Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-06-14
CHAPTER X

ZIG ofich anu CiScOufdSlnB tntefVleW
with Miss Moore described in the last
chapter, Mr.. Breffit was sitting in his
ONCE and gazing in some dismay at
an open telegram which lay upon the
table before him. This message, which
had just arrived. purported to come
from Laura Fenton, Sydney. New
South Wales" and seemed to dispose
pretty finally of the prospects of Laura
Fenton's next of kin.
Have seen advertisement. Am
sailing for Europe. Mr.. Fenton died
three years ago" Such was the sub
stance of a communication which caus-
ed the worthy Mr. Breffit to use strong
language.
"Confound the woman" he mutter-
ed; what's the use of her husband
being dead? He would have had no
claim II he had survived her. Well,
she will have to prove her identity. and
that may not be SO easy a matter as
she imagines."
The lawyer derived some comfort
from this reflection. which. however
was not shared by the next of kim
to whom he FASTENED 20 impart what
he called his bad news.
But Fred was not so very sorry
that uncertainty was at an end His
position, at all events, was now clear,
and there was no longer any neces-
sity for him to hesitate about visiting
at the Moores' house If they chose to
receive him. The next time that he
net the General he told him that the
missing heiress had been discovered.
which intelligence, however. had AL
ready reached that gentleman through
the medium OF the press.
Mrs. Moore, when che read the para
graph, remarked: That settles poor
Mr. Musgrave's hash It's a pity:
but we must be thankful that matters
were checked in time"
"Oh. we'll; matters hadn't gone very
far, had they?" said the General
I'm afraid they were upon the verge
of going rather far" answered his
wife. 1T just shows how careful one
ought to be- Happily. there is no
great harm done, and nothing will be
easier than to quietly let him drop out
OF our vislting-iist."
Blu: General Moore. VINO was an hon
est and kind-hearted old gentleman.
did not quite like this cynical sugges-
ton rs there any occasion for that?"
my back upon the poor fellow now
that he is down; and. after all, how do
we know that he ever thought of SUI
sic or she of him? 1t seems to me
that Claughton is good deal more
dangerous
Il don't think Captain Claughton
can be called exactly dangerous" an-
swered Mrs. Moore, musingly. TT APP
pears that he has some money of his
own. and / am told that his elder
brother. who is unmarried. is subject
to epileptic fits. OF course 1 don't
want to turn my back upon poor Mr..
Musgrave; let him come and dine If
you like All 1 stipulate for is that
he shall only be asked on dinner party
nights"
Thus the General felt at liberty to
be amicable and hearty when his
young friend accosted him, and, after
offering his condolences. did not hest
tate to add What are you doing
next Thursday? We have one or two
people coming to dine with us, and
should be delighted to see you. If
you're not engaged"
Fred gladly accepted the invitation
and betook himself to Cromwell Road
BK
portunity thus afforded him of ex-
changing a few words with Susie@it
was only a few words that he was per-
mitted to address to her, and these
were spoken in the presence of wit
uesses-was productive of no great
Increase in his happiness. 1t occurred
to him that he would hardly have been
asked to the house If the risk of his
been thought worth taking into ac-
count. and he was hampered by feel
Ing that any such attempt would be
rather dishonorable.
However, he set to work with might
and main upon his play. as to the con-
clusion of which there was in truth no
great hurry. since he was assured that
It could not possibly be produced that
year. The comedietta which he had
already written, and which had been
tolerably successful as a lever de
rideau, had now been withdrawn, and
the profits which he had derived from
II in the shape of royalties had not
been magnificent. The proprietor and
manager OF the theater at which II
had been performed was very civil and
encouraging. was quite open to con-
slider the more ambitious forthcoming
play and said that. should ii prove
suitable. he would be glad to make a
more liberal arrangement with Mr..
Musgrave than he had been able 10 do
In the previous instance. Only he
could not under any circumstances un-
dertake to promise that the first rep
resentation should take place for an
other six or nine months
the month of June, while haymakers
were busy in the country, and matrons
maids were busily making metaphori-
cal hay in London after the time-hop-
ored fashion which never changes. and
Susie Moore was dancing to her hearts
content, the young men were disport-
ing themselve- and losing their money
ut Ascot and elsewhere. Fred Mus
grave carried about mournful face
above his broad shoulders, Is anybody
really very sorry when one of his ac-
duaintances Is baked OF a fortune?
The very rich perhaps may be-for
reasons which Ii is needless TO specify,
most OF us have a difficulty In entering
into the feelings OF the very rich-but,
with the possible exception of that
small minority, men do not seem TO
feel much sympathy with such disap-
poir-ments; and IL may be noticed
that there is q general disposition to
regard them as having been in some
way or other deserved.
Let as hope that they would have
been less hard upon him IL they had
known what the loss OF e2eO 900 meant
in his case. From time to time he met
Susie Moore. but these meetings were
most unsatisfactory. They never last
ed for more than minute or two;
she had the air OF wishing TO avoid
them, and her demeanor had become
distinctly formal and chilling-far
more so than that OF her parents. who
were always friendly and pleased 70
see the young man. and very anxious
TO hear whether his cousin had ar
rived vet Relations may not be an
altogether unmixed blessing, yet in
70