Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-06-16
CHAPTER III.

| two"
| CHAPTER III.
Mildred and her fathers ward got on
remarkably well-perhaps a little too well
to please Mrs. Fausset, who had been
| jealous of the newcomer, and resentful
| of her intrusion from the outset. Mil
| dred did not show herself capricious in
her treatment Of her playfellow. The
child had never had a young companion
before and to her the advent of Fay
meant he beginning of brighter life.
John Fausset saw their affection and
was delighted That loving union be-
tween the girl and the child seemed to
solve all difficulties. Fay was no longer
a stranger She was part of the fam
/ iiy, merged in the golden circle of do
nestle loye: Mrs. Fausset looked on
| with janndfced eya. ~--~i.,-~s
"Her attachment to Mildred has an
| exaggerated air-as if she wanted to
curry favor with us by pretending to be
| fond of Gus, Child" said Mrs. Fausset to
her husband. Q 1eE - S~
"Why should she curry favor? She is
| not here as a ependent-though she is
made to wear the look Of one Sometimes
more than ! like. have told you that
her future is provided for, and as for
pretending to be fond of Mildred, she is
! the last girl to pretend affection. There
| is a wild, undisciplined nature under
| that self-contained air you talk about"
| 'aThere is a very bad temper, if that
| is what you mean. Bell has complained
| TO me more than once on that subject"
81 hope you have not set Bell in au-
thority oyer her." exclaimed Mr.. Faus-
set hastily. -
"There must be some one to maintain
order when Miss Colville is away
THAT some one should be you or l,
not Bell"
'sBell is conscientious person, and
she would make no improper use of au-
| thority"
''She is very disagreeable person.
| That is all l know about her. retorted
! Mr.. Fausset as he left the room.
Bell was a power in the house. She
| was that kind of old servant who is as
| bad as a mother-in-law, or even worse
| for your mother-in-law is a lady by
breeding and education. and is in some
wise governed by reason, while your
1 u
| creature Of impulse, influenced only by
feeling. Bell was a woman of strong
| feelings, devotedly attached to Mrs.
| Fausset.
From the hour of Fay's advent Bell
| had set her face against her In the
first place. she had not been taken into
| Mr.. and Mrs. Faussets confidence about
he girl. She had not been consulted or
appealed to in any way, and in the Sec
! ond place, she had been told that her
bedroom would be wanted for the new
conner. and that she must henceforward
! share room with one of the house
isids I
| This life BY the Thames was the near
| est approach to absolute happiness which
| Fay had ever known; but for her there
was tc be no such thing as unbroken
| bliss. In the midst of the sultry Au-
gust weather Mildred fell lila mild at
| tack of scarlet fever.
How could she have caught the fe-
ver?" Mrs. Fausset asked, and ten min
utes afterward she begged the doctor
not to mention Mildred's malady to any
| of her neighbors.
| "We have such O host of engagements
| and crowds of visitors coming from Lon
| don," she said. People are so ridicu-
lousy nervous. OF course l shall be
extremely careful"
The doctor gave elaborate instructions
about isolation. Such measures being
taken. Mrs. Fausset might receive all
| fashionable London with safety.
Mild as the case might be, the patient
had to suffer thirst and headache. dry
/ and swollen throat. and restless nights.
| Her most eager desire was for Fay's COM
| pany. and as it was ascertained that
/ Fay had suffered from scarlet fever some
years before in somewhat severe form,
ii was considered she might safely assist
in the sick room. ss-s -
She was tbsyre almost all day. and very
often y, the night. She read 10 Mildred,
| I'D sang TO her, and played VITA her.
| and INDUCED every changing fancy and
| caprice of sickness Her love vas inssS-
haustibie, indefatigablS. ftrsver on the
watch. If Mildred woke H0m a feverish
dream in the deep Of nsght, with little
agitated sob or cry she found figure
in white dressing gown bending over
her and loving arms encircling her before
she had time to feel frightened. Fay
slept in a lt(ics dressing room opening out
of Midreas large airy bedroonN so as
TO be ne@r her darling.
These three weeks in the sick room.
chose wakeful nights and long. slow sum
mer DAYS. strengthened the head Of love
between the two girls BY the time Mix
aired was convalescent they seemed q
have loved each other for years. Nsf
dred could hardly remember whst her
life was before she had Fay for com
panion. Mrs. Fausset saw this CROWNS
| affection not without sealeusys bur II was
very convenient that there should De some
one in the house whose companionshiT
, kept Mildred happy. and she even went
so far as t. ss5mit that Fay was useful.
Il cannot be with the dear child ~
50 much IS should like to be, she said
/ ''visito-s ass 50 exactins."
j Fay had sze,t very little during Mi
ired's illness. and now that the chic
was aearly wen the elder girl began 4
: flag somewhat. and was tired early in tn
) evening. and glad TO 20 to bed at tn
| same hour SIS the patient
d A batch az visitors left next day aftel
; j lunch. Mr. and Mrs Fausses were to b
E | alone for forty-eight hours Mildred has
5 | been promised that the FIRST day cher
. was 10 ,cosnpany she was TO have tea wit