Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-05-10


l may confess to you, my dears. that
Mr.. Gilbert Stairs parting TRADE did
not move me greatly. since / would ct
down everything he had said to the one
acconnt-the miser's.
Yet when 1 came to second thoughts
upon 1t, this account balanced but in
differently. Why should he be so eager
to make me think small of Margery's
love for Richard Jennifer? And why.
misliking me, as I made sure he did,
should he be so hot to make the shad-
ow marriage thing of substance?
From the miser-father's point OF view,
Richard. with his goodly heritage of
Jennifer House, was a match to be an
gled for; yet here was the man In
whose eye house and lands doomed
largest flying into rabe because l
sought to put his daughter in the way
of marrying them.
was bordering thoughtfully on this
giving the pinching old man credit for
any and every motive save that which
he had so cursingly avowed, to wit. the
furthering of his daughters happiness.
when there came a tap at the door and
Mistress Margery entered
Dear hearth Do they limit you to
single candle when my back is turned ?"
she said, in mock pity; and saying it.
went to light the CANDLES in the mantel
sconces.
The sight of her standing a-tiptoe to
touch off the candles on the chimney
breast set the old love-spell at work to
make my heart beat faster. Wha. II
there were hint of truth in Gilbert
Stairs ,wrathful protest? What r.
after all. she cared less for Richard
and more for me? For time we sat
IN silence. and twas she who smoke
first.
MY father has been with YOU" she
said. Il hope you did not quarrel with
him"
No" 1 denied. salving my conscience
with the remembering that II takes
two to make a quarrel He came To
give me this" added. handing her the
will
She opened the folded parchment
reading line of it here and these soft
~ TO herself
=" Being of sound mind. doth be-
queath and devise to his loving wife.
Margery-' All. had you been writing
o.
would you. Monsieur John?"
IT'S but a FORM" would say. "AiI
wives are loving In lawyers speech. /"
She smiled up at ms so like an inno-
cent and fearless child Mat for the mo-
ment ! could figure her no otherwise.
Yet her rejoinder's was a woman's.
Il say YOU would not have written
It so; is not that the truth?"
IF ] should write it now, II should
be Written In great letters. dear lady.
Though il is but form. though that
which followed was but another form.
you have ret failed in any witely duty,
Mistress Margery."
Not once?"
mo. not once.s Three times you have
done what the ioyingest wife could do
TO save husbands life"
She fell silent for space. and when
she spoke again she wac become BY
some subtle trsnsmutation my trusting
little maid OF h-s bygone halcyon- time.
DO YOU remember how YOU used TO
make a comrade OF me in the old DAYS.
Monsieur John, telling me things my
elder brother might have told me, had
I had one2"
1 said remembereds that was not
likely tn forget
Are YOU strong enough TO stand in
that el0er brothers place again to-
night
Try me and see. dear lady"
NO; whilst YOU say dear lady" she
pouted Twas 'Niargery' and Mon
sieur John yesr agone-"
Have il as ycd viii; viii even call
you sMadge', II it pleases you better"
No. she said; that is Dicks name
for me: and-and II is OF Dick that I
+. would speak You love him wen. do
you not. Monsieur john
said I could never make her. or any
woman. fully understand the bond there
was between US.
Truly There ives the merest Ma
yor of playful sarcasm in the uptilt OF
the word. but 1t was gone when she
went on.
Being so good 3 friend to Dick. then.
vou can advise me the better. Tell