Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-12-07
CHAPTER ky.

that afternoon in Mr.. Taunton's phae-
ton. During snat drive she was absent
and preoccupied; Joe had once or twice
to ask the same question several times
before she heard him, and her Tar-
away eyes saw no one in the crowd OF
faces that she passed along the streets.
She had certainly never noticed poor
Algy Dessinger-who imagined himself
to be Intentionally sighted. and who
went his way to say hard words about
her to his friends at the club
Are you feeling I'll. Irene?" inquired
Joe Taunton, looking down anxlously
at her. after they had driven to her
home
Il have a headache" she answered,
evasively
THAT day at Chatswell yesterday
was too much for you. Your aunt
shouldn't have allowed you to go.
What is the use of your tagging your
self over a parcel of ragged children!
Il like going there" she replied,
family. But she knew that Mr. Taun-
ton was right and that it was the day
at Chatswell that had upset her.
1t seemed to her now to be certain
that she had been the victim OF cir
tally; and at least one-half of the
hard things she had laid to Rupert
CARROTS account had no truth in them
He had been prevented by ruffianly
and brutal assault from returning to
her at Chatswell; and this assault had
apparently been made upon him in err
ror, and because he was curiousiy IKE
some other man. 1t had now become re-
was this other mysterious person whom
she must have mistaken on several oc-
casions for him. He 1t must have been
whom her aunt had seen and spoken
to, long ago, and who had denied all
knowledge of herself and her mother
He again was the man she had seen at
Monte Carlo; then at Lady Ciothiida
ball; and lastly at the picture gallery!
Who was he this double of Rupert
Carrolls, who resembled him In such
an extraordinary manner?
She said to herself. with mingled
feelings of self -reproach and of joy:
How could / suppose that Rupert
would cut me? How would 1t have
been possible for him to do that? What
a fool l must have been not to know
that he was incapable of such base
ness!"
Yet still there remained the fact of
his marriage That, she could neither
understand nor get over.
Why had he married? Why, when
he got well enough, did he not write
to her at once and tell her what had
happened to him, and explain his ST.
ience? She thought and thought about
it till her brain went round, and there
was no untruth in the statement she
made to Joseph Taunton. that she had
headache.
Come" he said to her, seeking to
cheer her up, ''let US go to old McGil-
lup's and get you a new bracelet.
saw q beauty there yesterday"
you are very kind. joe but | don't
want anything
Then after a moments pause she
said suddenly:
"Joe. if weren't to marry you after
all, would you care very much?"
Mr.. Taunton started so violently that
he pulled his handsome bays back al
most on to their launches.
Irene! What an awful thing to
say!" he cried. his ruddy face paling
into a pasty yellow. You can't mean
it, Irenel You can't mean it," he re-
peated with such face of horror and
dismay that she laughed again. But
her laugh died away into an uneasy
sigh, and she did not say that She did
not mean It
Suddenly he turned round to her and
said
- know that you are million times
too good for me. Irene! 1 know 1t
quite we'll: you are such a beauty. and
such a little lady. too. and l am only
common sort of chap, with nothing
on earth but my money to recommend
me-"
1t was an unanswerable truth, and
Irene could only bend her hear and
murmur:
"Oh. Joel"
Yes, that is ALL" he continued: "and
used to think lot OF my money once.
and that 1 could buy anything with 1t
anything including wife. my dear
and when saw you said TO myself
that you were the wife for my money,
and that l would buy you. But I've
found out lately that there is just one
thing all the money in the world can't
buy. no. nor yet the diamonds. nor the
horses and the carriages either. and
that is a girls heart"
Zoe" she said below her breath, do
you-do YOU wish to be rid OF me?"
rid of you. my dear? No. no, not
that You know | worship the very
shadow of YOU. but that is just wig
somehow don't want TO tie you down
If it's not TO make you happy. don't
want to be one of your fashiona BILE
husbands. whose wife is surrounded by
along with any one OF them than Nth
hers own husband. / want my wife to
be my very own, and to like me better
than all the rest-but I'm pretty sure
you couldn't do that, no, not IL l were
10 buy up all the diamonds and all the
fnery in London to give you."
Then Irene lifted her beautiful grey
eyes. and looked at him gravely and
fixedly.
Joe" she said little TREMENDOUSLY.
II have never liked YOU SO well in all
my life as l like you at this moment.
did not know II was In you to be so
good and so generous. l feel myself
TO be mean and hateful because have
taken so much from you, and can
give YOU back so little. Rut. anyhow.
/ won't deceive you. like you and
honor you--but L don't love you. Joe,
and what is more. l never SHALL be-
cause l love someone else"
He turned away from her to hide the
distress that her words caused him.
You shall be my judge. joe" she
continued. laying her hand softly and
caressingly ON his coat-sleeve: IT is
YOU who shall decide for me. This man
II knew him a long time ago. and we
were engaged. then We were parted,
an accident--that seems hike the work
OF maievoleIIt fiend. SO strange and so
mysterious was it-divided US as COM
pleteiy as death Itself could have done.
Until yesterday l did not know the
truth. 1 believed him to be false and
base and cruel. and ! strove with all
my might and main TO hate and to for
get him"