Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-01-10
CHAPTER xxI.-continued.

VIM ] En- NNl.-NOntlnUSQs
1t was plain to Flora from the mo-
ment she set foot over the threshold
that the house was to be no mean al
ly of theirs, but Mrs. Herrick was
making it help them doubly in their
hard interval of waiting. Alone to-
gether with unspoken, unspeakable
things between them-things that for
mere deceny of honor could not be
luttered-with nothing but these to
think of, nothing but each other to
talk at, they must yet, in sheer
desperation and suspense, have inev-
ftably burst out with question and
confession. had not the great house
been there to interpose it's PERSONAL
ty. And the way Mrs Herrick was
making the most of that The way
Immediately, even before she had
shown anything, she began to revivi-
fly the spirit of the place, as the two
women stood with their hats not yet
off in the room that was to be Flora's
talking and looking out upon the
lawn
And her silence, with her express
sige self as well as with her words.
Mrs. Herrick was terminating it all
the while they lunched and rested,
still in the upper rooms overlooking
the garden. And later, when they
made the tour of the house, she be-
gan unwinding from her memory in
cidents of it's early beginnings, pieces
of it's intimate, personal history, as
one would make a friend familiar to
another friend. And these past his
tories and the rooms themselves were
leading Flora away out of her anxious
self, were soothing her prying appre-
tensions, were giving her detach
ment in tie present, till what she so
anticipated lay quiescent at the back
of her brain.
But it was there. And now and
then, when in gust of wind the
lights and shadows danced on the
dim, polished floors, it stirred: and
at the sound OF wheels on the drive
below 1t leaped. and all her fears
again were in her face. At such mo-
lnerts the two women did look deep
ly at each other, and The suspense,
the premcnition, lowered in Mrs. Her
rick's eyes. 1t was as unconscious,
as involuntary, as Flora's start at the
swinging Of a door; but no question
crossed her lips She let the matter
as severely alone as if it had been n
Jewel not Der own. Yet, it came to
Flora all al once that here, for the
first time, sic was with one to whom
she could ave revealed the sapphire
on her neck and yet remain unchal-
lenged
"Ah, you're too lovely" she burst
out at last 1T is more than deserve
that you should take it all like this,
as if there really wasn't anything"
The elder ladys eyes wayered a little
at the plain words.
I'm too deeply doubtful of it to
take it any other way" she said.
THAT is why / feel most guilty"
Flora explained. For dragging you
into it and then-bringing it into your
house" She glanced around at The
high, quiet daIoasked room. Such
thing to happen here!'
"Ah, my dear"-Mrs. Herrick's
laugh was uncertain--''the things that
have happened fere-the things that
have happened and been endured and
been forgottenl and see." she said,
laying her hand on one of the walls,
1.-THE peace of &c nowi'
Flora wondered She seemed to
feel such distances of life extending
yet beyond her sight as dwindled her.
tiny and innocent.
1T isn't what happens. but the
way we take il that makes the after
ward" Mrs. Herrie9 added
The thought of an afterward had
stood very dim in Flora's mind. and
even now that Mrs. Herrick's words
confronted her with it she couldn't
fancy what &c would be like She
couldn't imagine her existence going
OH at all on the other side of failure.
"But suppose" she TREMENDOUSLY
urged, suppose there seemed only
one way to take what had happened
to yeu, and that way, if il failed,
would leave you no aftsrward at all,
no peace, no courage, nothing"
Mrs. Herrick's eyes fixed her with
their deep pity and their deeper APP
prehension. There are few things
so bad as that" she said slowly, and
those are the ones We must not
touch"
Flora paused a moment on the
brink q her last plunge. DO you
think vhat l am going TO do is such
a tktig as that?"
Ssh. my poor child, how do know?
hope, pray it is not" Her fir gers
closed on Flora's hand. and the girl
chung to the kind grasp. 1t was a
comfort. thought 1t could not save her
from the real finality.