Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-08-31
CHAPTER II1.-(Continued.)

Then he conSoled himself by reflect
ing that he could certainly be back
again by midday on Monday, and
that, after all, it was but a small sac
rifce to make of his own joys to her
who had devoted her life to him.
Again he thought about Lady Garland,
and what a nuisance she would be at
such a juncture in the limited space
of the little cottage. by Monday the
woman will be gonei" he thought, and
it will be ever so much easier to get
Mrs. Garland's consent to our engage
ment when that appalling sister-in-law
of hers has taken her departure! Yes,
it really would be wiser to put off ex
plantations and revelations until Mon
day." was his final reflection on the
situation; and then he sent for time
table, and looked out his train. There
was a good one in half hours time.
He packed small bag of necessaries,
sent off telegram to his sister to
announce his arrival, and sat down to
the writing table in the bow window.
MY darling" he scrawled hastily,
please don't be very disappointed and
unhappy, but l am unfortunately
obliged to go away till Monday; my
sister has sent for me on an import
ant family affair, and l cannot possibly
refuse to go to her. / must be off, my
dearest; please don't be sad, for 1 shall
very soon come back to you. And,
darling, will you keep our little secret
as you promised me, until we meet
again? 1 don't want you to tell your
mother one word about it till / return.
Yours. Rupert Carroll
When he had finished writing, he
rang the bell, and the comfortably fat
landlady of the George" answered his
summons.
"Can your boy take this note at once
up to Mrs. Garland's cottage for me,
Mrs. Maxim" he asked.
Certainly, sir, Tommy shall take it
at once"
The fly was already at the door, and
his bag was inside it. The way to the
station did not lie past Mrs. Garland's
cottage, so that Carroll had no oppor-
tunity even of looking at the outside
of the casket which contained his
treasure; but he saw the boy Tommy
under his cotton umbrella. hurrying
away along the lane with his note to
Irene in his hand.
The train came up. and he jumped
into 1t, and soon was borne away from
the remote and tranquil village on the
Thames. where he had been so happy.
His last glimpse of the scenes of the
romance of his life was not cheering
one. The valley was swathed in rain
mists, and the driving wind drove the
dark clouds roughly over the lowering
sky.
Just as the train turned a sharp
curve out of sight of the village and
the river, Irene was opening her first
love-letter, in the seclusion of her own
little bedroom, where she had flown
to read it when it was put into her
hand
She was disappointed, of course,
dreadfully disappointed. At the first
shock of the words that told her. that
he had gone away. the pretty color fled
from her cheeks, and her beating heart
sank down coldly and numbly within
her. But Irene was. as her lover be-
lieved her to be, a thoroughly sensible
girl After the first few moments she
began to recover her equanimity
"Of course he was right to CO." she
said aloud to herself. as she kissed the
letter and put it safely into her pocket
1T is tiresome of course that it should
happen to-day, of all days, but he
could not help his sister sending for
him"
Meanwhile she was not in the least
unhappy. She had last nights won
derful joy, that sweet and sacred Sc
cret. shared only with him she loved
think ahnnt. 10 4
soor come-very soon But it rained
the whole livelong day, and not only
that day, but on the Sunday, too The
hours wore away very slowly and
drearily.
Il why Mr. Carroll has never been
near us for two whole days. said Mrs.
Garland when tea time on Sunday
came. and nothing had been seen of
the young man.
Then Irene blushed as she answered
with some confusion
Mr.. Carroll is away. mamma, he
will not be back till Tomorrow"
"Oh, indeed, Well. l must say one
misses him dreadfully, he is so bright
and CHEEKY; he would have amused us
these two wet days"
Lady Garland was looking hard at
her niece. The blush the confused
manner. the little hesitation over the
young mans name. were not lost upon
her
There is mischief done already. | do
believed" she said to herself What a
fooi poor Gertrude is, not to see the
danger of such an intimacy" Then
aloud she remarked with comfortable
cheerfulness, as she helped herself to
some more bread and butter:
He has gone for good. have no
doubt: that is what these casual young
men do. They are here to-day, and
they vanish tomorrow! You will see.
my dear" nodding across the table
lightly at her sister law, mark my
words. YOU have seen the last OF Mr..
Rupert Carroll; he viii never come
back again"
oh, why did her aunt's cruel words
ring like the knell of Death in Irene's
ears? She shivered. and turned sick
and cold as she heard them.