Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 118, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1903 — A DOCTOR’S MISSION [ARTICLE]

A DOCTOR’S MISSION

BY EMILY THORNTON

Author of “ Roy Russell’s Rulf.,” "Glwkov," “The Fashionable Mother,” Etc. *y

CHAPTER IX. —(Continued.) “I am very glad to hear it,” exclaimed Baric, kindly, “it seems like a pleasant ■pot, and I think this pure, fresh air vO benefit your health and spirit*. I also bare settled here, having bought a practice.” “Shall are go to Sir Reginald now?” ■Horned she, at the end of their animated conversation. “I presume he is •wake by this time.” “Yes! at once, and I hope I shall find Mm more easy than he was this mornDr. Elfenstein made quite a long call, aa he had much to do to make the baroact comfortable for the night, and as* Ethel raw him handle the injured man mo partly, and soothe him with kind, enseauaging words, she felt that he muat possess a heart of ahnost womanly feelfeg, and her interest and admiration After Earle Elfenstein withdrew, ■ Erte dinner was announced, and in the dining room Lady Constance presented to Ethel her nephew, Robert Glendenning, and niece. Belle, his sister, the former greeting her with rather an insolent look of admiration, the latter with • bow expressive of haughty contempt. from that moment Ethel saw that ■either of these young people would promote her happiness while she remained —dn this roof,„ Mr. Giendenning did converse with Mr, but it was with such an evident air «f conudescension that her replies were fcief and cold, while his sister remained adlent during the whole meal, with the exception of answering one or two questfm asked by Lady Constance, which ■aaawers were given in a cold, mechanical way, that told of a mind preoccupied and

Tb« truth was, this young lady was surprised, and not at all pleased, with *e introduction of such a rarely beautiful girl into the home over which she M sway. She was intensely proud and selfish, and felt that here might be an influence wserted upon her few admirers that ■night interfere with her prospects. The prospects particularly in view at present were the winning of the heart tad hand of the new- physician lately settled in the place. She had been introduced to him at the ■one of a friend, and had admired his olegant bearing, handsome face and quiet ■Banners, and Instantly bad resolved to fcy siege to his heart. After leaving the table, the ladies repaired to the piazza, fallowed by Mr. fMendenning. As Belle paused to pluck from one of the vines a few flowers for Bar neck. Lady Constance turned to Abel and remarked: “I suppose you have no friends in this vicinity, having but just arrived.” Stbel hesitated, while a faint blush Mffnacd brow and cheek as she replied: “I have found one here very unexpect«dly. Dr. Elfenstein. We crossed the Atlantic on the same vessel, and as my aont was taken very lil during the voyage be attended her, and consequently, Weanie well acquainted.” Instantly Belle’s attention \yas riveted •jr these remarks, and with a sneer she exclaimed: “I presume, then, you waylaid him Okie afternoon in order to renew the acquaint acre. ” “Pardon me!" replied Ethel, with dignity. “I waylaid no one! We met casnatlj on this piazza as he was about entering to see Sir Reginald, and convened for a few moments." “It seems to me for the future, when any and*’* physician visits him, it would he well for you to remember that you ■•w occupy the position of a subordinate, end therefore should not put on the aim es an equal to attract his attention!” was the rude and unladylike reply. “Belle,” interposed Lady Constance, wfc* with all her faults, was naturally kind-hearted and just, “you forget that Mina Nevergail in coming to us does not tease to be a gentlewoman.” “Or, a gentlewoman's poor relation!” was the cutting answer. “A remarkably beautiful one, however," said the brother. “Say, Belle.” he added, teasingly, “yon must take care er abe will carry off some of your beaux!” The indignant girl gave him a glance mt withering scorn, but merely said, with an angry toss of her head: .. .. “Let her beware how she interferes with me in any way! A-word to the wise h sortieient." Ethel could scarcely control her ■ant feelings, as she listened to there insulting remarks issuing from the lovely kps of the girlish speaker, but after an effort the did control them, and without a word turned away and again sou-at She aide of the invalid. Bat ahe found him irritable,' and hard he please, and the moment passed in his ■aaas became intolerably long, and she for the time to come when she eenld retire to her own apartment, even fheagh she knew a strange and annoykSg duty would follow her there. finally the baronet told her 1! she was weary to go, adding harshly: “I am Shed already of gazing at your pale hare," then more kindly, as he saw she wan startled by his rough way of speaklag: “1 hope 1 shall feel better iu the aanaiag; if so, I shall like to have you aaad to me, or, as you understand music, srp listoa to a song.” CHAPTER X. Aa aa elegant clock, with old cathedral struck the hour of ten, Ethel, wffff a pale face and trembling hand. a candle, poaseeaed herself of the strange looking knife, then opening the (fftwtsobe, and drawing back the bolt, ■lapped into the passage and from thence ffkesagb the small door in the opposite At found herself in a long, straight, msrit corridor, that led directly to what MrßaffinaM assured tier waa the Haunt *4 Ihew. At the end Ahere she stood, ffs waver, on the left hand aide, waa a Asa fastened with aa old fashioned ,i ■ v *

