Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-03-26
CHAPTER XXu

When the sun had set we went to the
Chase, Psyche and |. she agreeing to pay
this visit far more readily than / antici-
pated
''Shall you be glad TO see Ethel?" l
asked the wish prompting the question.
Yes" she answered, nodding her
head. There is so much | want to ask
her that l can't ask you, so much l want
to learn. 1 can't talk much to you be-
cause | don't know enough words, and
sometimes l say the wrong one and it
makes you laugh and shows me how fool
ish l am. But l think a great deal when
my eyes are shut"
Can you rall me what you Think"
$50 many things / think how beau
tiful it is to sit and listen to you speak,
and l think if ] could learn more words
| could talk TO you and make you happy,
just as you make me happy. Sometimes
| think l am no more than the little
creatures in the garden that we forget
the next day because they cannot tell us
what they think and feel And l want
to be asking more thar what you know ~
There was pathetic vibration in her
voice as it sank in this last phrase then
in firmer tone she added: 80 | want
to see all that Ethel can do, and learn
how to do 1t very soon-very soon."
We met Ethel and her father in the
drive, and walked together through the
flower garden and the Conservatives,
there being still light enough to reveal
the tints of the blooms even to ordinary
eyes. Under bis daughters influence Sir
Henry was always reasonable, and at
most times amiable and interesting; but
this evening l was struck by the tender
interest he took in Psyche. He devoted
himself almost exclusively to her, and
betrayed nc symptom of jealousy or sus-
picion when Ethel and l fingered in the
room. The manner OF this extraordinary
nan was now as opposed to his brusque-
tic of the morning as that to the quaking
agitation of the night before. Selecting
some of the blooms that Psyche most adj
mired, he arranged them with taste in
spray, gossiping at the same time in a
simple way that she could understand,
and fastened it upon her dress. Psyche
was delighted, pointing out to me that
1t was like the spray that Ethel wore.
II had no i.iea the girl was so intelli-
gent" he said to me when Psyche had
drawn Ethel away with the serious view
she had in mind, 'and how exceedingly
sweet her manner is She shall learn
al that she wishes to know. / will adopt
heI as my own daughrer."
IF her real pareres are not found"
| suggested.
True, but ] do no. think they will be
found" he said, in an odd, dry tone.
by the bye, there was no letter for you
at Towerbri1ge. / saw Andrews this
afternoon, and put the case hypothetical
" before him. He is distinctly of opin-
oE that, so FAR as the girls welfare is
concerned, the hest thing to be done is to
d. nothing. The great thing TO be feared
is that the man who put her out of the
way twelve years ago will get her into his
hands again IN order to put her away
eftectually and forever. There can be no
doubt that the crime was attempted with
a mercenary LiotivC the child coming be-
tween this man and a fortune. If that
was so, Psyche is still the rightful heiress,
and more dangerous &c the man now than
she was as a child. At any rate. it
would be most unwise to do anything in
hurry. There is no necessity for
haste. / intend. with the blessing of
heaven" he murmured, fervently. ito re-
pair the wrong that has been done to
that poor girl, and to be to her a better
fiiend than those who suffered her to be
carried away"
There was IN awkward pause. | could
not account satisfactorily TO myself for
the feeling of embarrassment that made
me silent
You can't rake ii out" said Sir Hen
~, observing my silence. THAT does not
surprise nae. 70 you it must seem that
my conduct has beer that of a maniac
rather than q sane man. and nothing
must appear more mad than my proposal
to adopt as daughter a girl l saw for
the first time last night. Every effect
is inexplicable until the cause that pro-
| duced it stands revealed. My quickly
! changing moods are inexplicable. Be
J lisve me. not one of these moods would
1 appear more unaccountabe than the
! phases in an eclipse if you knew of the
shadow cast pom my life. That shadow
| is nearly past. One of these days-not
now-you shall know ALL" As he spoke
the last words he opened his note book
and took out paper, which he now put
| in my hand.
This is the check for the property you
were good enough to let me have" he
/ said. in a tone OF real gratitude. with
| t. Bernard. I give you permission to
ask my daughter to BE- your wife" This
VAS as unexpected as anything he had
| yet said or done, mis- tone betrsying none
of that bitter sense OF deprivation he had
/ h.e, civ
| daughter" he continued, you may per-
to adopt Psyche"
If had not been blinded by lovers
| erection / might have found another rea-
son. and seen that | was taking a bride.
We found poor Psyche in the library,
hooking with panied wonder at an open
book. and striving 10 understand that each
collection of black marks meant word.
and that these words taken together told
OF something that people wanted to know.
From the book she loked round the rooms
at the shelves from floor 10 ceiling filed
with similar books.
Are they M! the sames" she asked.
''Ne; see, this is quite different re-
Piled Ethel, opening another aud telling
her the story il contained in few easy
words. But the story failed to charm
Phyche. for she had very serious object
il making .hsse inquiries. Can you
read them all-all these little words in
| all these booksg" she asked in awe
Yes. Ethel can read them all. and 50
will you be able to read them one of these
days" said Sir Henry. kindly.
Psyche drew long breath in silence.
Then turning TO Ethel she said