Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-09-10

full roll, and our most aristocratic pa
tients were in town. The easterly winds
were bringing in their usual harvest of
bronchitis and diphtheria. If l went
Jacks hands would be more than full.
Had these things come to perplex US only
two months earlier, l could have taken
a holiday with clear conscience.
Dad will jump at the chance of COM
ing back for a week." replied Jack; The
is bored to death down at Fulham. Go
you must, for my sake, old fellow. You
are good for nothing as long as you're so
down in the mouth. | shall be glad to be
rid of you"
In this way it came to pass that two
evenings later l was crossing the Chan
mel to Havre, and found myself about
FIVE o'clock in the afternoon of the next
day at Falaise. 1t was the terminus of
the railway in that direction; and a very
ancient conveyance was in waiting TO
carry on any travellers who were venture
some enough to explore the regions be-
yond,
l very much preferred sitting beside
the driver, a red-faced, smooth-cheeked
Norman. habited in a blue blouse, who
| could crack his long whip with almost the
! skill of a Partisan omnibus driver. We
were friends in trice, for my patois was
almost identical with his own. and he
| could not believe his own ears that he
was talking with an Englishman.
The sun sank below the distant hori-
zon. with the trees showing clearly
against it, and the light of the stars that
came out one by one almost cast defined
shadow upon our path, from the poplar
trees standing, in long straight rows in
the hedges If l found Olivia at the end
of that star-lit path my gladness in it
would be completed. Yet if found her.
what then? | should see her for a few
minutes in the dull salon of a school. per-
hapS with some watchful, spying French
woman present. | should simply satisfy
myself that she was living. There could
be nothing more between us. l dared
not tell her how dear she was to me, or
ask her if she ever thought of me in her
loneliness and friendlessness.
l began TO sound the driver, cautiously
wheeling about the object of my excur-
sion into those remote regions. | had
tramped through Normandy and Brit
tany three or four times, but there had
been no inducement to visit Noireau,
which resembled a Lancashire cotton
town. and l had never been there.
There are not many English at MOI
reau?" remarked suggestively.
Not one" he replied-"not one at this
moment. There was one little English
nam 'zelle-peste,-a very pretty little
/ English girl, who was voyaging precasel'
/ like you, m'sieur, some months ago-'
/ There was little child with her, and the
| two were quite alone. They are very in
/ trepid, are the English mann zelles. She
/ did not know q word of our language.
/ But that was drolL m'sieur. A French
/ demoiseile would never voyage like that.
/ The little child puzzled me. Yet
could not help fancying that this young
/ Englshwoman travelling alone, with no
/ knowledge of French. must be my Olivia.
/ At any rate it could be no other than
/ Miss Ellen Martineau.
/ Where was she going to-" asked.
''She came TO Noireau 10 be an in
/ structress in an establishment" answered
/ the driver, in a tone of great enjoyment
IAN eSta hHshment founded by the wife
! Of Monsieur Emile Perrier. the avocat.
/ He, ne, he, how drOll that was. M ieur!
/ An avocat. So they believed that in
/ England? Bah. Emile Perrier an avo-
/ cas!'
! But what is there TO laugh at?' 1 ask
+ ed.
Am 1 an avocat:' he inquired deris-
/ lively, am I proprietor? an, even
/ cure? Pardon. m'sieur. but am just as
! much avOcst, proprietor, cure, as Emile
Perrier. He was an impoStor. he be-
/ came bankrupt; he and his wife ran away
/ to save themselves; the establishment
J was broken up. IL was ! bubble, m sieur,
/ and il burst"
My driver clappei his hands together
/ lightly. as though Monsieur Perrier's bub-
bic needed very little pressure TO dis
/ perse il
! Good heavens" I exclaimed. but
/ what became Of 0li-of the young Eng
/ lish lady. and the childS"
/ "Ah. m'Sieurr' he said, Il do not know.
I 1 do not live in Noireau. but / pass 10
! and fro from Falaise. She has not re-
/ ta-ned in my omnibus, that is all know.
/ But she cOuld 30 to Granville, or TO Caen-
I There are other omnibuSes, You see.
/ Somebody will tel you down there"
Ii was nearly eleven O'Clock before we
l entered the town. but I learned few
more particulars from the middle-aged
womaa IN the omnibus bureau. She rec
1 objected the name OF Miss Ellen Marti-
neau, aud her arrival; and she described