Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-05-20


l thought, went along the corridor and
looked out into the dark, dripping gar
den as though expecting some one.
| | was in the midst of a waking dream,
with closed eyes, when abruptly there
was a clatter, then a crash, and, ringing
\ high, above the double commotion, the
shrill scream of a woman's voice.
| sprang up from the diyan, and with
a few quick strides had reached the cor
ridor There was Jerome and Paula.
He had tottered backward, and losing
his balance on the slippery and polished
| floor, had fallen heavily, striking his head
wits a crashing thud.
The asise of the fall and the cry OF
alarm from Paula's lips brought every
one trooping out from the drawing room.
Il met him just coming in, very wet
and strange looking" exclaimed Paula
innOcently.
Even as she spoke Jerome opened his
eyes.
The-letterr' he suffered in thick.
annatural voice. Where is
/ Tell US what it was you saw that
startled you so.p Again Paula spoke out
sharply.
''Thauk you," faltered Jerome. IT
my head is very queer, but l remember
| it was close outside the house-only a
| few yards down the avenue E-Id been
walking fast, and stopped for minute
to take breath. Suddenly | smelt some
thing strange and pungent. 1t was ike
the odor in the tiger house at the Zoo
more than anything else. | kept still, for
l heard something breathing close to me,
short and hard, and when looked round
could see thing, darker than the dark
IS, moving close by among the trees at
the end of the avenue, and | stared
straight into o pair of eyes that glowed
like two red-hot Goals. / gave shout,
and whether that kept it away from me
can't tell, for / hadn't time to think
again before l was inside the house, COM
ing in through that little door at the end
of the long passage there which opens
on the lawn and slamming it after me.
That's all, except-except the letter, Miss
Wynne, and l."
Il don't think poor Mr.. Jerome half
knows what he is talking about" ejacu-
lated Paula. You want to be taken to
your room, and have cooling bandages
put on your head, I'm sure, don't you"
"Yes-oh, yes. My head is very bad. 1
have a feeling as though something had
snapped-inside."
Forthwith he was assisted to his feet
| by two stalwart footmen, almost twice
his size, and so, supported firmly under
each dropping arm, he was borne away
in the midst of a little procession.
As they moved him, folded sheet of
paper fiuttered from his coat to the floor,
and /, being nearest to the spot, stopped
and picked it up. So doing, without
! the slightest intention of reading words
| not intended for my eyes, part of a SEN
tence, written in a large, bold, clerkly
hand, seemed suddenly to separate itself
from those surrounding it on the page
which was uppermost and print itself up
on my consciousness: Il have been able
to ascertain that the woman now pass
ing under the name of Consuelo Hope is
-"
My blood leaped with contending emo
tons; anger against Paula and. Jerome,
surprise and disgust, as a flood of en-
| lightenment regarding the errand on
which the secretary had been sent poured
| into my mind, and above all an overween-
ing desire to turn the page and read the
remainder of the sentence.
Isn't that the letter which poor Mr..
Jerome appeared to be so anxious
about?" Paula inquired. cat least, he
has dropped it, and as l am going to my
own room l will get my maid to leave it
at his door,"
Without word l gave her the letter,
ard she hurried away with it at once
hesitated momentarily; but, deciding that
If would be impossible for me to play the
| 20 =; of&
/ Jerome's state of health, l slowly follow
ed the others into the pretty music room.
II was just going to find you," spoke
Lady Towers voice inside the door. I'm
sure the poor little secretary will be bet
ter presently. Sir Thomas has sent three
or four men skirmishing with guns all
over the place, in case that dreadful
beast may still be lingering about; and
another man as gone to Barnes, the per
son from whom the thing escaped. You
know there really is a wild, wild beast at
liberty. You see. he's a menagerie pro-
prietor, and keeps his animals on his own
place sometimes"
AS we moved nearer, Miss Hope look
/ ed up and met my eyes, the pink-shaded
candles on the piano Illuminating her
face. She smiled family, and began soft
ly playing, without notes, some plaintive
little melody which l had never heard
before.
This woman--angel or devil-had had
| the power to teach me a new meaning in
life-the meaning of love.
l was bound to marry my cousin, Paula
| Wynne but | loved this other with all
my heart and soul and mind. And a
week ago had been ignorant of her ex-
istence.
l was reused from a long reverie. half
pain, half pleasure, by a voice close be-
side me.
Lady Towers sent me over here 70
find Nine. PATHS autograph for you. And
she thinks Mary Anderson'S is on the
same page
As l looked up and rose quickly to my
feet, fear l must have blushed like a
school boy detected in some piece of mis-
y chief. so conscious was l of the crisis
had gone through. so fearful of betray-
ing my feelings.
Don't get up, for hg to sit
down here by you" ,a.u rne Amber
Witch. you were surprised to find me
hereF' she asked.
Il hardly know. The hint you gave
my uncle at Martenhead has caused MS
10 be a little gayer in a social way than
we should otherwise have neen. We have
continually been expecting TO meet you
and allowing ourselves to be disappointed
when we didn't But your FIRST appear
ance was slightly-er-disconc &c
say the least
She laughed.
"Ah. / have drezkosc instinct"
You have iaGeeC-s
"Why Eot: But yen look as though
you would like 10 lecture NE. Let rs
talk OF something else. pray. That es
capped tiger. for instance Who knows
but its baleful eyes may be glazing 81
us through that haif-eurtained window
over there? Ughr'
IF you give me the choice said. q
should much prefer 10 talk of you-th'
Lady and not the Tiger F"
do you remember my saying last Fri
day TO Sir Wilfrid Amory that perhap:
one day should have a very great favol