Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-05-26

1
Tor anyone. Not even for Hilary, who is
! on her right hand, or for Bverard, who
IS standing on her left.
The little touch of calm tat seems to
nave fallen on them all is now broken.
From outside, from the stone steps lead
ing up to the first room 10 the old tower.
comes yell both loud and deep Nat
urally. Mr.. McGrath is the owner of il.
] Owen" says Mrs. Clarence at once.
with an air of resignation; he has evil
IDENTIFY fallen on the hard stone stems
coming up in hurry. and hurt himself. I"
Indeed, second later, as he stumbles
into the room, he tells them so.
"Beastly stairs Fancy putting stones
inside house. Bad enough before the
hall door. Well, here am at last Not
missed, can see, although l have been
fighting your battles down below. But
it's no good. Nothing would get our
darling Lueien off to his silken couch. He
grows livelier every minute. He wants
to see you, Hilary I'd advise you to 90
at once, as he's in one of his tantrums
What are you all doing up here, ehl
Mooning?"
1
Dolly, whose face IS impassive. Had she
arranged it? And, indeed. perhaps she
had. Who could say?
At all events. she does not betray her
self Her wonderfully youthful little face
with its lucent eyes of simple blue gag
ing through the window up to the lustrous
stars, is innocent as a babes of any hid
den meaning.
Eyerard's heart begins to beat quickly
The time has come, with or without
Dolly's intervention. Why triie with itl
Five minutes alone with herewith Am
! Der A word spoken-a word answered
| If she will give herself to him. He jibs
little at this thought, he, woh up to
this. has sworn against lasting charms
| of any sort. But this one creature in all
the world has caught and held him.
| Hilary below is caught by Sir Lucien
in a discussion about the rents of the
lower farms frst-and then, as to the
chances of making Brian Deane tell all
he knows of the missing jewels. He
| knows everything" says Sir Lucien. Il
don't believe it." says Hilary, she is false
all through. He is playing with you,'
and so on. Hilary's manner, in spite of
| himself, is little impatient, and he has
lost the power to conceal it. His heart
is with the lovely Amber upstairs, with
the girl who has dragged it out of his
breast. This thought delights him. II
have now no heart" he has told himself
hundred times, glad at his loss. "No
heart. but she has given me hers in
stead. And what a hearth" All her
grace and sweetness comes to him now
| threefold as he sits listening to Sir Lu.
cien's violent diatribes against her mother
and her detested father.
As he saw her last, looking up to the
stars, her pretty elbows on the window
sill, how dear she was. Truth and beauty
lay in her eyes. All that is her princi
pal charm, Truth But beauty is truth
And what a lovely nature is hers
Poor Amber she has need of many
witches to keep away the many harms
that are following her tonight, had he
only known it! Breaking free at last
from Sir Lucien, he rises, and with a
haste that / am afraid can hardly be call
ed decent, leaves the room.
Now, with mad haste in his steps, he
hall, eager to reach again that room in
the old tower where he had last seen his
beloved gazing with rapt eyes upon the
stars.
The room is empty No Amber i:
here now. No one is here-it is swept
clear of any living thing Dolly Indeed
had been careful to carrv III all the
others downstairs when she saw Amber
and Everard go towards the tiny stairs
that led to the very top OF the tower.
Something he cannot define strikes
cold to Hilary's heart. as he stands OF
the threshold Of the empty room. She
had not waited 1t was the one, the
first thought. 1t was senseless-absurd
how could she wait, if all the others
went? But still =. she had not wait
ed
He turns to retrace his steps. If not
here, then perhaps in the drawing room
1t is late, however, and no doubt once
having abandoned their desire for the
to their rooms. Slowly he goes down
wards, and reaching the gallery that runs
round part OF the house, walks slowly to-
wards back staircase that leads to the
halls beneath. He has gone half way
when slight sound In the distance be-
hind him brings him TO a full stop.
Steps! Steps surely He turns and
| through the darkness--Sir Lucien's eco
nonical mind has ordered lights out at
eleven o'clock sharp every night-through
the darkness lit only by the moon, that
now is riding gloriously in the heavens
outside, his eyes rest instinctively upon
the stone steps that lead to the tower.
| A moment he waits. bis heart beating
madly-a men,ent, and now through the
| mists of night. and the strange shadows
| of it, and the faint rays rushing through
| the central windows, be sees two forms
come slowly forward.
| They pause. One-it is Amber-leans
slightly forward. Some words fall from
| her lips. Her ompanion-Eyerard, be-
yond doubt-answers her. Another mo-
ment. and then Everard has taken her
hand, has raised it to his lips. she con.
senting A fervent, a passionate caress
| on the back Of that small brown hand
and Everard goes down the principal
staircase, leaving her still standing in he
full moonlight gazing after him. Adare
can see her face perfectly. Beyond doubt
there is intense feeling in it--for him
/ for Everard
The fact that Amber Is now coming
his way. across the unit gallery, fails to
check the devil that is raging in his
breast ALL last night. How he had
admired her then. mad fool that he was
because OF her determination not to marry
him until her fathers name was cleared
She had not waited to clear her fathers
memory before s->epting Eyerard- What
& dupe be has been II was a mere put
Of to him, until she could make sure Of
Everard, and his immense fortune. And
he had believed in her: he would have
staked his soul on her truth.
Nearer, nearer come the footsteps
Quite in the shadow himself. be can
watch her as she approaches, without
being seen himself. A cold. hateful dig
belief in all things-in everyone--has ssiz-
| ed upon him, taking place Of bis late mad