Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-10-26
CHAPTER XVII

Ever since October Rupert Carroll
and Agatha his wife had been livine
together in Chester Square. There was
third inmate in the house in the per-
son of Miss Louise Carroll, who, hav
ing let Harrington Lodge furnished for
a year to a most desirable tenant.
brought her granddaughter up to Lon
don. and took up her abode as we'll in
the house which she had engaged for
her brother.
For long time after their wedding
day Rupert and Agatha never even
saw one another Agatha did not die.
as perhaps she would have liked to do
but she recovered very slowly from her
serious Illness. and when she was bet
ter she was ordered change of air. and
Miss Carroll took her for three months
to Bournemouth. Then when her
strength came back to her, there arose
the question of what was to be done
about her future. Agatha protested
that nothing would induce her to live
with a man who had publicly stated
on her wedding day that he had only
married her under a hallucination. and
she declared that If he did not love
her, but someone else, she would be
no wife to him; whilst Rupert, though
humbly anxious to do all in his power
to promote her welfare, was clearly
in no way DESTROYS of any closer con-
nection with the unhappy girl, whom:
he liked and respected. but whom he
could never love- In fact. to live apart
was the wish of both.
But Louise had strong ideas of duty
and she would not hear of such a plan.
She contended that Rupert and Agath2
were as much bound by their maria &c
vows as any other husband and wife.
and that If only to silence the voice of
scandal. 1t was incumbent on them to
live together and to make the best of a
bad business at any rate in the eyes of
the world.
1t was more than six months after
their marriage that the first interview
took place between them in Miss Car
rolls presence. She brought Agatha
up herself to Rupert's bachelor rooms
In town. and the two met with much
reluctance on both sides.
Il wish to give you your liberty, Ru-
pert" said poor Agatha, not daring to
lift her sad eyes 70 her husbands. and
to leave you perfectly free: but 1t
seems that it would not be right for
me to do so. have only come to tell
you that 1 will do exactly what you
and your sister WISH
He took her hand kindly. She was
frightfully altered-she had grown
very thin and pale. and the good looks
which love and happiness had con-
jured up for a short time in her had
all faded away again. Rupert pitied
her from his heart.
There is nothing l will not do to
make you happy Aggie,' he said. you
shall have everything I can give YOU
every penny of my money" %
Il do not want Your money, Rupert, :"
she said quietly. Il want your affec-
ton"
He was silent: he bit his lip and
looked down on the ground. in painful
distress OF mind for he could not an
swer her as she would have liked him
to answer
Now this is all nonsense. my dear
children" here broke in Miss Carroll.
briskly I'VE are not going TO discuss
matters OF sentiment. but matters OF
fact You have both known and liked
each other all your lives, and you must
both manage TO make the best of one
another for the future. Rupert. You
must take a house in London for Ag-
gle and you. Aggie. must go and live
under your husbands roof, like a good
girl"
"Auntie.' she hsid. hesitatingly. III
you would only come and live with
u.s."
What capital ideal" cried Rupert
with animation Yes, Louie. come
and help us patch up our life together
and then we win both do as you wish
and endeavor 10 make each other as
happy as we know how"
And so it was eventually settled
And in due course or time this queer
and uncomfortable trio took up Their
abode In the very furnished house thai
Miss CAROLS fancy had been original.
ly set upon.
Little by LITTLE they fell into the lit,
that a great many married people lead
that is 10 say. there was no display
Of love and devotion-but they wer'
very good friends. They did not quar-
rel. and they did not hate one anothe
that is always something. In thes'
DAYS Of ill-assorted couples. Ruper
was kind and scropulously polite L
AEKie. and Aggie was submissive am
always obedient to Rupert.
When first Rupert had recovered M
memory he had used every means y
his power to discover what had De
come OF Irene. He had gone down I
Chatswell repeatedly. and had mao
inquiries about her, He soon learnt
course. that Mrs. Garland had dieo :
the November OF that fatal autumn
and that her daughter had gone ava