Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-03-12
CHAPTER XIX.

tb1 cunning % ueNlSS lHiS ScneHe VI Az
duction would never have the folly to
carry the girl to a place where she would
certainly be sought.
As stood by the open wicket. irreso
Lutte as to which course it was advisable
to take, l heard the sound of a heavy
siouching step npon the sand. / had list
ered to such sound too recently to be
mistaken. 1t was old Peter. Coming in
front of the house, he stopped and cast
HI; eyes at the door and the upper win
dows. scratching his stubbly jaw with his
booked fingers dubitatively.
Standing by the wicket, at the side of
the house, a shrub screened me, and fir
il the front garden threw deep shadow
Oh the narrow path. scarcely breathed.
He moved on slowly. and presently the
rustling of corn TOLD me that he had
turned down by the edge of the field and
was skirting the holly hedge. Stepping
lightly along the garden path, l followed
the rustling of the corn till it stopped.
Then | heard him parting the holly with
the attempt TO see into the garden. He
spent few moments in this endeavor,
and then. giving it up, he retraced his
the heavy. fat-footel step sounded upon
the road, and as it receded l made up my
mind to follow, concluding that he would
make at once for the rendezvous where
Psyche had been taken.
i watched him from the garden until
the squat, rolling figure was only just
perceptible in the rapidly fading twilight,
and then followed, keeping on the turf
beside the standing corn. He kept stead
ily on along the road for about a quarter
o; mile; suddenly he stopped, and then
turning TO the side he disappeared, and
his steps became inaudible. Doubtful
whether he had taken a path through the
cornfield, or was simply standing still to
make sure that he was not being follow
ed, | redoubled the caution with which
! stole onward. Shortly grunt little
way ahead stopped me, and / dimly per-
ceived the old mar stretched out on the
trrf not more than half a dozen PAGES
from me. He kicked off one boot and
then the other, muttering about the bis
tiers on his feet, and things in general
l was puzzled; not a word of exulta-
tion or triumph frightened up his mono
logue such us man in his condition
might have tried to console himself with.
Was l at fault again? Had l jumped
to the wrong conclusion? After all, might
have overlooked Psyche in some nook
OF cocner of the garden? While these
questions were running through my mind
Gle Peter rolled over, and. making a pill
low of his arms, laid his head upon them
with grunt. The next grunt terminal
e.! in a snore.
His heavy boots lay temptingly be-
tween his blistered feet and me; the
means of checking pursuit by him lay
almost within reach. | crept forward,
picked them mp, and retreating cautiously
hurled the trophy into the midst of the
corn when l was hundred yards back
on my way to the cottage.
At the gate | heard the distant muir
muir of a voice. and peering quickly
through the ailey at the side of the
house, l saw Psyche in the garden seat
facing the lawn, but to my utter aston
ishment Miss Duncan was seated beside
her
HE is here-eome back to me-my
b-other!" cried Psyche as she sprang to
Miss Duncan, recognizing me as / ap-
preached, seemed ever more amazed than
l by this unlooked-for meeting.
What had happened? Simply this:
Psyche. as l imagined, finding me not in
the house, had sought me in the garden,
and then extending her search, had wan
dered along the road. The park gates.
which she had seer shut when we passed
in the night. were wide open. Who could
have opened them but | who did every
thing? She passed through and was
found in the avenue by Miss Duncan,
looking in the twilight like spirit with
her pale face and her large dark eyes
and their expression of childish fearless
ness
can only tell what followed as Ethel
described it to me later
After the FIRST shock-for indeed /
was frightened at frst-vher silence and
the vague way IN which she looked about
her after regarding me for few mo-
nents, giving additional weirdness to her
spiritual appsaranee-I summoned up
courage to fal:er. Who are youg
Il am Psyche she answered, with
sweet, low articulation.
'Psyche--is that your only nameY
Yes. why should have two names?
| am only one, Psyche, that is ALL
Her strange answer seemed in char
acter with her spiritual appearance. But
there was nothing ia her dress unreal.
and surely nothing IN her manner to make
me fear the gentle creature. so. gathering
my wits together a little, l said:
Do you want TO see any one up In
the house. dearT
No. 1 am looking for my brother. he
has gone away from me but be viii come
back, because he knows | could not live
without him. He has only gone away TO
lcok at the great world. TO see the sun
touch the sea, and the clouds lie on the
hills. DO you know, l think he loves the
great world better than do, that is why
be did not take me, that is so strange to
me-a world without walls, because it is
so new to me-
How long have you been here. dearT
only some nights cannot count
not many
And where have you come from?'
I came from the caves where l have
lived always-,he caves under the sea. Ny
brother found me there, and brought me
away when the sea went down.
Who is your brotherT
Psyche rubbed her hands caressingly,
and her face lit up with a beautiful
smile.
i will tell you about my brother she
said, Il think about him always. | should
like 10 talk about him You are the first
person have ever talked to except him.
There was seat at the border of the
drive. / led her to il. and we sat down
side by side. 1 slipped my hand under
her arm, and almost with surprise found
she was warm and human She lifted
my hand and csressed it with her cheek.
and could see she was thinking OF her
brother. Tell me about him. / said.
He is everything to me- All that
l see ard hear is lovely. the stars and
the swallows, and the little golden cav:
the flowers and the bushes. this dress and
my shoes. all make me happy. But /
could do without them all. l should be