Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-03-24

ject, but soon resuninS the thread OF his
story, he continued: And then l stopped
writing to Anna, for | would rot be dis
honorable. Do you think she felt it,"
The question was so unexpected. that
| Yves thrown quite off my guard, and
replied: "Of course she did; who wouldn't
feel mortified to have their letters I'M
answeredf"
I Twas wrong | know" said he. Il
ought to have been man enough to tell
/ her how it was, and l did begin more
than dozen letters, but never finished
them. Do you think Anna likes me now,
or could like me, if l was not engaged,
and she knew I'd never get drunk
again?"
Could he have seen her when first she
] learned that his affections were given
to another he would have been sufficient
| ly answered; but he did not. and It was
not for me, l thought, to enlighten him;
so | replied evasively, after which he
continued: "As soon as l was engaged
to Ada, she began to exact so much at
tention from me, acting so silly, and APP
pearing SO ridiculous that got sick Of It,
and now my daily study is how to rid
myself of her; but l believe I've com
menced right. Can l make confdant
of you. and feel sure you'll not betray
me to any one, unless it is to Anna?'
l hardly knew how to answer, for if
it was anything wrong which he med.
| tated, | did not wish to be in the secret.
| and so l told him; but it made no differ
ence, for he proceeded to say: Il shall
never marry Ada Montrose, never: Meth
er would it break her heart if l shouldn't,
for she's more than half tired of me
now"
l thought of the dark stranger, and felt
that he was right, but | said nothing,
and he went on: Sometimes l thought
I'd go up to Sunny Bank, tell Anna Eli
about it, ask her to marry me, and so
settle the matter at once; but then | did
not know but she might have grown Up
raw, awkward, and disagreeable, so l
devised a plan by which | could find out.
Mother would burn her right hand off. I
believe. to save me from a drunkard's
| grave, and when ! wish TO win her con-
sent to any particular thing, all have to
| do is to threaten her with the wine cup"
"Oh, Herbert. how can you?" l ex-
claimed, for l was inexpressibly shock
| ed
ITS a way I've got into" said he,
laughing at my rueful face. And when
| suggested that Anna should spend the
winter here, limited to the old lady that
if she didn't consent, I'd go off with a
party of young men on a hunting excur
sion. Of course she yielded at once for
she well knew that if | joined my former
boon. companions l should fall"
And so we are indebted TO you for
our winter in Boston," said 1, beginning
| to see things in a new light
why, no, not wholly" he answered.;
mother consented much easier than l
supposed she would. The fact is, she's
changed some since she was at Sunny
Bank. She's joined the church, and
though that in my estimation don't
amount to much, of course, she has to do
better, for it wouldn't answer for a pro-
fessor to put on so many airs"
1t was nearly dark when we reached
home, and as the lamps were not yet
| lighted in the parlor, | went Immediately
to my room, where | found Anna lying
upon a sofa, with her face buried in the
cushions. / knew she was not asleep,
| though she would not answer me until
l had thrice repeated her name. Then
| lifting up her head, she turned toward
me a face as white as ashes, while she
! said, motioning to a little stool near her,
''Sit down by me, Rosa; | must talk to
| some one, or my heart will break"
Taking the seat, | listened while she
told me how much she hadsloved Herbert
Langley-how she had struggled to over
come that love when she thought he had
| sighted her, and how, when she saw him
daily in his own home it had returned
upon her with all its former strength,
until there came to her the startling
news that he was engaged to another.
II cannot stay here said she. Il am
going home. | have written to mother
see," and she pointed to a letter which
lay upon the table, and which she bid
me read. 1t was a strange. rambling
thing, saying that ''she should die if she
stayed longer in Boston, and that she was
coming back to Sunny Bank"
There was the sound of footsteps in
the hall. and Herbert's voice was heard
at the door, asking for admittance. He
had often visited us in our room, and
now, without consulting Annals wishes,
l bid him enter, going out myself and
leaving them alone. What passed be-
tween them l never knew, but the sup
per table waited long for Herbert, end
was finally removed, my aunt thinking
he had gone out, Ito see Ada perhaps"
she said, and then she asked me how 1
| liked her. telling me she was to be Her
bert's wife, and that she hoped they
would be married early in the spring.
l made her no direct reply, for l felt
I was acting a double, nay, treble part
in being thus confided in by three; but
could not well help it. and l hoped, by
betraying neither party, to atone in a
measure for any deceit l might be prac-
ticing. After that night there was a
great change in Anna, who became so
| lively and cheerful that nearly all OBJ
served it, while Herbert's attentions TO
her both at home and abroad, were SO
marked as to arouse the jealousy of Ada,
who, while she affected to scorn the idea
of being supplanted by that awkward
Lee girl" as she called her, could not
wholly conceal her anxiety lest "the Lee
| girl should, after all, win from her her
| betrothed husband.
| ITO be continuedl