Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-08-31


a gift such as a nobleman of your po-
sition, my lord. may fifty present to his
affianced lady"
Lord Netheryilie lapsed into silence,
turning the jewels over thoughtfully
II his hands. He leant halfway across
the counter. his head forward, his
broad back bent. He was as startling
ly like his cousin, Rupert Carroll, as
though he had been his twin brother.
He was of the same height and build,
he had the same dark, clustering, cur
ly hair, the same brown eyes and reg
ular features, and even the auburn
moustache was of the same size and
fashion. 1t was perhaps the likeness
of their twin mothers that had thus
transmitted itself to their sons, the
two sisters, who had married two
brothers.
Yet there was something a little diff
ferent when you came to know them
both well in the faces of these two
cousins. The Difference lay, not in fea-
ture, but in expression. Rupert Car
rolls face was bright and open. his
eyes looked you full in the face, with
a generous candor, his lips smiled
frankly and warmly. But Lord Meth
ervilie's eyes were shifty, and his smile
was cold and cynical. There was some
thing of calculation in his face, of
which there was no trace in Rupert's.
Netherville always had second
thoughts in his mind. Thus, though in
the present instance he wished to give
a very handsome gift to the lady to
whom he was just engaged, the wish
was prompted quite as much by policy
as by affection. He wanted not only
to please his lady love, but also to
impress his elderly maiden cousin
with his generosity, so that she, on
her part, might see the expediency of
making a handsome settlement on her
penniless adopted daughter. For al
though he was in love with Agatha
Dale, he would very much rather that
she had had some small fortune of her
own.
81 think I will have them BOTH" he
said decisively at last. But you must
give me a good long tick, McGillup."
"Oh. of course, my lord, of course.
it doesn't signify to me when you
pay"
Il am going down to Kent this af-
ternoon by the Sis train from Vic
toria Station. They must be at my
place in good time, say before 4. l
think it safer to carry them Just as
they are in their case. in my coat
pocket"
Now to this conversation Billy Wat
son had been listening with all his
ears. He sat in an angle of the wall
behind the counter, with a leather in
one hand, and a silver butter dish in
the other. He was supposed to be poll
ishing it up.
He was IA or whereabouts, but
though small and slight in figure, his
face was preternaturally old and
sharp. He had a shock of unkempt
black hair falling roughly about his
face, from beneath the shadow of
which two black bead like eyes gleam-
ed piercingly out of his pale. thin face
Just as the transaction was completed,
Mr. McGillup turned round and per-
ceived him.
What are you doing there, Wat
SOM" he asked, sharply.
"A-polishing of the siller, sir" re-
piled Billy demurely, falling to hard
on his butter-d i=h WI the channels
leather.
who told you to 6. in the front
shop? You've no business here at all
go back at once
Billy obeyed meekly, he took himself
and his chamois leather and his but
ter-dish promptly away, into the back
premises. Presently Lord NetherviIle
nodded a careless farewell to the jew
eler and walked out of his shop.
Now all this took place on Saturday
morning-that same wet Saturday
morning on which Rupert Carroll at
the George Inn" at Chatswell-o
Thames, had received the letter from
his sister summoning him to Kent,
and just at the moment when Lord
Netherville was walking out of Mr..
McGiliups shop, Rupert Carroll. his
cousin, was getting into the train
which was to bring him up to London.
1t was a wet morning in London, too
wet and muddy, and odiously un-
pleasant, as wet weather in London is
wont to be. Very few customers came
into the shop after Lord Netherville
went away.
The morning hours dragged away
slowly enough, and the smart young
men behind Mr.. McGillups counter
looked ruefully and gloomily out of
windows at the down pouring rain. 1t
was early closing day, but what was
the use of a half-holiday with such
weather as this?
May go, Mr.. Grimes?" asked Billy
Watson. as o'clock struck Its Ar
thurs turn TO put up the shutters"
Yes. yes-run away. Bill, and mind
you come punctual Monday morning"
said Mr. Grimes. looking up from the
desk where he was finishing up the
weeks accounts,
Billy threw one anxious look up at
the clock. and sped away like an ar
row from the bow into the wet and
murky street. He ran hard-as hard
as he could scamper in a northeasterly
direction till he left all the fashionable
streets and squares far behind. and
reached region of dirty. narrow
slurns. where the houses were mean
and squalid, and the population ragged
and rough. Here the streets were tor
tuous and intricate; costermongers'
carts filled the roadways, and itinerant
vendors OF ali hlllOS OF SOOuS. from
second hand clothes to old tin kettles.
hawked their wares along the streets,
with shrill and unineelligihle cries.
Billy Watson seemed TO know his way
perfectly well through these dark and
noisome streets. He passed quickly
amongst the crowd. with a nod here
and there 10 an acquaintance. or a
laugh in reply to some jest that occa-
sionally greeted him on his way.
Bat he would not stop. The boy was
in a hurry. and he had not yet reach
ed his destination. AT length he turn
ed into an alley that was. if possible.
narrower and dirtier and more squaiid
than eny other he had as yet passed
through.
Halfway down this alley stood a
low, dingy pahnc-house. against the
doorway Of which leant a man OF the
most forhidding aspect When he
caught sixht OF Billy Watson runnin
up GREATNESS and despatched with
mud. he gave a short whistle into the
darkness Of the smoke begrimed pas