Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-11-19
"A - T
NoRA,s lest
BY MARY CECIL HAY
From
Darkness
To Light
ooooaaeeasssssoooooooa

/ 81 shall not go in to dinner" the girl
said, with a sigh; Il viii have some
bread and cheese here. There will be
| only two eggs each even then. Oh, Kitty,
| if we had but a little money now and
/ them
What be's 1 to say about yep asked
| Kitty, pausing with the dish in her hand.
"Headachin's the best complaint furr ye
Perhaps they won't ask" said Nora,
| dismally, as she cut her bread and cheese.
If they do, I'd better have headache!
| but if they seem sorry, say l shall be
better in an hour, and will go in.''
| Did they ask" she questioned eager
| ly, when the old servant returned.
Yes, my dear-one of 'em. Oh, don't
! be queschinin' me. | furrgit which it
wur. I've put livery thin on the table
now. Yer grandpa says he won't need
me again"
Nora, forgetting her bread and cheese
before she was halfway through It, rose
and passing through the chilly hall, went
! into a favorite room of hers, where she
had tried to make the shabby old books
! into friends as well as furniture. and had
| her pet lounging place in a little window
seat in one corner. Here she had sat
| for only a few minutes, when she. fancied
| that the door behind her had been pushed
| ajar. But, when she had looked round
| and found that there was no one in the
room with her, she fancied one of the
dogs had looked in, as he went about in
his inert search for food.
| So she sat on in the fading light,
wrapped in a deep, wide, wonderful
| thought, which she fancied was only the
| continuation of an old day-dream until
suddenly she started up and listened, her
| heart beating, and her eyes soft and
| radiant. But the step which crossed the
| hall, and came straight up to her with
| out pause, was a familiar step, and she
| leaned back again in her old position,
| and turned her eyes once more to the
pale, pink light above the dreary bog.
Nora" said DR.. Armstrong, speaking
| coaxingly, as he took up her left hand,
which lay nearest him, and pressed his
| fingers on her pulse, what has given you
| a headache to-day?"
| Eggs" said Nora, laughing; but Nuel
| Armstrong noticed how swiftly she tried
| to draw away her hand, and how readily
| her eyes, so large and beautiful in the
pale light, went back from his face to the
| distant sunset.
| He stood a moment in angry hesitation
| and then he sat down beside her, still
| holding the round, white wrist in his
| strong, supple fingers. He was man of
more than forty; yet time had travelled
! so smoothly with him that his face was
unlined, and the glossy surface of his
| light brown hair was undisfgured by any
| silver thread. If any one had told Nora
| just then that DIR. Armstrong was ten
years older than the gentleman who had
driven her home that day, she would have
| laughed at the truth as jest.
| MY dear little Nora" Nuel Armstrong
said, presently, in soft, plausible voice,
how can L believe you are really suffer
| ing when you look so fresh and so love-
me a falsehood."
Il did," acknowledged Nora, with a
nod. AT least, let Kitty do it for me,
which was worse. I'm coming in pres
| emily, though, to grandpa and Mr..
Poynz."
"He-you've seen him, them" DR..
armstrong had changed his speech too
swiftly for Nora to notice it.
"Yes; he came home with me today.
BE is friend of WIS"
ODSeENeU
voice low and harsh, that, after three
years absence, it would be maidenly for
you to say Mr.. Foster"
II suppose So" she assented, simply
Cecilia did. Nuel, wish / was educat-
ed"
'And what Sge happier would you be?'
inquired Nuel Armstrong. Wait lit
tie while and you shall be educated
with care and watchfulness which few
girls know. Every step of your educa-
ton shall be an hour of bliss, nay darl-
ing; and every lesson you are taught
shall be on a theme that women love-
Il saw Miss Foster at the vicarage to-
day." Nora said, without staying to con-
slider what Nuel meant "She came with
Mr.. Poynz to Ireland. She looked-so
elegant and she is so educated, Nuelr'
"She came with Mr.. Poynz, did she?"
he queried looking into the girls face
with a smile which she did not under
stand. Then we may naturally conclude
that they two are about to become hus-
band and wife"
Are they, dyou Think" she question
ed, bringing her eyes back to his face for
a moment, for she had for years been told
what very clever man DIR. Armstrong
was. How strange that never thought
of that"
why strange, my darling? Others be-
ing in love is nothing to you"
Il wonder what it's likeY' Nora spoke
in her fresh, untroubled voice, though her
smile was a little dreamy-'to be in
love"
"Liker' repeated Nuel Armstrong, ris-
ing and standing over the girls leaning
figure, as he answered in a rapid, I'M
steady whisper. Its like no other SEN
sation on earth-no other 1t makes life
one long strain after something that is
misery as well as happiness. 1t makes us
helpless to rule our own destinies-for
good or i'll. 1t makes a man stand in one
narrow spot, holding all his world in his
arms, while his heart burns and his brain
aches. 1t makes tie world so small to
him that all its beauty is N one face, all
its music in one voice. and all its rapture
in one kiss"
She had risen then, and was looking at
him in simple panied surprise. He was
so moved-this quiet, clever man to whom
she had been taught to look up with ad-
miratiOn-So moved
Il don't like to hear this she said.
wish to think it. / should like to think
that love makes us happier and better;
that instead Of making the world small
er, it makes it larger and more beautiful
to us, and makes us help to make it larg
er and more beautiful for others. That
is my fancy, Nuel, and l like the fancy.
Besides dare say, if l were to ask some
one else
His face darkened at her simple words,
as if they had covert meaning.
Don't ask anyone else he said. in mis-
harsh, authoritative tone; lit is not righE
for a girl to do
"Nuel," cried Nora, with burning
cheeks, stepping farther from him. you
say strange things to me sometimes. IL
You are much older and very clever, and
| am 500 ignorant of everything. and
so uneducated-"
She broke down there, and stopped. for
fear of being betrayed into tears before
him, but he started forward and caught