Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-04-07

Mechanically / followed him to the
place designated, and then, as if / had
been feather. he took me in his arms
and placed me in the ride chair, wrap
ping the buffalo robes around me- He
did not seem to me like hireling, for his
language was coed his manners gentle
manly, and ere we were half way to
Breeze Hill | was very much progresses
ed in his favor. He was quite laxative,
asking me of my parents, of my brothers,
and appearing much gratifed when l
told HIN how well Charlie was doing as
clerk IA a dry goods store in Worcester.
Ard Mr.. Langley is only your cousin
by rnarriage?" he said at last. Have
you any other male cousins?" he asked.
Il had boy cousin once" said, but
he is probably dead. for we have not
heard from him in six long years."
Forgetful that Mr.. Watson was to me
an entire stranger. | very briefly told
him the story of Cousin Will, who re-
turned not with the vessel which bore
him away, and who had deserted the ship
at Calcutta. For many days they search
ed for him in vain, and at last left him
alone in that far-off land, where be had
probably met an early death.
He was Wild" | explained, ''but
liked him very, very much, and cried my
self sick when he went away"
| Again the strangers eyes fell upon me
with a look | could not fathom. We
turned into the long, shady avenue which
| led up to the house. A wondrous change
had been wrought in my absence; for
everything around the building wore an
air Of neatness and thrift, which betok-
ened that there was now a head to man.
age and direct. Herbert, too, was per
fectly sober while Annals face was far
| happier than when l last saw her. The
cause of this she explained to me the
| first moment we were alone Herbert
! had signed the pledgei Had become a
/ sober man, and all through the exertions
of Mr.. Watson, whom she pronounced
an angel in disguise. And truly, his in
| fluence over Herbert was wonderful; fcS.
never did an anxious mother watch on.
her sickly child more carefully than Mr.
| Watson watched over his employer,
shielding him from temptation. and gent
| ly leading him in the path of rectituda.
/ Early in April. we receiyed invitations
! to attend q wedding party at the house
of Judge Perkins, whose broad acres
and heavy purse of gold had purchased
for him fair young girl just his eldest
| daughters age. 1t was to be a splendid
affair." and, as a matter of course, forth
with commenced looking over my ward
robe, and declaring l had nothing TO
wear. Anna, on the contrary did not
seem at all interested, and when / uues-
toned her for her Indifference, she re-
piled, What if they have wine, and
Herbert should drink Z"
They wouldn't have wine," told her,
| for Judge Perkins was a stanch temper
ance man, and it was not probable that
he would do anything SO inconsistent
with his profession.
s h, would it had been so, Would that
the sparkling champagne, the ruby wine,
J and the foaming ale had not graced that
1 marriage feast, for then, perchance, one
grave at least would not have been made
SO soon, nor the wi90Tf's weeds worn by
my sister ere the bloom of youth had
faded from her brow.
| saw her cheek pale as we entered the
supper room, but when amid the din and
uproar which succeeded the drawing of
the corks, Herbert stood firm to his
| pledge, refusing to drink. though urged
! to do so. the color came back to her face,
and her eye proudly followed her hus-
| band, whose easy manners made him a
| favorite, and who. with ready tact,
moved among the guests, doing far more
toward their entertainment than the
master of the house himself. He was
standing near the bride, beautiful
young creature, with sunny face and
radiant smile. Very affable and polite
! had she been to Herbert, and now as he
approached her, she took from the table
two goblets of wine. and passing one to
him, said, ''Mr. Langley, l am sure, win
not refuse to drink with me, the bride|
To refuse would have seemed uncour-
teous, and so, with a hasty glance at his
wife, he drank the health of the lovely
woman, who. in an angels guise, I'M
consciously tempted him to ruin. lnvol-
I-4tarily Anna gasped as if for breath,
| while she started quickly forward to stay
the rash act; but she was too late, and
with a faint moan of anguish, she turn
| ed away to hide her tears. One aste
awoke the slumbering demon, and set his
veins on fire: and when at midnight Mr..
Watson came for US, he took the insen-
sible man in his arms and placed hun in
the wagon. beside the weeping wife.
whose fond hopes were now wrecked
forever.
CTo be continued.l