Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-08-04

HdlteT deOrge gave Eameid 10 Ire Luz
my companion. / feel myself responsible
for her happiness"
Then don't interfere with her happi-
ness. Let her marry the man she loves.
With all my heart, if he were good
man, and il her uncle had no objection.
But / know so little about Mr.. Castellani
and his surroundings"
'He has no surroundings-his mother
and father are dead He has no near
relatives"
And his character, aunt; his conduct?
What do you know of those?"
"Only so much as you can see that /
know of them He comes to my house
and makes himself agreeable to me and
ny friends. He has given valuable help
in the formation and management of the
choir. If l am interested in a concert
for a charity he sings for me and works
for me like slave. All his taieats are
at my service always. / suppose / like
him as well as / should like a favored
nephew, If had nephews from whom to
choose favorite. OF his character-out-
side my house, know nothing. l do
not believe he has a wife hidden away
anywhere; and If Pamela marries him,
she can make her intention public in good
time to prevent any iasco of that kind"
you speak very scornfuily, aunt, as
If you had poor opinion of Mr. Cas-
tellani.r
Perhaps have poor opinion Of man
kind in general, Mildred Your father
was good man, and your husband Is
another. We ought to think ourselves
lucky to have known two such men in our
lives. As to Cesar Castellani, l tell you
again l know no more of him than you
or very little more-though have known
him so much longer"
How long have you known him?"
About fifteen years"
''And how was he introduced to your
''Oh, be introduced himself, on the
strength Of the old connection between
the Faussets and the Felixes. 1t was just
before he went to the university. He was
very handsome, very elegant, and very
| much in advance of his years in manners
and accomplishments. He amused and
interested me, and l allowed him to come
to my house as often as he liked"
do you know anything about his
means?"
Nothing definite. He came into a
small fortune upon his mothers death
and ran through it. He has earned
money by literary work, but I cannot
tell you to what extent. If Miss Ran
some marries him, l think she may as
well make up her mind to keep him."
That is rather a humiliating prospect
for a wife-rather like buying hus-
band"
THAT is a point for Miss Ransome to
consider. / don't think she is the kind
of girl to care much what her within costs
her."
In spite of Pamela's confidence in her
own instiRct, or, in other words, in her
own wisdom, Mildred was full of anx-
iety about her, and was very eager to
place her charge beyond the reach of
Cesar Castellani's daily visits and mu-
steal talent She felt responsible to her
husband for his niece's peace of mind /;
doubly responsible in that Pamela's in
terest had been subordinated to her own
comfort and well-being.
She had other reasons for wishing to
escape from Mr. Castellani's society.
There were occasions when she shrank
from the Italians gentle touch, a deli
cate white hand lowering for a moment
above her own as he offered her a book
or a newspaper; there were times when
his low, sympathetic voice was a horror
to her; there were times when she told
herself that her self-respect as a wife
hardly permitted of her breathing the
same air that be breathed.
Innocent and simple minded as her
closely sheltered life had kept her, in all
thoughts, ways and words unlike the av-
erage woman of society, Mildred Greswold
was a woman, and she could not but see
that Cesar Castellani's feelings for her
were of deeper kind than any senti-
ment with which Pamela Ransome's
charms had inspired him. There were
moments when his voice, his face, his
manner, told his secret only too plainly
but these were but glimpses of the truth,
hurried fittings of the curtain, which the
man of society let drop again before he
had too plainly betrayed himself. He had
been careful to keep his secret from Pa
mela. 1t was only to the object of his
worship that he had revealed those pre-
sumptuous dreams of his, and to her only
| in such wise as she must needs ignore
1t would have seemed self-conscious prud-
cry to rebuke indication so subtle and so
casual but Mildred could not ignore them
in her own mind, and she waited anxious
" for the hour in which she would be
well enough to travel.
Meanwhile Miss Fausset reproached
| Castellani.
Il wonder you have not made the young
lady an offer before now"
Suppose l am not in love with the
young lady?"
You have been too assiduous for that
superstition to occur to me. You have
haunted this house ever since Miss Ran
some has been here"
And yet | am not in love with her."
'She is pretty and attractive girl and
disposed to think highly of you"
And yet | am not in love with her"
he repeated.
you have other views, l suppose,
| them
He looked like a dreaming fawn; the
large, full eyes, the small. peaked beard.
and close-cut hair upon the arched fore
head were all suggestive of the satyr
tribe.
The door opened and Pamela came smil-
| ing in, self-conscious, yet happy, delight
ed at seeing that picturesque figure by the
| hearth.
CHAPTER XIII.
Three days later Mildred and her young
companion started for Italy. The hour
| of parting came for Pamela and Castel-
lani, and although the young lady took
care 10 remind him at least dozen times
day Of that impending severance, not
one word of the future, or of any cher
| ished hope on his part. fell from his lips.
| And yes it had seemed to Pamela that be
was devoted 10 her, that he only waited
| for the opportunity TO speak. 1t seemed
| to her also that he felt the pain Of part
ing, for he hsd an air of deepest melan.
| choly during these farewell days. and