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

|
DIR. Nuel Armstrong-yes."
CHAPTER V.
Mr.. Pennington had performed the
usual duty of driving his guest to Tough
Erne, and Miss Foster had uttered the
usual remarks on Irish lakes in general
compared with the English ones, and ex-
| pressed the usual admiration for both in
voice of calm Indifference. And now,
glad to feel that the duty drive was over
and her box must be packed that night,
| she suecumbed to an oyerpowering SEN
! satIon of mental fatigue, and made Celia
the recipient of many languid sigh, as
the two girls took their afternoon tea ID
the quiet vicarage drawing room.
You must come over and visit u.s."
| said Miss Foster, languidly yielding her
cup to Celia. THAT will be a great en-
| joyment for you, and do you good"
! Celia received this tempting proposal in
silence. OF course it would be a gor-
] geous thing TO drive in Hyde Park, and
she should be sure to have new dresses to
| take, and Will was such an old friend;
but the prospect had its drawbacks; and,
| besides that, she knew very well that her
and could not well afford to do so if they
wished it. So she only smiled a vague
| little appreciative smile, and let the sub
| ject drop as inertly as most subjects
| dropped between these two.
'And yet" Celia sighed to herself, sit
must be my fault, of course, because
Miss Foster is so clever, and so used to
clever society, and could, of course, talk
so well if she had anyone worth talking
to-"
A pleasant interruption came at last,
and Celia's first idea was that this was
the very pleasantest interruption which
could have come. Unheralded by the
boys this time, Will came in and reused
them in his simple, CHEEKY way; but after
the first minutes, while the blush and
smile with which she had met him still
fingered on Celia's face, he went and
stood at the window, looking out, his
light words growing quieter and less fire.
Quent.
How very anxiously you have hurried
your return" observed his sister, prese-
emily. How exceedingly DESTROYS you
have been to make yourself agreeable to
Miss Pennington and myself"
Miss Pennington, have | been rude?"
asked VIII, in his frank, spontaneous
way.
He was standing opposite to her, and
had need only to turn his eyes from
the gate to see her face full of pretty,
hasty dissent.
Il am so used to being here, you see,
Genevieve," he explained to his sister,
that l fell quite naturally into all my
old ways, and Celia understands"
when a gentleman is ungentlemanly,"
observed Miss Foster, lit is a pity that
anyone should understand him."
Il think" returned Will, st is far
more a pity to insinuate anything dis
courteous of Celia's kindness to me-"
IF you We're not thoroughly sus-
picious," said Miss Foster, coldly, You
would not say such a thing as that. But
you always were suspicious, Will"
Before Wills second prompt rebuke
was uttered, Celia had quietly left the
room, conscious that family chickering's
should, if possible, be conducted private
ly.
You seem to be watching very anx-
iously," observed Genevieve, presently |
Il suppose you are in a hurry to go back
to What is the name of that Irish 4
girls shabby old homer
''Trayeere," replied VIII, with placid
it,.
Il suppose you found the parting very
hard to-day? Was the good-by exquiS- |
itely pathetic?"
Il heard no good-by," was Wills care
less retort. Il shall see Nora again to- |
morrow, and, beyond that, l hope and |
trust she is coming to London with |
u.s."
Coming with usr' cried Genevieve, |
raising her fair arched eyebrows, and |
speaking with slow, amused contempt. |
There will be more voices than one re-
quired to arrange such ridiculous plan. |
Do you suppose l would travel with that
semi-barbarous girl? If her relations
want her conveyed to England, let them
pay someone else to see her safely
there"
Mother has given me permission to
invite her." put in Will, his voice be-
traying all his Own anxiety. Il tele-
graphed to mother after you must have
left home, and she answered most quick
ly and kindly. You have no idea, Gene
We've, how anxious | am for poor little
Nora to have care and teaching for a
time"
"Oh, yes, l have an ideaw returned
Miss Foster, scoffingly. Il am not quite
so dense as you hope. And as for moth
er, of course, if you took her unawares
with telegram, and put your story
plausibly, she would do whatever you
wished. You know how easily she is
wound around anybody's finger"
Hold hard. Genevievem put in Will,
spontaneously. ''She is our mother, you
know, however flexible"
Remember, Willoughby," said his sis
ter, with great emphasis, If you utter a
word of this absurd proposition before
Mr.. Poynz, l shall hold you up to the
keenest ridicule."
Therefore the laugh was all gone when
Celia came back. and she could plainly
see what relief her entrance was to
him: while, in her innocent delight at
seeing this, what wonder was it that the
girl blushed in simple. frank confession
| of it, even though Miss Fosters eyes
were on her?
"See," she said. as she came up TO the
window, there is Mr.. Poynz at the gate
am glad" she added, simply, turning
to Genevieve, as Will passed through the
| open window to meet Mark, Il am very
| glad he came this evening"
t~Are you?" questioned Miss Fgster,
| coucealing her own joy with admirable
| address. You see. it is so natural to me
| to see Nlr. Poynz dropping in at all hours
| for little music with me. or a chat, that
| | never could be surprised, as / dare say
you are"
BY this time VIII had hurried down
/ the drive, and Mark, who was not hurry
| ing by any means, had barely passed
the gate when his friends eager question
/ met him:
Il am glad It is we'll; l was rather
doubtful about it myself
No; but really persisted Will. eager
/ Iy. what luck have you had? VIII the
| old man listen TO my proposalT
You will see when you make it.
But you pleaded my cause for me:
| Yes"