spoken. but the hard grim. wrinkled
race aid not relax again. The old,
strange, heavy silence settled on the
house again. broken presently by the
tramp OF heavy feet In the hall and
the sullen banging OF the front door.
ihomas had departed on his mys1
terious errand, evidently, Ailsa waA
alone In the house with Susan. Sups
lose that the old woman was taken
i'll In the night and died? Ailsa pu1
the thought away from her. Ii seemed
To her that she could hear noises
everywhere, stealthy footsteps in the
great reception rooms overhead Ii
was pure Fancy, OF course: nobody
was likely TO come there. All the same.
Ailsa took up one al the candlesticks
from the polished lake OF the mahoy-
any table and walked upstairs 10 The
great room above.
Nobody there; nothing but silence
and dust. and the scratching of mica.
behind the panels. IL was not once
year that Ailsa entered these rooms:
their grandeur oyerpowered here. She
did not KNOW thai the blackened orna-
ments here and there represented
some OF the most priceless old silver
In England. Aisa paused just mo-
nent before a portrait hanging re.
tween two OF the shattered windows.
Il was the present,nent OF Archibald
Colville. done ten years ago by one OF
the most famous painters OF his day.
Ailsa had never carefully noticed
the picture before She felt sure that
here had been speaking likeness at
the time IL was painted. A dark,
rather hard face as II IL had been
soured by trouble and misfortune
rather than the nand OF Nature. Yet
the eyes and mouth were sad. the
folded hands had a suggestion OF
resignation about them They were
slim. yet resolute hands: on the one
little finger was a curious snake ring
of diamonds with ruby eyes Aisa
had often seen that ring on the hand
of her guardian. and in some queer
clnated her now SO that she almost
forgot TO wonder why Archibald Col.
Vile had changed from black 10 abso-
Lutte grey IN ten years.
Il wonder why" Ailsa unused aloud.
Perhaps II was old Susan who ser
ne thinking. bur | never connected
my grim old guardian with romance
before. Perhaps all the love went out
of his life calmly and left IL grey and
'colorless. DO We ali suffer in the sam,
way, ! wonder? Anu what would Arch
ibald Colville say il he knew that |
too had loved and lost, And yet Il
seems almost absurd seeing that |
was but / child tho last time | parted
with Ronald Bra brooke, wonder If
he guessed how much the child OF Il
cared for him"
Ailsa stopped conscious OF the fact
that she was talking aloud. In that
old home. the echo of her own voice
almost frightened her Sui, the broken
romance was still very fresh and pure
In her heart. Ailsa was not the girl
To pine and die over a thing like that.
but her neart ached at times when the
happy old days rose up before her
mental vision. And she was very rest.
less and uneasy tonight
IL seemed To her that she could
hear stealthy footsteps overhead. and
again that somebody was down in the
kitchen talking in whispers 10 old
Susan Alsa let her mind run riot
until she could hear the blood running
through her veins She had never
been SO restless and uneasy since she
had come 10 the old mouse. Perhaps
It was the anticipation or TIE IIOTrOW
that so strangely affected her.
Il am positively ridiculous. the
alrl told herself Really, | should
like something out OF the common to
happen Better than rusting out like
this. or becoming slowly and gradual
ly melancholy. What a blessed thing
Is bed"
Ailsa made her way slowly down
the stairs again. She wished that
the house was not quite so still. She
could hear the roll and rattle OF cabs
outside the jingle OF harness. and
presently soft laughter in girlish
voices Evidently the people next
door were giving a party OF some
kind.
II was no use sitting there: far bet
ter To be in bed and asleep. Presently
old Susan shuffled about downstairs.
putting the lights out. Ailsa could
still hear the rattle of carriages next
door as she dropped OFF into uncon-
sciousness 1t seemed TO her that no
time hardly had passed before she
was sitting up again listening intentlv
TO the cry Of somebody near at hand.
Presently the cry was stopped.
AtfSa- was i-seA-ia-heF- dfes--
sing gown IN a moment. II required
courage to open her door and look
out. but the girl did not hesitate.
The moaning cry was repeated from
somewhere downstairs, and Ailsa
called out TO know who was there.
Again came the cry-to Ailsas UNI
utterahle relief--in the croaking
voice OF old Susan.
Ailsa flew downstairs on the wings
OF the wind. What was going to hap
pen IL this woman was Ill or dying?
She lay huddled up at the foot OF the
basement -Ailsa- Wondered
vaguely what she was doing here at
this hour. for a clacking old clock
somewhere struck the hour OF two.
There was an ugly bruise on the side
OF Susan's head
II slipped" she moaned. Il had
'toothache. and | came to get some
of the stun that ! rub on my gums.
believe that | have broken some
thing