Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-03-17

Sod say coz!
Here Anna came to my aid. saying,
Why. he's a married man, and his wife
is with him at the hotel"
Herbert, looking a little puzzled, turn
ed to his mother and added: Mother,
you ought to call on this Mrs. Clayton,
for if she is an acquaintance of Anna
and Rosa, they will very naturally wish
to see her occasionally"
''She needn't call for me-" said I,
quickly
Nor for me, for don't know her"
rejoined Anna, while with a naughty toss
of her head. Aunt Charlotte replied that
her circle Of acquaintance was quite
large enough now, and she'd no idea of
extending it by taking in people about
whom she knew nothing"
/ know it was very wrong in me. but
l could not help Strengthening up little
in my chair as / wondered what the
proud Dell Thompson would say if she
knew that the despised Rosa Lee was
living as an equal in a family which look
ed down upon her and her husband as
'nobodies.'' | was reused from my rev.
erie by my aunt's asking Herbert in a
low tone, chow Ada was tonight" and
5iciAlNAhS INV diu i4Allis Il IdhNlCd tl40l Seiid
Ada, whoever she might be, was to him
not very pleasant subject just then,
for his brow darkened visibly. while he
replied. II never once thought to in
quire, but dare say she's no worse, or
she would have sent for you post-haste. !"
That night, when Anna and l we're
alone in our room, the former sat for a
time in deep thought, saying, when l at
last told her the clock was striking
eleven, 81 wonder who Ada is ~
wondered so, too, and my interest
was not at all diminished when the next
morning, at the breakfast table, Aunt
Charlotte said to her son, Herbert,
shall be busy this morning making ar
engagements about a school for Rosa, and
l wish you'd go in and see Ada; will
you?"
Eyes, yes, l will" said he, rather inn
patiently, adding, land if l don't ind
her any better, | mean to assume the
responsibility of discharging that old SUI
perannuated greeny who attends her and
install DIR. Clayton in his place. / took
quite a fancy to him, and I'm going to
give him my patronage"
oh wish you wouldr' I exclaimed,
AOA SpilC vi llit NAO-AS
he had done me, | cherished no feeling
of animosits toward him.
Then, again. l had heard that it was
sometimes very difficult for young ply
stefan to obtain much practice in a
strange place with no one to help him,
and l thought. perhaps, Herbert's pat
ronage" might be of some avail.
Il see,'' said Herbert, laughingly,
there has been something, and though
he is a married man, you still feel an
interest in him, and want him to succeed
all right, and III do what can to help
him; for | verify believe he'll get rom
on his legs again in spite of what the
temperance folks say about his blood's
being all turned into whisky
At these words a shadow passed over
Aunt Charlotte's face, bur it was soon
ch ased AWAY by the next remark of Her
bert, which was, Amt yoW glad, moth
err. reformed before got to be as bad
as Tom? Why, girls addressing Anna
and mel haven't drank a drop since
-since-how long is it, mother, since 1
left off ?"--"drinking" he could not say,
so he finally added. left of imbibing oc-
casionallyY
There was look Of happiness on that
mothers face, as she replied, Almost a
year"
Yes, twas almost n year since her son
had tasted ardent spirits, and had she
not good reasons for thinking he would
never fall again? Assured of this fact,
how proud she would have been of her
only boy; for, aside from this great err
ror, he possessed many noble, generous
qualities; and during my stay in Boston
l found that. in spite of his well-xaown
habits, he was a pretty general favorite.
Oh, how lovingly my aunt looked after
him when he went out and how earnest
ly she watched him when he came in,
and all the while she was tempting him
beyond what most men could bear; for
regularly on her dinner table appeared
either porter, champagne or madeira, one
taste of which would set him all on fire.
But, unfortunately. she belonged to that
class of fashionable people who deem
the wine bottle necessary appendage to
the dinner table. and if, in the sequel,
her son should fill a drunkard's grave,
would there be any just cause why, in
her anguish, she should murmur at Prov
idence for having dealt with her thus
harshly? Ought she not rather to blame
herself for having thus daily tempted
him TO sin by placing before him what
she well knew was sure to work his
ruin?
We were at dinner when Herbert came
in from his morning ramble and taking
his accustomed seat at the table, he said
to his mother. II called on Ada as you
desired, and found her sitting up in q
rose-colorel dressing gown, which she
thinks very becoming to her. l know, for
she sat directly opposite the mirror, and
| should not dare tell how many times
l caught her casting admiring gianees at
herself"
Aunt Charlotte frowned. while Her
bert, turning TO me, continued, Miss
Montrose is SO much better that | don't
believe | eau patronize your doctor IN
that quarter, but I'll do something for
him-break my leg, may be, or have the
delirium tremens."
This species of jesting seemed TO be
kind of mania with Herbert. for al
most every day of his life he referred 10
his former habit of drinking, greatly to
the annoyance of his mother. who. On the
occasion just mentioned. turned slightly
pale. while Anna looked down upon the
carpet and sighed. Thinking this as
favorable on opportunity for making in
quiries concerning Ada Montrose as
should have. l asked Herbert who she
was. His mothers lips moved as If she
would answer the question. but ere she
could speak, Herbert replied. Shes a
Georgia lady. a great c0quette. who is
spending the winter here with fOrtie.h
cousin. Some call her handsome. and
believe her mother thinks her beautiful;
but if Anna paid as much attention 10
her toilet and dressed as elegantly as
Ada MontreSe. she would. in my opin-
ion. look far better"
Twas the first compliment he had paid
Anna since our arrival and il brought 4
bright flush to her usually marble cheek;
for Herbert Langley possessed a strange
power over my sister. | fancied that my
aunt was bot quite pleased with Her
hert's comparing Miss Lontrose 10 AIMS.
but ere she could frame any answer be
asked us if we would ike 10 attend the
,b.o.a- thar aveniDc Notwithstanding