Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-09-14
CHAPTER VII.
I told YOU SOL"

It is quite certain that however dis
agreeable it may be to listen to these
words when addressed to oneself, they
must afford much pleasure and graft
fication to those who utter them, else
why should they be so frequently
spoken?
Lady Garland for instance, undoubt-
eddy enjoyed writing them extremely;
nothing II. fact had ever afforded her
greater satisfaction In her life than
when she headed her answer to her
sister-in laws letter with the familiar
sentence.
There was very little comfort to be
derived out of this. Mrs. Garland shut
up the letter, and returned 1t to her
pocket with a sigh. In her despair
and helplessness she had written to
her sister-in- law-the only near rela-
ton she had-and had implored her to
help her to discover the whereabouts
of this man who had been so much
with Irene all the summer, and who
had so suddenly vanished into thin
mir.
The mothers heart had grown I'M
easy and anxious, even before the ca
tastrophe. which had brought her
daughters unconscious form home to
her with Carrolrs telegram to Maxim
still cIutched tightly in her hand.
Irene soon came to her senses under
her mothers ministrations; but she re-
vived not to health but to illness. BY
the evening she was worse instead of
better; her temperature rose alarm
ingly, and she was in burning fever.
II
doctor.
For three days she was really i'll
refusing all food, unable TO sleep. and
tossing about on her bed in the rest
lessness oC high fever. During all
these DAYS not a word was spoken by
her that might lead Mrs. Garland to
connect her Illness with Rupert Car
roll In all her meanings and murmur-
ings his narne never passed her lips.
And yet with an unerring instinct,
Mrs. Garland knew that her child's
sickness and trouble were on his &C
count
II only she could find out this mans
address, and write to him-just a
friendly letter-with nothing compro-
missing, of course. to Irene in II. but
something that should let him know
that the girl was i'll. and that they
would both be so glad to see him
again at The Cottage il ne would come
down and stay for a few days before
the boating season was quite over.
She composed the letter over and over
again in her mind-she could put It so
simply, so naturally, that Carroll
would never guess from 1t that Irene
had been i'll for love of him, And oh,
how delightful it would be IL only she
could greet her child's return to con-
valescence with the good news that
she had heard from the young man
and that he was coming to see them
But the initial difficulty about this
plan. was that she had not the faintest
idea where TO write to him, Then she
bethought her that Lady Garland had
an enormous acquaintance. and that
surely in that great world of London
where she lived. she must be able to
find out. from some source or another.
where Carroll was to be heard of. She
remembered. too that Lady Garland
was actually in town for few days
this very week. on her way from one
visit in the south 10 another in the
north. and she wrote to her and
begged her to help her. But Lady Gar
land. as has been seen. only wrote back
81 told you So" and advised ller sis
ter-in-Iaw TO put Rupert Carroll out
OF her mind altogether,
"Ah. that is easier said than done."
thought the mother, signing. as she
looked at Irene's pale cheeks and hol-
low eyes and sad face.
That day Irene came downstairs for
the first time, and lay on the sofa in
the drawing room.
I'VE will so away for little change
OF air. my darling: don't YOU think that
will do you good2'' said her mother TO
her.
NO. mamma. Don't ask me to go
away. pleasNe. Mamma. want to tell
you something
Yes. darlinggT Mrs. Garland's heart
beat violently: she guessed so much OF
what was coming.
Il am a very unfortunate girl, man.
ma. l have q secret which I long to
tell yon--and yet IL is not all my own
secret. so that lido not know whether
/ ought TO tell you or no.
irene. my child. think | can guess
something-t is about Rupert Car
roll?.
Yes. Il is about Ruper. Carroll
There was no glad blush OF happy love
on the girls face as she spoke her low
er's name. She remained oase an1
grave rs before. and her head leu
back a little against the sofa ooshaoNs
Irene darling" cried her mothei
do no. think about him any more