Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-07-12

but ne doesn't. On the contrary, he
mas been kindness itself to me from
the very first.
susie replied Jhortly that she was
giad TO hear I and with that the col
lo-quy endeo; for now the gentlemen
nao come upstairs, and Mrs. Moore
salled across the room 10 ask whether
MRS. tenton would do them all very,
very great favor. and sing something
to them.
She had brought no music with her,
she SAID, and she was not much accus-
toned to playing her own accompani-
ments, but she would do her best, AMI
II she broke down they must excuse
her.
She moved towards the plano, draw
ing off her gloves, and stopping on her
way to address a few laughing words
to the men, who had assembled in a
group, as men are apt to do after
dinner until they receive the expected
signals from the offing which cause
them to dispense. Stick to me-" she
whispered, support mel I'm going to
sing, and words can't express how
nervous | am. Nothing terrifies me
so much as these drawing room per-
| formances."
Some members of this contingent,
| accordingly, formed themselves into a
semicircle In the neighborhood Of the
| piano at which Mrs. Fenton seated
herself; and. after bestowing a smile
and little grimace upon them over
| her shoulder, she struck the keys.
Nervous she may have been; for, as
everybody knows. the most expert
enced and accomplished artists are
not always exempt from that form Of
| SUFFERING; but her nervousness was
not apparent, nor had she the slightest
| occasion for feeling any. Her voice
was not quite contra1to, although
most people would probably have de-
scribed 1t as such; 1t had a curious
sort or occasional break in 1t, which
however, did not give the effect of a
dlssonance; and it was one of that
rare quality which exercises a direct
physical influence upon listeners.
Mrs. Moore's guests were fairly car
rled away by her. First she sang them
two quaint plaintive Swedish ballads.
and then, as they joined In entreating
ner TO go on, she gave them Schubert's
Adieu," which they liked even better.
because they had all heard 1t before.
IL may be doubted. nevertheless,
whether they had ever heard II sung
quite in that way before
Fred, who had separated himself
| from the cluster of men near the nj
ano and had taken vacant chair be-
| side Susie, was not the least enthusi-
astic of her admirers. Isn't she won
derful!" he exclaimed
Yes, she has an extraordinary
voice" answered Susie, who had the
air of paying this tribute of praise
! little grudgingly, and she seems to he
| very clever in managing It, l should
think she was very clever In every
way"
"Oh, / don't know; she is very orig
| inal-very natural In some ways she
is almost a child. 1 think you would
| like her"
1t so happened that Susie had
formed very strong contrary opinion.
She did not, however give utterance
to it, but merely Observed You. AT
all events, seem to like her very
much"
I'm delighted with her; so is eyery-
body else. even old Breffit, the LAWYER
who can't be called impulsive, and who
| has been wishing her dead for the last
three or four months Old BRENT has
| always been rather an ally of mine so
| he wasn't half pleased when he heard
that she was to have her fathers
money. He has come round n,vy
though. He doesn't exactly say so. bur
| believe he thinks that such a daueh.
ter as Laura deserves any fortune"
II suppose" remarked Susie slowly.
that there Is nothing very unnatural
In a fathers leaving his money to his
| daughter"
"Of course not If there was any,
| thing unnatural in the business IL was
his never taking notice Of her or even
mentioning her name for twelve
years"
Yes. it Is unfortunate for you. Still
| your case isn't altogether hopeless.
| perhaps"
Il don't mean to make any COM
| plant" answered Fred, rather CURLY.
He was puzzled and provoked by the
| girls way OF speaking to him, which
he did not see that he had done any
| thing to deserve.
After a few moments she said, Your
| cousin is a good deal older than you
are, isn't she?"
Il suppose she must be a year or
| two older but she certainly doesn't
| look 1t. / shouldn't have set her down
| as a day more than five-and- twenty"
Il should have put her at over
thirty; but then l don't admire her rs
| much as you evidently de-"
Well we had better not talk any
more about her." said Fred, with a
shade OF impatience, for 1t doesn't
seem to be a subject upon which we
| are likely to agree. Let US try to find
| one that will please you better
| Claughton and his good luck. for In
stance"
1T is always pleasant to think about
! Captain Claughton. because he himself
| is always pleasant" returned Susie.
rather dehantly. Il don't quite under
I stand what you mean by his good luck,
| though"
why. his brothers death, OF course.
Isn't 1t the best OF good luck to be
promoted from younger son to heis-
| apparent"
Susie looked her neighbor full in the
! face. which she had not done before.
DO you know. Mr.. Musgrave." said
| she, II think you have become very
ul-natured all OF sudden
Everybody" the girl continued.
does not think money the one impor-
| tsnt thing In the world"
1t Is not surprising that Fred should
| have been greatly incensed by the
outraged injustice OF this speech. II
| Susie loved Captain Claughton. no rea-
sonabie being could be angry with her
on that account: II. without exactly
| loving Captain Claughton. she was 60
| ing TO marry him because her people
wisheu II. and because she herself ap-
! prsciated the advantag es OF ease. that
! also was q course OF action which, by
| stretching a point one might perhaps
| bring ones self to pardon. But hypoc-
risy was not pardonable. 1t was really
| a little too much that she should at
| tempt 10 disguise her o<n feelings by
| boldly accuse others OF them.
Fred's first remark after he had
seated himself in his cousins brough-
| am and was being driven eastward.
/ xorf hat al