iron hook. This led to the ruin, and with a beating heart she opened it. Close by the door she found a small Covered basket that she knew must contain what Fhe sought. Grasping it quickly, she again fastened the door, as Sir Reginald had inetructed her to do, and passed down the corridor. There she found the entrance to the tower, and resolving to take some brightsunshiny day to visit this spot, she turned, as she had been directed, to count out the number of panels on the left hand wall, and immediately discovered the faint crack, that she knew must be what she sought. Inserting the point of the knife, she turned three times, when the panels parted and there lay the shelves. Opening then the basket, she found food in small pieces, consisting of broken biscuits, bits of chicken, potatoes, and quite a quantity of meat, cut in mouthfuls. This she placed on the shelves upon the wooden plate on which It was heaped. Then gently shoving the shelves, they slowly whirled around, and when the same side returned to her, the plate stood uj>on o it empty, ready to be plneed again in the basket. “That ape must have been trained,” she thought, “to empty the plate and return it!" ~7 She listened for a moment, but all was still. Shoving to the panels, she found thnt they relocked themselves, so taking up candlestick, knife and basket, she' placed the latter again outside the door, fastened it securely, and reached her own room in safety. The task required of her had been a singularly unpleasant one. She was a brnve ypung girl, and had endured but few feelings of fear, but she had trembled, because the thing required so much secrecy. She disliked mysteries of all kinds, and her- honest, open natufie revolted from the whole work. On* thing she decided to do, she should take some morning hour to explore the ruins, and thnt Haunted Tower, so that she might become accustomed to all the dangers and peculiarities of the place before other offices were required at her hands. With this resolution still in her mind, she sought the luxurious bed that awaited her, and there fell at once into a pleasant sleep, from which she never aroused until the bright rays of another morning sun stole into her room. Springing up, she dressed ns eoon ns possible, and opening her door, found by questioning a maid, thnt the family did not rise until late, as their breakfast hour was from ten to eleven. All being quiet in the room of the invalid, she returned to her own apartment, and fastening the door securely, resolved at once to start upon her exploring expedition, as she felt that she would be for at least an hour and a half unobserved, and mistress of her own time and motions. With a little of the trembling nervousness of the night before, the brave girl opened the intervening doors and stepped into the corridor. All was folded in the same solemn stillnesaHhat made the place oppressive on the previous night. She revived to explore the ruined parts before she sought the tower, therefore unhooked the door, and stepped out. As she did so, she noticed that the covered basket was still there. The door opened directly into a small rickety hall that led into several large rooms, all dusty, mouldy and more or less dilapidated. Broken windows, torn Wall papers, bare rafters, seen through immense places where ceilings had fallen, were everywhere visible. Some rooms were filled with brokeu furniture, pieces of old china and fragments of time-worn, castoff clothing. Ethel looked at these dilapidated objects, and found herself wondering why Sir Reginald had not had the whole pulled dowu and removed? Its destruction certainly would heighten the value of the property, while its presence only spoke of neglect aud untidiness. One thing she observed in her ramble there was an easy inode of egress and ingress to this part into the hall, and marks of recent footsteps on the floor told that this formed the entrance place to the person who prepared and brought the food she was nightly to place on the iron shelves.

Another thing fstruc-k her; in all the premises there was not the slightest appearance of the concealed nsom. Only a bare, blank wall appeared upon the side where she knew :t must be:

Retracing her steps after all had beeif examined, she refastened the door, and thn sought the Haunted Tower. The door leading to this was closed, but not bolted, so she opened it, and crossing quite a large square place, she began ascending a long flight of stairs. The steps were steep, and not at all easy, and she became very tired before she reached the top, but pressing on, she did reach it, but not before she paused to rest upon a broad flat landing; paused, too, with horror, at pn unexpected sight that there presented itself. It was the stuffed > image .of a man, fixed upon wires, that worked upon the same principle as the jumping jacks often bought to amuse children. This, however, was nearly as large as life: its head was hollow, wkh red glass in plaea where the eyes would be, so that a lighted glass lamp, placed within, would give a flaming appearance to those eyes.

