Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-09-28
CHAPTER Ix.-fContinued.l

CHAPTER IX.-lContlnued.)
Lady Garland arrived post haste at
The Cottage to the help of her orphan
niece. And there were terrible things
In the W. of black garments and
dressmakerfs and milliners with Grape
smothered gowns and bonnets, that 1t
was necessary for Irene to face-there
were orders to give, and people to see
whom she could not avoid seeing;
when all the poor girl wanted Was to
be left alone with her sorrow; but
that YVES impossible. No sooner are
our hearts torn in twain-than, MAIN
ed and bleeding as we are, we have to
be up and doing-to take up the bur-
den of our life again, and stagger on
as best we may, under it's weight
I'VE will go right away as soon as IT
is all over DEAR" her aunt said to her.
"Of course you cannot live here any
longer-fortunately your poor dea1
mother was only a yearly tenant, SO
that the house can be given up at
Christmas with no trouble"
MAY / not stay on here till then"
pleaded poor Irene feebly-for she only
desired to remain near her mothers
grave. But Lady Garland would not
listen to her.
siy dear child, it would be the
death of you. Certainly you must not
do anything Of Tie kind We viii go
right away to the sunny South and
cheat the winter. What you want is
thorough change air and scene. and
complete RI st.
Irene wanted nothing, only to be let
alone. But she acquiesced meekly.
Had she not promised her mother In
her last moments, that she would &C
to her aunt and make her home with
her? and if Lady Garland decreed to
take her abroad, there was nothing
else left for her but to go, too.
The funeral was over, the last night
at The Cottage came. Everything was
packed up ready for the departure.
The furniture was to be sold by auc-
ton the next day, all but few treas
ured objects that Irene had pleaded to
keep, and that had already been sent
away to be stored in her aunts Lon
don house. Worn out with fatigue and
sorrow. Irene at last crept YEARLY to
bed, that bed which she occupied to-
night for the last time.
She did not suppose that she should
sleep at all, but oddly enough, no soon
er was she in bed than she sank into
a deep and exhausted slumber. And
whilst she slept. she dreamt a strange
ly vivid dream. She dreamt that she
saw Rupert Carroll, not clearly, but
dimly, as one sees a person in fog.
At first she could not distinguish his
figure at all, only the faint outline of
his face and the dark eyes that looked
at her fixedly and yearningly; then,
whilst she still continued to gaze at
him spell bound. the mists that sur
rounded him gradually cleared away,
and she saw him quite plainly, stand
ing in her room between the bed and
the window. She started up in bed
with piercing cry
Rupert" she cried aloud, Rupert,
come back come backl"
Then she heard his voice in answer,
and surely. yes, surely she was no
longer asleep, for the voice seemed to
have a living and tangible sound.
Irene! oh. wait for mel" he cried
Then indeed she knew that she was
awake, for she sprang out of her bed
upon the bare boards of the carpetless
floor, but as Der feet touched tne
ground the vision vanished, and she
saw nothing, only the pale beams of a
misty moonlight shining family
through the uncurtained window across
the already dismantled room.