Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-11-26

at is a trifling evil-to be alone" re-
turned Mark, coolly. And by this tins
| they had reached the window, and he was
| greeting Celia, as she held it open Tor
| them TO enter the room that way.
| The dinner at the yicarage on thar
| evening was rather a silent meal. Never
a great talker, there was about Mr..
Poynz such a keen sense of humor, such
| quick appreciatiyeness, and such ready
| sympathy and clearness Of thought that
his presence relieved and frightened the
most somber table. Yet on this evening
Will was thoroughly aware that his 81
lence was the silence not only of deep,
| but even of disturbed thought. And Will
was yet wondering over this when he and
Mark end the vicar followed the ladies to
| the draNing room.
AS we have spent whole day with
out you, Mr. Poynz," observed Miss Eos
ter, you must do your very best now to
make up for it; mustn't he, Mr.. Penning-
TOM" she added, smiling at the vicar, and
thinking how very little tact he displayed
to come and seat himself in the vacant
chair beside her.
I'VE sleepy aboriginals," answered the
vicar, who do not know what society
is doing, and scarcely see the Times till
it is a week old, can be but dull enter
tainers. I'm sorry Miss Foster has not
had better amusement to-day than we
could give her. l trust you understand,
Mr.. Poynz, how glad we should have
been to see you.
''Your generous hospitality tempted me
to take that for granted" returned Mark,
pleasantly; but, as you see, am but a
moody companion"
Moody echied WILL in utter thought
Iessness. Pm sure l saw no moodiness
in you to-day, as we sat on that old pine
tree-you and | and Nora"
If. from a wide repertory of remarks,
viii had sought for the one most calcu-
lated to annoy his sister, he could scarce
ly have succeeded better than in selecting
this.
Nora" she repeated, turning to Celia
with a smile. Isn't that the girl you
told me of, who runs wild about the
country, and scarcely knows good from
evil?"
IL think" began Celia; but Will
burst into the discussion.
Mora is one of the best girls know,
Geneyieve. However she may have been
trained, she is as good girl at heart as
ever lived"
Il did not ask you," smiled Genevieve.
''As happen to have heard good many
stories of your pranks here, and of the
similar tastes of this Irish girl, you can
not, of course, expect me to be much i'm
pressed by your view of the matter"
"She never did a thing that was
wrong" viii went on, with boyish vehe-
mence; but Mark interrupted him with
quiet remark to GeneYieve.
His evidence is nothing, is it, Miss
Foster? They were confederates, and l
dare say he felt his own inferiority, too;
for aren't we told that women in mischief
are wiser than men?"
'She was a very small woman" said
VIII, laughing now.
''As a child" observed the vicar, such
conduct was excusable in one who never
was trained with any care or experience:
but Nora is growing up now, and | should
like to see little more staidness and cir
cumspectiOn."
Il suppose" remarked Miss Foster,
with a smile for Mr.. Poynz that this
girl found some way of amusing you this
morning? You are such a student of char
acter."
Am [? Then must go again to inn
prove my opportunities-espec with
her grandfather"
Hes a very wicked old man, I've
heard" said Geneyieve, more cheerful
now she had won Marks entire attention.
Tell me-does he look as curious for
man as his granddaughter does for a
girl?"
"Well, that would be saying a great
deal-wouldn' it? But still he has a
curious appearance"
Sometimes he wears an old brown coat,
Sometimes a pompadore;
Sometimes tits buttoued up behind,
And sometimes down before"
Hes fright, of course" laughed
Geneyieve.
But VIII, asleep to the hint so skill
fully prepared for him, put in his inter
ruption.
But surely, Poynz, you don't deny that
Nora is very beautiful? Why, l never
was so astonished in my life as when
first saw her to-day; yet 1 always fancied
l knew how pretty she would be-"
"As none of u.s." returned Mark, per-
fectly aware in what mood Miss Foster
awaited his reply, have had your OPP
portunities, viii, you must not expect
us to see things exactly as you do.
will either politely adopt your opinion
OF Miss st. Georges beauty, or be silent
ahnut it-whichpyar Won like -
(To be continued)