Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-06-15
CHAPTER YI-(Continned !

my plans, and il he could help me in
any way. He asked me to come and stay
with his wife, and to give him my Paris
address"
Il hope you reminded him of the man
Ia Chicago who made a large fortune by
minding his own business"
Mathilde was too intent on her own
line of though. 20 smile.
Il did nothing of the sort thanked
him sincerely for what l am sure was
pure kindness"
And you gave him the address ?"
Stewards voice had in it an echo of
carefully restrained wrath.
No, | gave him the address of pen
sion where have stayed, but where they
know nothing of my movements now"
Stewart laughed "a mudh more fem
mime method of saying the same thing"
We'll, will you have the kindness,
then, 70 tell me what else you expected
me to do? she retorted, with warmth.
Our little alteration really sounds
quite matrimonial" he commended then
i think you acted with the tact and
discretion which l should have expected"
he went on soothingly. but now, what
comes rext?" for he was quick to see that
she had not yet approached the main is
sue
Next is a new aspect of affairs which
has just dawned upon me, and which, If
you cannot prove my view to be incor-
rect will cause me to give up the whole
thing at once. / was a fool not to see ii
before" She was speaking in low, In
tense tone, and unconsciously quickened
her steps az she went on. DO you re-
member my saying the other day that
Captain Kerr had told me that you were
married man. Well, If he is under that
impression, other people out there must
be so as well. That was what the mis-
sionary told your home people. 1t is
hardly to be supposed that we can always
successfully avoid everyone who has ever
been there. Well then, when they meet
me, what do they think me?'
Mr.. Stewart remained unmoved under
this flow of words.
Il am sorry that | failed the other day
In making you understand matters more
clearly" he said, gravely. Your first
premises are altogether wrong. Nobody
in my own neighborhood dreams that l
was ever married. They all knew her.
since hearing Mathilde Thornes name he
had never spoken of the 'habitant" wom-
an by that name-"to be the wife of An
tome, the lumberman. By some strange
chance the missionary picked up a diff
ferent story, but he could not have gone
away with that impression if he had beef
anything save a wanderer. here to-day
and gone tomorrow. He certainly never
was at my house, or saw either of us "
THAT does not account for Captain
Kerr" she interrupted but, with a
checking movement of his hand, he went
on
Il think that if you search your mem
DRY, you will probably find that this wa
what happened: Kerr, who, however,
was never but once in my part of the
country, most probably knew the whole
story, but in taking with you most prob
ably let out something about my home
life which he could explain in no other
hypothesis than that of my being mar
ried man. There are few men who would
give another away by letting out the
truth, so he did what nine men in ten
would have done, cast the veil of respect
ability over my domestic arrangements
Don't you think that it came about in
something of that fashion,
Mathilde pondered a moment, as they
trnmped steadily along, the mist driving
In their faces
Eyes, rather fancy that it did happen
In some such fashion," she agreed
thoughtfully. Il remember that he was
talking of the isolation of households.
and instanced the graves that are seen
near some of the homesteads as an en-
bodiment of all the solitude of the land.
When l rode up to Stewards door at
Prairie Dell, the white cross over his
child's grave on the hill gave Iue a chill
at the heart, for fear such cross should
mark my DOOR he said: and then /
asked him if you were married"
And he answered rather dryly that |
was?"
Exactly So"
There. you see. guessed rightly"
Perhaps so, but l should feel much
happier If l were certain about it,"
Stewart medtated bit before he said
"Very well. then; | will settle it with
him before we leave the ship"
Not in connection with me-, she said,
with quick alarm.
'Yonr name shall not be mentioned in
the matter" he promised. then went on
more gravely: II really think il would be
better for both if YOU could bring your
self to see that it is as much against my
Interest as yours, for amy slur to come
upon your name in the matter"
How am | to tell" she broke out wild
Iy, what are your real interests or
plans in the affair"
They had instinctively paused, and
stood facing each other.
IF that is how you really feel" he
said, lit would indeed be better to give
up the whole idea" Then, with a sud
den change TO his gentler manner, he
added Don't be so hard on me: I'm sure
that after all you trust me little more
than you say. Come, shake hands on it.
won't youg" And, rather to her own sur
prise. Mathilde found herself placing her
hand, or rather her fur mitt, in his.
The next morning Stewart seized
passing chance TO tell her that he had
Ascertained that Captain Kerr knew him
to be an unmarried man. but no leading
remark of Mathilde's had power to bring
force any details of the interview, save
that there had no mention of her name
In the matter.
To her sensitive watchfulness it seem
ed as though, at lunch. Captain Kerr's
manner had lost some of its friendlineSs
but il was the last day of the voyage.
and the routine of the friendly. leisurely
seq life was over, so that she had no OPP
portunity TO make sure of the fact. In
the morning there was the excitement of
the half-hour's tSrrying in Neville har-
Dor to land the mails
The afternoon was occupied with the
business OF pse! ing. paying wine bills.
and all such small endings to the voyage,
for the captain expected 10 catch the mids
night tide ar the Liverpool bar, and 10
land his passengers at daybreak.
The Liverpool docks are never q very
cheerful place. and they certainly were
not at their best in the late December
dawn. in that chill drizzle with which
Liverpool generally greets the wanderer.
Stewart had spoken his last confden-
in! word TO Mathilde: ITS better for
-. II .,-n, NJ. h. .ho r,ars