From each fide horns projected, and she could easily imagine what the whole terrific effect must be to an outside beholder. This figure ahe saw could be elevated and put in motion by winding up a crank to which it was attached. Arrangements for different colored lights were also on every band. After carefully examining all the machinery, until, ahe perfectly understood iu workings and tke wkele wicked plan to give supernatural appearance to the tower, Btfcel paaaed upward until abe could gaze without hindrance from the tall windows es this lofty place.

Then exclamations of delight escaped her, for there she could catch an unobstructed view of the grand panorama that stretched for miles and' milec away on every side. But she did qot linger, fearing she would be. seen by some of the villagers, and her presence reported to Sir. Reginald. This visit she knew would be displeasing to him,' if he wished it to be a place that should fill every heart with fear, in order to keep from it visitors by day as well as by night. ■ » CHAPTER XL Day after *day passed, during whiejj Ethel became quite accustomed to her routine of work, and quietly persevered in her duties. Nothing difficult to accomplish was required at her hands; nothing beyond spending a couple of hours each morning in her own room writing letters, of which an abstract was taken from Sir Reginald’s own lips; then an hour or two reading the daily papers for his amusement. Very often would he find a chance to whisper the questions “Do you perform your evening tasks regularly and well? Does all go on as safely as I could wish?” Then when the answer, came, “All goes well,” he would seem so satisfied and relieved that site felt almost happy in giving the information. About a ruonMi after her arrival «t Glendenning Hall she had been reading one afternoon a work in which he was particularly interested, when she was interrupted by the entrance of Dr. Elfenstein. As the baronet motioned to ber to remain where she was during the interview, the regular nurse being absent/ and as the d'x-tor might need iome things from her hand, she became interested in the conversation that ensued. Dr. Elfenstein was rather a small talker, and this natural reserve tended to make his professional interviews at thj hall brief, ahd usually confined closely to his medical work. But this morning he seemed to linger, and conver s'd quite freely upon many of the topics of the day. Filially he commenced giving an account of the severe storm that had swept over the country the night before the baronet’s accident, and ended by relating his own adventures, and what he had seen in the tower. • —— -• . “Sir Reginald, I thought I would tell you this, and ask if you can explain the meaning of the spectacle then manifested?” “I cannot,” was the reply Ethel watched for with anxiety. “I am told by people far and near of strange appearances in that tower, but I have never seen a thing of the kind there myself, therefore, put no faith in the story.” "But you may believe me, sir, when. I assure you such things are really to be seen there. Now, in order to satisfy my mind, and perhaps enable me to explain the mystery to the frightened inhabitants, I crave your kind permission to visit the premises. Have I that permission?” “It is impossible for me to grant it. When these things were first whispered about twenty-five years ago, we, as a family, were exceedingly annoyed by constant visitors to the spot, and the thing became so much of a nuisance that it was closed forever from all inspection. No, you must not ask this, doctor, as I cannot consent to the place being entered, “after being ro long sealed. As it is, take any word for it,ana be satisfied, it is merely a vagary of the brain, an optical delusion, something better to be forgotten.” Dr. Elfenstein said no more, but inwardly resolved to pay a surreptitious visit there, if not a permitted one, as this mystery he determined should be unraveled. As ho rose to leave, he happened to glance towards jthe young girl opposite to him, and caw her head bent low over the book she held, while a sad and pained expression had floated over her speaking face. After the reading had concluded, the baronet said he would excuse her further attendance upon him, therefore she started out for a ramble over the grounds. She had n6t gone far,-before she regretted having done so, as she was joined a short distance from the house by Robert Glendenning, a person she instinctively disliked. This young man was a great admirer of a pretty face, and from the first look into Ethel’s speaking eyes, and upon her rare beauty, he had acknowledged that he had never seen a person that so exactly met the standard of the beautiful he had raised in his soul. But her proud bearing in his presence, her shrinking from his approach gave s'uch evidence of her dislike that he felt irritated, and consequently determined to annoy her in every way possible during her stay at the hall. (To be continued.)