Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-09-22
The Fatal Three
MISS RI. E. BRADD0N
CHAPTER XYIu

L
Pamela and Lady Locilinvar were now
on very easy terms. Pamela had stayed
in Paris with Lady Lochinvar, and
considerable part of her trousseau had
been chosen in the atelers of fashionable
Partisan dressmakers The more hum
drum portion of the brides raiment was
to be obtained at Brighton, where "a
mela was to spend a week or two with
her aunt before she went to London 10
stay with the Mountfords, who had taken
a house in Grosvenor Gardens, from
which Pamela was to be married
1t was a hard problem to decide where
the HONEYMOON should be spent, but it was
finally decided that the best place was
The Hook. the riverside residence OF the
brides aunt, as the papers put it.
Mildred repaired at once to The Hook,
to put everything in readiness for the
reception of the young people. The task
was to her a pleasant one, for she de-
lighted at the idea Of revisiting a spot she
so fOndly loved. Her duties were light,
for Mrs. Dawson, the housekeeper, who
had once ruled over both Mr.. Faussets
houses, was now caretaker at The Hook,
and everything was in apple-pie order. y
day should have suficed to put all in
readiness but still Mildred fingered from
day to day, till nearly a week had sped.
One thermometer last of the old home
she was packing away the articles that
had belonged to her father and mother
when she came upon nest of pigeonholes
cramned with letters Curiosity prompted
her to glance at them, and she saw that
they were written by her aunt
The first letter was from Milan, full of
enthusiasm about the Cathedral and the
Conservatoire, full Of schemes for work.
She was pract4 ing six hours day, and
taking nine lessons a week-four for
piano, two for singing, three for harmony
She was in high spirits and delighted with
her life
II should practice eight hours day,
IL Mrs. Holmby would let me-" she wrote,
"but she won't. She says it would be
too much for my health"
In the next letter the writer said:
"Your kind suggestion about the opera
house has been followed, and we have
taken seats at La Scala for two nights
a week. Signor Castellanfs opera is de-
lightful He came to see Mrs. Holmby-
who, by the way, is very tiresome chap
eron-last week, and he is a very charm
ing man."
There were more letters, and Castel-
lani's name appeared often in relation to
his operas. The letters grew somewhat
fretful in tone, and there repeated COM
plants of Mrs. Holmby. There were in
dice tions of fitful spirits-nOw enthusi-
asr~ now depression.
After this there was an interval. The
next letter was dated six months later.
1t was on a different kind of paper, and
1t was written from Svien, on the Lake
of Geneva.
At know that you have been kind to me,
John-kinder, more merciful, than many
brothers would have been under the same
miserable circumstances-but nothing you
can do can make me anything else than
what l have made myself-the most
wretched of creatures. You tell me to for
get my misery. Forget-now No, l
have no wish to leave this place. / should
be neither better nor happier anywhere
else 1t is very quiet here. There are
no visitors left now in the neighborhOod.
There is no one to wonder who l am,
or why l am living alone here in my
tiny villa"
This letter was dated October. The
next was written in November from the
same address.
mo, my dear John, your fears are un-
founded; have not been i'll. l wish /
had been-sick unto death. 1 have been
too wretched to write-that is all. You
ask me what 1 mean to do with my life
when my dark days are over l mean to
try to forget the past, if l can. Your
suggestion of future home in some quiet
village is kindly meant, l know, but l
shudder at the idea of such life. To
pass as a widow-to have to answer awk-
ward questions from doctor or clergyman
would remind me of my degradation
no! I should i've like a galley slave,
who drags his chain at every step"
A light began to dawn on Mildred. That
suggestion of a secluded life could mean
only one thing. The girl who wrote that
letter was about to become a mother.
White as marble and with hands that
trembed convulsively as they held the
letter, Mildred Greswold read on, hur-
riedly, eagerly, breathlessly, to the last
line of the last letter. The third letter
from Evian was dated in January:
~ have been very i'll, but | am now
able to go out of doors. The child thrives
wonderfully, am told but there is to be
a change of nurses, as there must be
fer this woman here must lose sight of
her charge and of me when l leave this
place-the change can not be made too
soon.
eff Boulogne is really the best place
you can think of, your plan would be to
meet me- with the nurse, at Dion, where
we can take the rail.
mo, my dear John. there is no relent-
Ing, no awakening of maternal love.
am prepared to make any sacrifice that
can secure the happiness of the child.
will gladly devote half my fortune to her
maintenance and her future establishment
in life, if she should grow up and marry.
My prayer is that from the hour see the
child transferred TO the new nurse at
Dion. | shall never look upon its face
again. The nurse can 90 back 70 her
home as fast as the train will carry her.
and can so back TO London with you"
The next letter was written seven years
later, and addressed from Kensington
Gore:
II am touched even by your kind in
terest in that unfortunate waif. ! have
no doubt you have done wisely in plac-
ing her with the good old lady at Barnes,
and that she is very happy running about
the common. 1 am glad TO know where
she is. so that l may never drive that
way, if can possibly help it. Your old
lady must be rather foolish woman, l
should think, TO change Fanny into Fay,
on the strength of the child's airish move
ments and elm appearance; but, as long
rs this person knows nothing of her
charges history, her stiffness cannot mat
ter
A letter of later date was addressed
from Lewes Crescent:
u am Mortified re what you have done.
Oh, John. how oculd you be so reckless.
SO forgetful of NY reiterated entreaties
10 keep that girls existence wide apart
from mine or yours? And You have ac-