Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-05-18
cpApTER I-fcoptInued., .


fall of the railing against the purple hori-
xon line, apparently feeling herself quite
free from any necessity for conversation
al effort
1t was only after some minutes silence
that Mr. Stewart spoke abruptly, Il won
der if you would consider me very i'm
pertinent if l were to tell you that have
been pumping the captain about you?
about meF'
about your circumstances your his
tory"
She turned her gaze now to meet his
hxed scrutiny, but her voice as she an
swered was but little changed from its
usual calm indifference
'Ch, l suppose that is the usual way
with people at sea. There is so little else
than out neighbors to talk about, you
know
"THen / am to stand convicted of idle
curiosity And there was an echo of
disappointment in his voice
''Oh, no, we win call it by the more
polite name of kindly. interest, if you
choose she scoffed. land may l ask
1t you found anything amusing or in
structive in the facts which you eliciteaf'
L.
and was ready for her
We'll, perhaps amusing is hardly the
word"
Thrilling, then? Surely you consider
1t thrilling, the story of the virtuous or
phan reared in the lap of luxury, but left
to look out for herself in the world, with
a sufficient, or rather insufficient in
come TO keep her in a state of genteel
starvation, and bravely setting out to de-
vote herself to art, and to scale the lad
der of fame-that is what you heard
isn't it?''
well, something like that" he admit
ted
You did not hear, / suppose" shf
went on, with a concentrated bitterness
In her voice, that that same heroine had
no illusions left as to that same art life
that she was going to; that she knew
the limitations of her poor little skill
and looked to nothing but ill-rewarded
drudgery that she was well aware what
art life in Paris meant to gently bred
Epslishwomen that she loathed its shah
by 8ohemianism, it's isolation from all
that she had ever been or cared for.
That, | suppose, you did not hear?''
No" he answered, thoughtfully mo,
but perhaps | guessed some of it,"
i wonder what else your inquiries
brought out?" And in her words he could
feel the restrained eagerness.
For al his studies impassiveness, her
quick eyes read the answer in his averted
gaze.
l see. You heard how the man whom
/ was on the point of marrying, backed
out when he found ! was not the wealthy
heiress of his imagination
Yes, l heard that" Stewart slowly
admitted. She laughed with that hard
little laugh which he had ALREADY heard
that day.
well, then, | think we may consider
that you are now in possession of the
main fact of my history. That being
decided, you will perhaps tell me why you
have SO carefully led me into giving a
sketch of myself. Or, perhaps you mere
ly wished to impart a Christmas tale al
mosphere, suitable TO the occasion. PEG
pie in Christmas tales invariably con-
6de their past sorrows to the first person
they meet, don't they?'
Mr.. Stewart stood these taunts with
tmperturhability.
y must confess that the Christmas
tale theory did not occur to me-" he said,
but perhaps you will allow me to go on
with nay line of argument, and you shall
see what | am driving at, presently"
He paused, and his listener murmured
q polite Certainly while puzzled GU
riosity began TO dawn in her eyes.
1T is acknowledged, then, that I, by
forgiven methods, am acquainted with the
main fact of your recent history. Now.
may l put another personal question, and
ask if you have, through the gossip of
the ship, learnt anything of miner" He
put this question with the most matter
of-fact gravity, but Miss Thorne stared
and laughed, and even flushed little be-
fore she answered.
Really, | do think that your system
of polite conversation is, 90 say the least
of il, peculiar"
There is method in my madness. Have
patience with me. Won't you answer my
question:"
Il certainly cannot plead guilty to
having put the captain through his PAGES
about You: but IL it is any satisfaction
TO you to SNOW, Captain Kerr did make
you the subject of discourse one after
noon"
ITO which you scarcely condescended to
listen, l suppose. No matter. You must
have gathered the main fact, that | am
the latest edition of the Prodigal Son,
going back to my feast of veal Pah! i
always loathed veal =
There was silence, while he scowled
out at the ever changing curve of the
or,I Oh. Oh
with new touch of interest.
With a start he reused himself. "You
heard that, of course?" he asked.
Il heard that, in consequence of your
eldest brothers death, you are going back
10 take your place as heir TO your faith
er's estates and baropetcy."
Perfectly correct. But perhaps you did
not hear that am going back to a homs
from which, ten years ago, / was relent-
lessly driven out. There was no pity for
the young fellow OF 25 who had come
cropper on the turf. He might not even
exchange into a line regiment and have
another chance In life. No. he must go
forth into those outer regions where
there Is weeping and -wailing and gnash-
ing of teeth among such as he and worse
-Matabelelsnd jungles, Klondike mines
what matter where they so or what
they Go, so long as they never trouble
again the virtuous ones at home.
so | went; and when, the other day,
their messenger reached me, Il was TO
find me in possession of one of the tidiest
ranches on the Saskatchewan. How l
worked heavens, how aid work before
the opening up Of the country brought
ma r&rnsperifvs Hs larked down ra1aN-
lively st the lean. brown hands that had
stood him In such good stead.
But IL is hardly fair. in my innings,
20 burden you with such detail l only
wished you 10 understand the hnmor in
which / am doing this homecoming. Ny
mother, God bless her. was dead long be-
fore my snsash-up. 1t was my brothers
wife, firmly believe. who made my faith
er 50 pstiless towards me. With what
rcd of iron she ruled those two men II
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