Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-11-10
Hidden
Perils
BY MARY CECIL HAY
CHAPTER vIII.-fContinued.,
By NARY CECIL Hay

CHAPTER VIII.-( Continued.)
We're glanced up in quick, proud pain.
Don't mention such a thing to Lor-
raine," he entreated, hurriedly. "She
would despise me, If she thought / had
let you imagine us betrothed Rourke, let
me tell you the simple fact it will need
but few words; for it is very simple
one"
Rourke had drawn up a chair beside
his friend now, and was sitting astride
upon it; his arms folded on the back, his
eyes intent and listening.
II have loved Lorraine since she was
little thing, no higher than the chair
you are leaning on. | can not tell for
what / loved her; / can not tell why
such love should grow in my heart for a
child when I-even then-was a man
with a mans care. But that it did grow
there, and has increased and deepened
year by year, | know by-by every hope
l build, and every pain I have to stife."
And does she not know this Atholf'
Il think she does because / think no
girl could be the very light Of a mans
eyes, and the very heart of mans life,
without knowing it."
Il can not tell" replied Rourke,
thoughtfully Il have never studied any
girl but Una, and from the very first |
always told her how | loved her. | did
not leave much for her to guess, not /"
And then they talked of other things,
until they reached Hampton House.
Mr. and Miss Ga7eston are dining at
Mr.. Lucas" the butler SAID as he turned
on the gas and struck Il match. Miss
Sheford was staying in Kensington. Miss
Lorraine was at home alone. Should he
give any name besides DIR. Vere?"
Suppose we go up unannounced." said
Athol. Il generally do"
"All right" returned Rourke, with ut
ter negligence.
How provoking that Una should be
out" he added in q low tone to Athol,
as he sauntered up behind him on the
stairs.
They have gone to house near here,
Wnd where very early hours are kept"
%thol answered, 80 your patience will
Iot be long tried"
AS he finished speaking he tapped at
the door In the lobby, and when a voice
answered, leisurely and rather absentiy,
Come in" he opened the door and stood
back for Trenham 10 enter first.
A small room, somber in its furniture
but made dazzlingly radiant by the four
gaslights burning to their fullest extent
and a strong minded wood fire glowing
and cracking and blazing as if felt put
upon its honor to comport itself as would
q country wood fire under the same cir
cumstances. A girl was kneeling on the
rug before this sturdy fire replenishing
a.
and looking as if she loved it.
why, Lorraine, fire to-day?"
'No, not to-day; tonight" she said,
coolly, while she scientifically inserted
splinter between the bars. "Athol, what
q pity you are come. because everybody is
out. There, that burns splendidly. If l
don't have an immense amount of light
In these rooms, you know, and CHEEKY
fires when | am alone here, l feel'-she
was slowly rising now and shaking the
crumbs of wood from her dress-'as IL
had the old times clinging about me still.
These rooms are always dull and dim
and cheerless then, and when | am here
alone i feel as if / had come back to the
old life-unless l make an enormous
amount of light and warmth and noise
So have to build up a fire and turn on
the gas and sing and laugh and let Joan
come in and-Athol!'
The word was uttered in tone quite
new that night to Athol, from the lips
whose very tone and accent he thought he
knew so well. She had risen and turned
TO greet him, and he had taken her hand
II his, but her eyes were gone from his
face to the face beyond him, and were
resting there in strange, wide, wistful
questioning.
and Rourke? He had not claimed &C
quaintanceship, nor greeted her, nor spok-
en-. He had only seen her.
do you forget him?" asked Athol,
laughing as he glanced from the girls
face to Rourke. HE thought you would
not"
1T do not" she answered, quietly, and
then a sudden blush darted for an in
slant across her face. and Rourke Tren-
ham saw that the eyes which he had
called flashing could be soft, too, and
liquid as a childs.
"Una Will soon be home" she said.
with cootness whose genuineness neither
Of the young men doubted. II Thought
she was fortunate when she went away !;
she will net think SO now, will sheg'
MAY we wait until then?'' asked
Rourke. Do you think us great bores
FOR coming just now-or rather, should |
say, do you think me great bore?'
1T is as much Athors house as it is
NINE" said Lorraine. lightly, "and as
much yours, Mr.. Trenham, as his. Will
you have tea with met"
Thank you. l see magnificent meth |
cd of improving that fire." said Rourke |
taking up the tongs.
Lorraine Gaveston was nineteen. as DIR. |
We're had said, and tall and rounded with |
q woman's perfect grace. yet there was an +!
nexphcable childishness lingering about |
her still. Rourke felt its presence with |
out understanding II. He had been con-
scious of it in her first question, "win |
you have tea with me?" knowing that |
from others the words would have sound |
ed brusqne and curt, while from her they |
had the wooing ,one of child's entreaty |
Her face had altered beyond his knowl- |
edge since he had seen ii half buried in |
the hay; yet, for all that. he recognized |
something in its expression which took |
him. with leap. back through those seven |
years. and told him that tie nature of the |
child was the nature or The woman still. |
In her slow. graceful movements tonight, |
the perfect apparent ease of her manner, |
Snd the grave earnestness Of her hospi- |
tality-so deity and courteous.y exercised /
through sll the merriment and laughter /
Rourke could never have guessed that this |
was the first time Ii had ever fallen 20 her /
lot u entertain a stranger" All, quite
as little coulG be have guessed then how
Tar and ho@ fatally she had succeeded.
She had still lhe lustrous eyes and clear
brunette complexion which had. in her
childhood won Mr.. Bsrtle's pet name
and still the smile and frown were as
quick TO chase each other on the gypsy"
face as they had been then: but what a
brilliant beauty il wore now. And of the
power such beauty gave her. the girl had |
grown up unconscious.
Then Mr.. Gavestcn and Una returned
II must be FIRST to tell Una" cried