THE SECRET OF THE CLIFFE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVI, Issue 8024, 17 January 1895, Page 1

THE SECRET OF THE CLIFFE.

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CHAPTER XIY. :

AN EPIDEMIC.

Aakon did Ifrs Treherne's bidding and went up to Gurtha Trent's cottage the very neit day. He had not seen either her or her strange, weirdlooking grandchild for a day or two, and had wondered what had become of'them, for it was a rare ..thing not to meet the little Issachar climbing about the face" of the cliff, muttering to himself likei a little elf as be climbed where scarce a child in the town to follow him, sure-footed and fearless as they were.

It was''a time of peace to anxious -mothers of roving children when anything kept Issacbar Trent within doors, forthe boy had an evil knack of luring other children into positions of danger, arid leaving them to get out libw. itbey.v conldr. More than one accident bad happened to the little -through him, and fre was uni--fear arid-dis* : the only child in Carnmath that bad no fear of b'im was little Zara Treberne, and, her very fearlessness roada Issacbar abstain from terrifying or hurting her. There was a strange likeness between them—the Trejherne eyes looked out of both their faces, ftudthe' resemblance extended ito shape of feature as well; but there ifjtojJpe.d. ~ Zara's' face was all in* nocence &nd - purity, the countenance of tbe boy 1 'looked as if an evil spirit ftsre behind it—there seemed the liiHd'hght of wickedness always shin* ping tlirongh —Ho was not playing round the door orinyMera in sight when Aaron Pengelly knocked, nor did his impish .face'sihow itself as it was wont to do wbfcn bis grandmother appeaved. " Doii'fc cross my threshold, Aaroji Pengelly," was her strange greeting— but all Qurtha did was strange—"or yisu'll raeltr- ' * r " You' better let ; me keep that to. myself," fhe said, keeping the door almost closed. " I don't wish you any ill, and I won't let you in." " What witches' work are you at that you're afraid of anyone stepping inside?" .Aaron asked, a sudden thought striking him. tl at maybe (jfurtha Trout was the cause of-Mrs Treii§rjie's curious illness." Is the mischief Wn ,yonder pur doing—l. misdoubt ine it is." .special.mischief? I believe lam credited with every evil thing'that happens in Carnmath," she said, with aspiteful smile. " I'm not so pbw©rful as they think'me—l wish I wer6'?or i//e'/r : sa!ccs." r -She'indicatedEaglescliti, lying so peacefully" belo .v. >. thorn, with a gesture bert head and hand, and added [ fiercely, with set .teeth " I'd use , the power well if it were iidine The old hate, had .not died <ut—it. was tliere in full force.to-night.• She was evidentally wearied and excited, and easily roused to aiitrer. •" What's amiss, Gurtha?" be asked. ! " Nothing," Bhe said, sullenly. " I camo. with a mesiage for you." "Whofrom?" ; . Thesqiiire'slady." " From /io*and Gurtha laughed scornfully. '" What has Mrs Tre- " Not" l "much—she. is dying, and wants to;see you. !\ ■ , r ) .c ;,,; Dying! NeviHe Igherne'swife!' '; V I don't " mean she'll die to-day! or to.rtorrhjv,^but. sbe's stricken fpi\deafcli if ever, woman was, and her want's see you.' ~ ■, .. tip seo,,yqu," . , , "What.for ,*

