Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-05-02

the call must have startled the neigh
borhood for mile. if it could be startled.
Really, | do believe [ have reused
somebody at last" exclaimed the ringer,
as he looked through window command
ing the road TO the house, and saw
man on horseback coming. But, sure
ly, unless he sprang out of the ground,
he must have been coming before l be-
gam"
In this strange loneliness, almost any
visitor would be welcome; and Hardenow
ran towards the top of the stairs to see
who it was, and to meet him. But here.
as he turned the corner of the balus-
traded gallery, a scared and hurrying
young woman almost ran into his arms.
"Oh, what is it," she cried, drawing
back, and blushing to a deeper color
than well extracted blood can show;
there is no funeral yet He is not dead
Who is ringing the bell so? 1t has
startled even him, and will either kill,
or save him. Kill him, it will kill him,
l am almost sure!"
"Esther-Miss Cripps-what a fool
am! l never thought of that did not
know-how could telli am all in the
dark. Is it Russell Overshute?"
Yes, Mr.. Hardenow. Everybody
knows it. Every one has taken good care
TO run away. Even the doctors will
come no more. They say it is hopeless;
and they might only infect their other
patients. I fear that his mother must
die, too. She has taken the fever in a
milder form; but walk she will, while
walk she can. And at her time of life it
is such chance. But l cannot stop one
moment"
And at your time of life is it nothing,
Esther? You seem to think of everybody
but yourself Is this fair to your own
hearth and homer"
While he was speaking he looked at
her eyes; and her eyes were filling with
deep tears-a dangerous process to con-
template.
'Oh, no, there is no fear of that" she
answered. misunderstanding him; Il shall
take good care not to go home until am
quite sure that there is no risk"
THAT is not what / mean. | mean
supposing you yourself should catch it?''
IF / do, they will let me stay here.
1 am sure. But l have no fear of it.
The influence that led me here viii lead
me back again. But you ought not to
he here. l am quite forgetting you
Hardenow looked at her with admira-
ton warmer than he could put into
words. She had been thinking of him
throughout. She thought of every one
except herself. Even in the moment of
first surprise she had drawn away so that
she stood to leeward: and while they
were speaking she took good care that
the current of wind passed from him to
her. Also in one hand she carried
| little chatting dish producing lively fumi-
cation. Esther curtseyed at a distance,
and started away-until her retreat was
cut of very suddenly.
why, no girl! Ho girl. and young
man in the corner, What is the meaning
OF all this? | have come TO see things
righted: my name is Worth Oglander. I
| ind this here old house silent as
grave. and YOU two looking like a brace
of robbers. Young woman.-young wom-
an.--why, bless me now. il it isn't our
own ETY. Cripps, l did believe. and
would believe. but for knowing of your
! family. Etty, and your brother Cripps the
c5rrier-that here You are for the pur-
/ pose of setting this old mansion anre."
/ Esther. having been hard set TO SuS-
/ tain what had happened already, was
now unable to assert her dignity. She
simply leaned against the wall and gent
/ " blew into the erabers of her disin-
/ fecting stuff. She knew that the Squire
might Kill himself. after all his weeks
of confinement. by coming over here, in
/ this rash manner, and working himself
/ up so. But it was not her place to say
word: even if she could say it.
/
| ing forward and Offering his hand. while
Esther looked at them from beneath a
cloud of smoke, Il know your name bet
| ter than you know mine. You happened
to be on the Continent when | was stay
ing in your village. Ny name is Thomas
Hardenow. I am a priest of the ARgii-