Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-07-14
The Fatal Three
MISS II. Z BRADD0N
-ZIriZ=-
CHAPTER vI.-fcontinued.,


Music of a high order is not an un-
common gift among women of sensitive
temperament" said Castellani musingly.
take it to be only another name for
sympathy. Want of musical feeling is
wait of sympathy. Shakespeare knew that
when he declared the non-musical man
to be by nature a villain. I could no
more imagine you without the gift Of
music than could imagine the stars
without the quality of light. Mr.. Ores
wold's first wife was a good musician,
no doubt you know
You heard her play-and sing?' fal-
tered Mildred, avoiding direct reply.
"Yes, / heard her several times at par
ties at Nice. She was much admired for
her mps;cal talents. She was not
grand ser, but she had been well
taught and she had exquisite taste. and
knew exactly the kind of music that suit
cd her best She was one of the attrac-
tons at the Palate Montana, where one
heard only the best music"
II think you said the other day that
you did not meet her often" said Mil
dred. my husband could hardly have
forgotten you bad you met frequently
Il can scar say that we met fire.
quently, and 0, meetings were such as
Mr.. Greswold wcAd not be very likely to
remember. / am not q remarkable man
now, and l was very Insignificant per-
son fifteen years ago. / was only asked
to peoples houses because l could sing a
little, and because my father had q repu-
tation in the South as a composer. l
was never introduced to your husband,
but / was presented to his wife-as a
precocious youth with some pretensio1ls to
a tenor voice-and I found her very
charming-after her own particular
style"
"Was she beautiful womanw asked
Mildred. 'I-I--have never talked about
her to my husband, she died SO young
and
"Ies. yes, I understand" interrupted
Castellani, as she hesitated. 'Of course
you would not speak of her. There are
things that cannot be spoken about. There
is alwlys a skeleton in every life-not
more In Mr.. Greswold's past than In that
Of other people, perhaps, could we know
all histories. l was wrong to speak Of
her. Her name escape ne unawares."
Pray don't apologize" said Mildred,
hinted at wrongdoing on her husbands
part. There can be no reason why you
should keep silence-to me; though any
mention Of an old sorrow might wound
him. / know my husband too well not to
know that he must have behaved honora-
bly, In every relation of life-before
married him as we'll as afterward. l only
asked a very simple question: was my
predecessor as beautiful as she was gift
ed?"
No. She was charming, piquant, ele
CANT, spirituelle, but she was not hand
some. think she was conscious of that
want of beauty, and that it made her SEN
sitive and even bitter. / have heard her
say hard things of women who were hand
somer than herself. She had a scathing
tongue and caprieious temper, and she
was not a favorite with her own sex,
though she was very much admired by
clever men. / know that as a lad
thought her one of the brightest women
/ had ever met"
1T was sad that she should die so
young" said Mildred.
She would not for worlds that this
man should know the extent of her ignor-
ance about the woman who had borne
her husbands name. She spoke vaguely.
hoping that he would take it for granted
Bhe knew all.
Yes assented Castellani with sigh,
"her death was infinitely sad'
He spoke as of al event of more than
common sadness-a calamity that had
been in somewise more tragical than I'M
timely death must need be.
Mildred kept silence, though her heart
sched with shapeleSs forebodings. and
though it would have been an unspeak-
able relief to know the worst rather than
to feel the oppression of this mystery.
Castellani rose to take leave. He was
paler than he had been before the con-
versation began. and he had a troubled
air. Pamela looked at him with sympa-
thetic distress. II am afraid you are
dreadfully tired" she said, as they shook
hands
Il am never tired in this house." he
answered; and Pamela appropriated the
compliment by her vivid blush.