'" Her wants to shake you and make nll end of thp b'ad'blopd : that's between you - fov ■■.■■■■■ v sake." - ''' vr : " Which little b%, ;s orfeher. pampered, conceited girl ?" " For both of them, may be," said Aaron, wishing to propitiate her. " The sqnire for coming, Gurtha " He'd shut his me if be knew—" "Nolie wouldn't," Aaron said breaking into the middle of her speech.- ; " He wishes it,. and enough." '' " " I coukl have my vengeance most surely,'Gurtha said, half' tb herself and half to him. '• I have only to take 'is child—his heiress jl-taan," she added with alow laugh, "into my arms and breathe upon her, kiss her, stroke her pretty hair, caress her for a beauty, and leave death where I have touched. My shake -ofP. the hand to tlie woman.who has slipped into my dead dan filler's place, might be her 'death warrant.- Aha, hut my : vengeance would he lull and com- .. plete then, would it not?" t There was snob a wild glitter in her eyes that Aaron began' to think ' that she lmd lost-Inn*, reason, ho had not au idea. what her.»ords might mean. />' v r ' ' Don't say such horrible things, Gtirtlm, he said. " Why , should .- you bring i'e;«h to Hfrs■ Treherne and the little m ini ? Her wants to bo at peace with yon, that's all. Let me come in ami talk to you a minute. , Whore's the little hul.Thaven't seen him?" • . . . "You shan't.cross my threshold, Aaron Poii^.'lly; I don't want to send death into your home. You and your ■wife have been good to me, and I'm not all evil, though people think me SO.' " What do you mean, put back the door and let mo in; it's whist stopping lonely up here, and I think you v. yet a bit dnx.ed sometime?. Lord sake's woman, what's thaf.?'' • It was an elfish screeching, like nothing earthly, and was followed by • as elfish a and then mutterings in a-hoarse choked voice. "Its my hoy, Issai'har." Gurtha's' voice was choked as she : said it, all the wihl ferocious passion' was gone out of it, and nothing but. anxious love remained. " What's the matter, with him?" "Fever!' • "The fever?" - j " I think so, I'm sure so; aye, you may well shrink back. Aaron,. and think of homejit dosen't. snare many." That year is remembered still in . Carnmath, and; indeed, all through / that part of England, as." the fever year." A curious type of fever, very fatal in its elFect, broke out here a.nd there almost like cholera, and spread with frightful-:rapidity, carrying off men, women, aiid children, more especially the last-named, with terrible speed. Hitherto Carnmath had been free, though most of the neighbouring towns had been visited and; the inhabitants had begun to think the'pes* . tilencehad passed themby. It resembled typhus in its character and effects, and was a thing to be feared' and guarded against iii every possible way. ' : Little Issachar bad come in .cross and languid from his play three days before, and awoke the next morning in wild delirium, and his grandmother had set herself. to nurse him through it without seeking any furfehor> aid.. She knew well whafc.it was,'and the proper treatment, and she shut her door and kept the knowledge of the mischief to herself. Her grandson was having a. bard fight for his life when.Aaron Perigelly came up with • Mrs. Treherne's message, and it seemed uO her that death must come off victorious. Aaron staggered back f romjihe door involuntarily at her words'; he did think of home and the child they : loved so dearly there. 'You. should have had helpj and sent for the doctor, 'he said, aghast, for he knew the opinion of the two medical men that Carnmath boasted about the epidemic and its results. ' I'll go for one for you, if you like.' 'Ihave done all that any doctor could do,' Gurtha replied, quietly, ' ' perhaps more. You can go back to the squire, Aaron, and tell his wife that I will come and. shake hands with her, if she chooses—to night, straight from my boy's bedside. 1 'You shall not go to any houses, in Carnmath if I can. help it,' Aaron said, stoutly. 'Can nothing turn your heart, Gurtha ? Will nothing soften yu?' 'No prayers of your making,' was the fierce answer;' the recollection of the wrong I have suffered at the hands of the Trehernes will die.when I do; maybe not then.' Aaron turned away sick at heart as she shut the door; it was a terrible thing to know that the droaded epidemic had actually reached Carnmath, and it was terrible too to see the lasting enmity of Gurtha Trent against the squire and his household* As for the child, whose shrill ravings lie had heard, death might be the very best thing that could happen to him; his was but an inheritance of misery at the best, poor child ! and if .it should please Providence to take him, what a load of discomfort would be lifted from the squire's heart. He made his way back to Eaglesclff, and sent in his tidings to Neville Treherne, who immediately sent medical help up to the cottage, on 1 took counsel with the town authorities how best to prevent the spread of the fever. {To h contirmd tomorrow.)