Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-03-27
CHAPTER w

CHAPTER ".
/ do not see anything of Cousin Eliza
beth for the next two days, but on the
third she comes down to breakfast at 9
o'clock and makes no allusion whatever
to her indisposition.
She answers shortly when l ask if she
Is better, and sits at the table with her
dark, inscrutable eyes and white face,
and appears to take no interest in any
thing. She makes no attempt at CONVEX
sation beyond an occasional remark, and
apparently feels no curiosity about me
or desires to know anything of my for
mer life or dads
Miss Lattimer sits there, too. lust rs
quiet, and between them | feel my spir-
its sink to zero.
Mohun tries to talk, but his remarks
fall fat, and we end our meal in silence.
l do not like Miss Lattimer, and / am
sure she does not care for me. She
seems to resent my interference in any
way, and is jealous if offer to do any
thing for Cousin Elizabeth.
feel sorry for her; her face looks so
white and worn, and / am sure it can be
no enviable position to be companion to
Cousin Elizabeth. What an awful exist.
ence they must lead, those two women.
shut up for hours together and speaking
to no onei
find Cousin Elizabeth keeps only
three servants-the old butler Hart and
his wife and girl in the kitchen-Bid-
dy Driscoll, the gardeners daughter.
1t puzzles me, for house of this size
requires three or four times the number.
They never use the drawing room, nor
do they use the dining room. 1t is in the
breakfast room that we have QUE meals,
and Cousin Elizabeth uses this as a sit
ting room when she is downstairs
Mohun has a little den of his own
somewhere, but / have not seen it vet.
Cousin Elizabeth never asks me into
her rooms, but | do not feel much de-
sire to go; from the windows there is a
view of the second kitchen garden-the
gloomy, deserted one-and the scene can
not tend to brighten her spirits, / think.
No other rooms afford a view on that
side but two in the tower. The house is
only two stories, except for the tower,
and that is reached by little staircase
leading out of the east corridor, where
my cousins rooms are. There must be
three or four rooms beyond that baize
door, ] know, for Miss Lattimer sleeps
there, and there is the sitting room be-
sides.
The little room in the tower pleases
me greatly; it is oetagon shaped with
four windows, from two of which / can
look into the kitchen garden in the east,
and of the other two one is north and
one south. 1t will make lovely studio,
and / straightway determine to use it
hof 70 4,
furniture in it--a few chairs and little
table, and couple of rugs on the floor
but there are a number of books on
shelf, and / go towards them eagerly
They are rather disappointing, for with
the exception of two or three volumes of
poetry they are mostly novels of
hunting or sporting kind. / take out
one and see the name IN. Fitzgeorge"
on the fly leaf.
/ cannot understand Mohun; he seems
to me such a contradiction. How can
man full of strength and character, as
suppose him 20 be, content himself with
passing his life amid such surroundings
He looks full of energy, and yet he is
satisfied to see the place neglected and
falling into a state of untidiness and di-
lapidation which is perfectly shocking.
am sure he has brains, but to what use
does he put themi Go for days hunt
ing and read q few sporting novels
Truly | have fallen among strange peo-
pie and curious surroundings
"Annette" hear Mohuns voice call
ing. Annette, put ON your hat and
come down" | obey with alacrity-
somehow one always does so when Mo.
hun calls.
l find him at the front door with the
dogcart.
"Come on, Annette" he says; 81 am
driving to Colhugh. VIII you GOMEZ"
l climb up quickly, as the mare is
fidgety and viii not stand still.
"Who lives theref" l ask, when we
are out on the road. | am pointing to
house half hidden by trees.
That is the rectory," he says; "and
that il one of the twins, I'll be bound,
he adds, as the mare swerves violently
at q very dirty small boy who jumps
suddenly out of the hedge, another boy
equally dirty following
They are everywhere, those two little
rascals, and up to all sorts of mischief.
Their mother, Mrs. Craigh, is a very
nice woman. You'll like her"
We pass two other big houses in the
course OF our drive, which ne tells me
belong respectively TO Mr.. Colquhoon and
Sir Joseph Ryves. Both are empty now,
but Mohun tells me they win both be
full next week for the shooting.
"Mohun," / say suddenly, why are
you content to fritter away your life
heref 2"
He looks round with a peculiar CLEAN
in his eyes.
What do you mean. AnnetteT7
81 mean" l say hesitatingly. how