Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-02-18
CHAPTER 7

Seventeen and half. / have been
wondering ever since was fifteen what
fate had in store for me-"
The grave voice asked:
Did | see you running after white
winged butterfly this morning, and did
you not spend an hour yesterday in teach
ing a starting to say something that
sounded like word?
Yes and a ripple of laughter came
with the reply.
Last night you dressed doll for the
miller's little daughter, did you notT'
Yes; =
Eyes. and much pleased she was when
took it to her this morning. She put
it in little boat, and sent it sailing down
the mill stream. | heard you tell Susan
that if she forgot everything else in the
world she was TO remember TO purchase
blue ribbon for your white kitten-was
II not sop
Yes; Minnie is just as fond of blue
ribbon as | am. Why do you ask me all
these q1estions?''
1t comforts me. / might feel fright
ened at your ardent longing for life #
did not remember that you had the
loves, likes, dislikes and pursuits of a
child. If you were wise, Irene, you would
keep to the butterflies, kittens and dolls.
Life holds so much but. child, it holds
more pain than pleasure"
odd people say so, not young ones"
was the reply.
And who should know so well as old
pcOpie-whc know what a battle life has
been so well as the person who has
fought it? Which can tell best what the
battle is-the young soldier, or the old
warrior, Irene?"
The two speaking were Irene Darcy
and Mrs. Cotrel, her grandmother-Iren
in the first flush of lovely girlhood-Mrs
COtrel ON whose worn face the light of
heaven was already shining. A pretty
group, the elder lady in her easy chair
sitting where the lime trees threw light,
half green. half golden, near a great
sheaf of white lilies, over which the
white-winged butterflies lowered; and the
girl, more beautiful than poets dream.
sat oil the grass at her feet The shin
ing sun, the fragrant flowers, the song
OF birds, We're all so many sweet sources
OF delight to her.
Mrs. Cotrel went over again the one
passionate rrow of her life. She had
not loved her husband very dearly. al
men--a scholar, and a noble kindly
hearted man. Fer many years he had
been Vicar of Branlea, and died. leaving
his wife and only child. Alice, fairly pro-
vided for.
On his death Mrs. Cotrel went to live
at a pretty villa called Fernside, where
she devoted herself to the one great love
Of her life-her daughter. Some women
10, ~;-L
love ON their husbands, others on their
children. Mrs. COtrel was one of the
latter. They lived happily enough, moth
or and daughter, their simple lives filed
with simple pleasures, until the shadow
that falls over the lives of all women
fell over theirs, and she who, in her
mothers eyes was child. fell in love
with young artist who came to Bran
lea in search of the picturesque.
Santon Darcy came like other artists
came, but, unlike them, he remained;
for, one evening, as he was sketching a
glorious mass of golden cloud, that seem
cd to rest on the green hilltop. there came
10 him what he thought at first vision.
A fair-faced, fair-haired girl, who. de-
scending the HILL looked as though she
had just left the golden cloudlanl. lie
said Go himself if she would but stand
still, and he could in sketching her add a
pair of white wings, she would look like |
an angel. 1t seemed as though she un-
derstood his thoughts, for bali way down
the hill, with the light of the golden
eloudland round her, she stood quite still |
shading her eyes with one white hand
and as she stood there. he remembered
her until the tragedy was ended
Naavs oftarxra I a., ,,.,.
party and someone sang Gounod's beauti-
full song. "There is green hill far
away and his thoughts went back to the
beautiful cloudlaud, to the golden light
on the green hillside, to the tall, slender
figure, to the fair face shaded with enc
white hand. and he rose with cry of
bitter pain, unable even to hear the
words. Someone asked what was wrong
with the gifted artist, and the answer
was that he had never been the same
since his young wife died. For that was
the tragedy that darkened his lfe-the
death of the fair-haired, fair-faced girl.
who had seemed TO him on that summer
evening to come out of the golden cloud
land
They were very happy for one brief
year; Alice was always blithe and CAV.
She laughed the sweetest. silvery laugh
Ter when her husband told her how ne
had first seen her coming out OF the gold
en- cloudland.
Those same golden clouds may open
and take me back again, SantOn," she
said, aud without the least consciousness
Of the prophecy of her own words
The prophecy came true one year later.
when Irene was horn. They laid the
nD,v horn ka Ia IN fts
as she was breathing her last.
"Santon." she whispered. won VIII
bring my baby to heaven" And when
they looked next the smile on the white
lips was the smile OF soul who was
with the angels in heaven.
There are no words in which such grief
as theirs could be told. To the artist
husband life was never the same again.
Ne other love came 10 him, no woman's
face charmed him; he was true To his
wife dead rs he had been 10 her living.
As time were on the hot. quick passion
Of his grief gave way TO settled melan-
choly. He lived in the world. but not Of
it. 50 that he could take Alice's baby 10
heaven. He kept himself pure and stain
less as child, 50 that one day he might
enter the beautiful cieudlan3. holding tho
little one by the hand and place her in
the outStretched arms IL his wife. No
false OF light words, no mean actions
tary shed that Innocent life; K tempta-
ton came 10 him he hafied il with these
Words NO, I must take the baby 10
Alice ia heaven. Ali happy man, with
such guerdou,
Baby grew strong and beautiful: She
had her mothers dainty loneliness, with
hre and spirit thar gentle lady had never
known. To say She was wogShiped in
that little household would be to express
bnt lightly the place she hed-father.
Grandmother and servants We'd with each
other as to who should be the first 70
Gerry out her wishes. whims ami eaprices.
Her beauty and grace grew with her as
did the love Of those who loved her. Ii
wss oaly When she reached the age OF
seventeen and he found that her beaugy
MAS Yvona rAllS and aNceftlinu thar OF most