Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-10-12
CHAPTER XIII.

the 10th of January. The weeks of her
short engagement had sped with light
ming rapidity, and now 1t only wanted
two days more to complete her happi
ness. She had lived in d fools para
disc ever since the day that Rupert
had asked her to marry him. After
the faithful love of years, she had won
him at last.-she had gained her re-
ward for the patient devotion with
which half her lifetime her heart hal
worshipped him in silence. She was
= exuberantly happy.
Louise Carroll was secretly uneasy
She had at first been overjoyed with
the news of their engagement, for was
it not her own pet scheme for their
happiness planned and conceived long
ago. and only laid aside with regret at
a time when it had no longer seemed
practicable? But as the days went on,
she saw that although Agatha was per-
fectly satisfied, and in fact almost too
radiantly happy--her brother was by
no means so filled with JOY and con-
tent as might have been expected OF
him. Louise watched him narrowly,
and with an ever increasing anxiety.
The 10th of January fell on a Tues
day, and on the previous Saturday
Carroll came down to stay at The
Lodge till over Sunday--on the Mon
day night it was arranged that he was
to sleep at the clergyman's house in
the village in order TO conform 10 an
ancient superstition that a bridegroom
and his bride shall not stay under the
same roof on the eve of their wedding.
When Rupert arrived by an after
noon train he was moody and abstract
ed-he kissed Agatha carelessly and
flung himself down upon the sofa with
& gesture almost of misery, complain
ing that he was tired, that his head
ached. Louise turned to him and said
seriously;
My dearest Rupert. surely there is
something wrong with you? You look
well almost unhappy! Has any
thing happened?"
Nothing nothing. that is the worst
of it," he replied. despondingly.
cannot put name to it-but it weighs
upon me like lead-it is an intangible
something, black shadow that seems
to envelop me-yet the only distinct
thing l can put my finger upon is that
my head aches as if it would split-all
this week 1t has ached more or less
but now 1t seems to increase every
hour; the pain is simply awful"
MY poor dear boy. You ought to
go and lie down in a darkened room
of course such a headache as that is
enough to account for all your other
sensations No doubt the excitement
of your wedding is too much for YOU
When it is over, and you are married
and at rest after all this commotion
you viii settle down and become per-
fectly well and happy again"
mo, no, not" he cried, emphatical-
~ sit is Just that that is making me
I'll! l know that 1 ought not to marry
Agatha, there is something day and
night that calls out to me to stop-not
to do it-something that seems to drag
me back-and yet for the life of me /
do not know what it is, or why
should not marry herl"
My dear Rupert, this is very dread
full! Do you not love Agatha?''
Il believe l do love her in a way
at any rate l am very fond of her
I always was, you know-only-"
"Oh, my darling boy if you are not
quite sure of your feelings. pause be-
fore it is too late-at whatever cost to
yourself and to dear Agile, tell her the
truth and break it off,"
Il cannot" he said, at length. How
is a man to behave like a blackguard
to a good girl who loves him and
trusts him? l could give her no rea-
son for such conduct either-none-
none. ! don't know why feel as l do
but. Louise" he said, suddenly stop
ping short in front of his sister. and
looking at her earnestly and solemnly,
Il swear to you that If anything on
earth should arise. even at the last
moment, to break off this marriage
should fall on my knees. and thank
heaven from the very bottom of my
heart Only I cannot move a finger
myself t. stop it, it is impossibler
When he rose on his wedding morn
ing. /. seemed to be rather late. an.
yet the oppressive weight upon his
mind. of which he had spoken TO his
sister, lay heavier than ever upon him
1t was a bitterly cold day, the ground
was frozen hard, and thin flakes D
snow drifted now and again one by one
from the grey and gloomy clouds
There would probably be a heavy
fail before nisht-there was every ap-
pearance of it: although for the pres
ent the snow was not enough to neces-
state an umbrella. But for certain
no sunshine would fall on the bride
head to-day. Carroll shivered as he
looked out of his bedroom window at
the Vicarage. 1t seemed to him that
the weather was typical of his own
condition; the hard frost was in his
heart. the chilling snowflakes were
harbingers of trouble ahead. the low
ering skies were not blacker than that
black shadow that brooded over his
fate.
The little church was gay with flow
ers that morning. and crowded TO over
flowing with friends and neighbors.
Everybody turned round in a flutter OF
excitement as Agatha came up the
nave. on the arm Of distant DALI
cousin The bride had never looked
so well: her fine figure showed to adj
vantage in her white satin dress. and
she held up her head as she went by.
With a glad ls.-ht in her eyes and a
flush upon her cheeks.
Nobody had looked much at the
bridegroom. as he waited for her at the
chancel. or it might have been seen
that he was deadly pale. The service
began. The bride answered the re-
sponses well. the bridegroom was in
audible.
A little contretemps took place; the
ring dropped on to the stone pavement
with little changing noise. just as Ru-
per; was about to place it upon Aga
tha's finger. The clergyman picked il
up quickly. and the ceremony proceeds
ed.
Presently the service came to an
end; Rupert and Agatha were pro-
notlnced to be man and wife. The bril-
daI pair went into the vestry. and I'M
mediatelv Miss Carroll went in after
them. followed by as many intirnats
friends as could possibly crowd Il
through the doorway after her. Al
over the church the rest OF the com
H.