Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-01-26
CHAPTER xvI.-(Continued.)

CHAPTER XVI.-(Continued
"WellY he said almost sullenly, with
out turning to look at her.
The hand which had touched him very
gently and appealingly at first frightened
upon his sleeve and began to tremble
strongly. At this he looked over his
shoulder and met Hepzibah's beseeching
gaze. There were tears in her eyes, and
he noticed a curious little throbbing in
her throat, as if a pianoforte hammer
were tapping from within.
Don't break your heart, Edward,
she besought him, speaking with great
difficulty Don't go to the bad for her!
There's nobody as is worth that, my darl-
ing. What good can that do?'
Don't worry about me, Hepzibah,
he said miserably; sit isn't worth while
What else have 1 got to worry for
II it amt the child | nursed when | was
a child myself?" said Hepzbah, holding
to him with both hands. And, oh, as |
should ever ha' lived to have to ask you
such thing, But, oh, my darling, do,
do come home
She paused, and Ned filed up the brok
en- sentence.
Sober, l suppose. he said.
"Oh, do. dear, dor she begged him,
clinging to him.
Very well,' he said. with a gloomy
laugh-two little spasmodic sounds, as
far from merriment as light from dark
ness-"you shall have our way for
once. You pretty generally get it here"
He stopped and kissed the hard-fea-
tured face, and Hepzibah, dropping her
head upon his shoulder, chung to him and
shook with silent tears and internal sob
bings.
I've got your word. deari" she asked
when she could trust herself to speak.
Yes" he answered. Good night,
Hepzibah."
He set out on his seven-niIe walk. and
having posted his letter in the town,
turned back. A certain halfway house
tugged at him as if it had a cord oout
his heart, but he broke past it with a
rage of resolution, and walked straight
home. and at once went up to his own
bedroom. Hepzibah heard the assured
and steady footstep, and was thankful
for the news it brought her, though the
feet went like lead, and had not even a
memory of their old lightness.
Next morning Ned Blane's criminal
pretense was delivered into Mary Hack
ett's hands, and she felt her heart alto
gether cheerful and strengthened by it.
She wondered still at the personal 81
lence her husband kept, but ut least here
was proof positive that he was not the
heartless creature she had found her elf
beginning to believe him. He had not
found it in his heart to forsake ker and
TO cast her back upon her parents. And
she herself could face the world again.
He had really gone away on business of
some sort; and though she was still in
Quoted about him, she had no longer the
shame of being forced TO believe that
the affairs he had spoken Of were no
more than an abonlinable pretext.
But now came a consequence of the
letter which the forger had not antici-
patcd. Before the welcome banknote
was so much as broken for the purchase
of household necessaries, Mary sat down
and wrote a letter TO that imaginary
John Hargreaves who lived in the imGs
mary Keston Squares:
Sir should be greatly obliged f
you would furnish me with my husbands
present address. / am afraid that re-
cent letters may have miscarried."
If this little blind was something less
than absolutely truthful she posted it
all the same, and salved her conscience
with the hope that it might be true. Two
or three days later Eer inquiry c8he
back again, directed and redirected in
half dozen different hands, and at last
officially marked INSTRUCTED; no Kes-
ton Square in BroctOn.' This amazed
her and awoke new anXieties. Obviously
VIII is moving in crooked ways and was
in hiding from her. 1t was easily pos
sihle that he might be concealing him
self, and. inspired by some feeble hope
of meeting him. she took the bus into
town day after day and walked YEARLY
up and down the principal thorough
fares. thinking that perchanoe she might
catch sight of him.
She had never known it until now,
but she was little short-sighted, and
a thousand times her heart leaped with
in her III the crowded street as she i'm
agined that ut last the errant husband
was in sight and she would advance
tuttering from head TO foot. to meet an
absolute stranger. No habitude of fail
ure lessened the shock of hope and fear
and disappointment. aud she would go
home 1T night too tired TO care for any
thing. Her whole life seemed TO have
grown into one constant dull and empty
ache.
1t seemed strange and Shostly sort
Of life 10 lead, for she was altogether
alone now, and hardly ever exchanged
a word, except upon matters of mere ne
cessity. with q fellow creature. She
called upon nobody, and nobody called
upon her Those people of the little
township who had at first been Indignant
against John Howarth and his wife for
their neglect Of their daughter supposed
now. naturally enough. since Mary went
on living in her husbands house, that
the builder supplied the necessary funds,
and Sc forgot their indignation.