Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-06-16
CHAPTER V

1HeIc drTiVeu announcer letter from Mr..
Wilmot, conveying the welcome intelli
gence that he would be with US in the
course of the ensuing week
Now" ] iaid, joyfully to my wife,
"our troubles are coming to an end
Il am not one to meet troubles half
way" she said in explanation; but it
is as well to be prepared"
Yes, my love-" l said. What are
you about to speak OFF,
"Of your uncle and Mr.. Mortlock."
replied my wife. at has been in mr.
mind for some little time past. but ]
was not sure, and, indeed, am not sure
now. Your uncle says nothing in either
of his letters of Eunice's engagement"
'He cannot be aware of it. My letter
to him. written on the day the engage
ment was entered into. remains, / am
afraid, unopened in his lawyers Office in
London"
There appears TO be close intimacy
between him and Mr.. Mortlock. 1t would
not surprise me to learn that it is an
affectionate intimacy. His first letter
and the terms in which Mr. Mortlock
speaks of him are almost an assurance
of this. Whether / am right or wrong
in my surmise, your uncle certainly has
very high opinion of Mr.. Mortlock.
Does it occur to you, Richard, that your
uncle had any special object in asking US
so strongly to make a friend of Mr..
MortlockT'
You think that he had Eunice in
view when he asked US to make Mr..
Mortlock welcome in our home?'
1T is my fear" said my wife
l reflected. The suggestion had never
occurred to me, but with every passing
moment of time it gathered weight now
that my wife had mentioned it.
But before he arrives" | said, "he
viii have read my letter announcing her
engagement with Harry. Surely, in the
face Of that" / paused. seeing from
the expression on my wifes face, that /
was making no impression upon her.
II am so much impressed" she said,
''by a certain phase in your uncles
character which has been dwelt upon
by Mr.. Mortlock-I mean in regard to
his being self-willed and obstinate when
once he has made up his mind-that 1
cannot Danish my fears. 1t is painful
subject, Richard; do not let us dwell up
on it any longer. Hope is left to us,
and we will cling to it,"
This conversation made me moody and
unhappy; there were so many contin-
gencies depending upon my uncles within.
Minor incidents which occurred during
the day passed lightly off, although on
other occasions | should have deemed
them of Importance and have estimated
them Alright. l had lately perceived signs
Of failing health in Samuel Fleetwood,
and had advised him to consult doc
tor. He simply smiled, and said that it
would be useless, as no doctors could do
him good; but as his bad symptoms con-
tinued. | desired our own physician to
see and examine Fleetwood. The rhysi-
clans report was melancholy enough.
He represented our faithful servants
case to be hopeless, saying ne had heart
disease and could not live through the
year.
1t will be understood how deep would
have been the impression produced upon
me by this sad news had l not been SO
terribly harassed by my own special anx-
ieties.
Before shutdown Mile. Rosalie also
played her part. In anticipation of my
uncle's visit, and desiring that he should
see Boscombe Lodge at its best, l had
given instructions to my gardener, which
he said he could not carry out alone.
empowered him TO hire a man to assist
him, and he told me bad done So l
was satisfied to leave the matter to
him; he had been in my service many
years, and had served me we'll. All that
| knew of the man he had engaged was
his name-Redwing When the garden
er came to me on Saturday for wages,
asked how Redwing suited him.
"Oh, pretty wei, sir was the reply;
"he isn't all he made himself out to be,
but | shall manage"
And my gardener being content, so
was l. At the beginning of the week l
myself saw Red wing for the first time.
he did not appear to be oyerexerting
himself; and tnis, and the fact that he
was a good looking fellow comprised my
observations of him. / return now to
tho incident in which Mile. Rosalie play
e,l part on the evening of the day on
which / received my uncle's second let
ter.