Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-11-13


Have no fear of that. I am due now
at the theater. Your tea is excellent,
and such little cakes I never tasted be-
fore"
"You will wish me good luck?"
"NoV
"Why not?" John demanded, a little
startled.
Because" Graillot pronounced,
from what have seen and know of
you both, there are no two people In
this world less suitable for each other"
Look here" John expostulated, 81
don't want you to go away thinking so.
You don't understand what this means
to me-"
Perhaps not, my friend" GraillOt
replied, "but remember that it is at
least my trade to understand men and
women. 1 have known Louise Maui
rel since she was a child"
''Then it is 1 whom you don't IN
derstand."
''That may be So" Graillot confessed.
zone makes mistakes. Let us leave
It at that. You are a young man of
undcveloped temperament. You may
be capable Of much which at present
1 do not find in you"
''Tell me the one quality in which
you consider me most lacking" John
begged. II want you on my side, Grail
lot"
"And l." Graillot replied, as he shook
his friends hand and hurried off,
want only to be on the side that will
mean happiness for you BOTH"
He left the room a little abruptly.
John walked back to the window, OPP
pressed with a sense of something
almost ominous In the Frenchman's
manner, something which he could not
fathom, against which he struggled in
vain. Side by side with it, there
surged into his memory the Dispute
tude which his present relations with
Louise had developed. She was always
charming when she had any time to
spare-sometimes almost affectionate.
On the other hand, he was profoundly
conscious of her desire to keep him
at arms length for the present.
He had accepted her decision with
out murmur. He made but few eff
forts to see her alone, and when they
met he made no special claim upon
her notice. He was serving his appren-
ticeship doggedly and faithfully. Yet
there were times like the present when
he found his task both hateful and diff
ficult.
He walked aimlessly backward and
forward, chatting against the restraint
of the narrow walls ard the low cell
ing. A sudden desire had seized him
to fly back to the hills, wreathed In
mist though they might be; to struggle
on his way through the binding rain,
to drink down long gulps of his own
purer, less civilized atmosphere.
The telephone bell rang. He placed
the receiver to his ear almost me-
chanically.
"Who is it?" he asked.
Lady Hilda Mulloch is asking for
you, SIR" the hall porter announced.
Lady Hilda peered around Johns
room through her lorgnette, and did
not hesitate to express her dissatisfac-
ton.
my dear man." she exclaimed
"what makes you live in a hotel7 Why
don't you take rooms of your own and
furnish them? Surroundings like these
are destructive to ones individuality
"Well, you see," John explained, as
he drew an easy chair up to the fire
for his guest, 'my stay in London Is
only a temporary one, and it hasn't
seemed worth while to settle any.
where"
She stretched out her graceful body
in front of the fire and raised her veil
She was very smartly dressed, as usual
Her white silk stockings, which she
seemed to have no objection to dis.
playing, were of the latest vogue. The
chinchilla around her neck and In her
little toque was most becoming. She
seemed to bring with her an atmos.
phere indefinable, n its way, but dis.
| tinctly attractive. Brisk In her speech
little commanding in her manner she
was still essentially feminine.
John, at her direct invitation, had
called upon her once or twice since
their meeting at the opera, and he had
found her, from the first, more at.
tractive than any other society woman
Eof his acquaintance. None the less, hs
was little taken aback at her pres.
ent visit.
Exactly why are you here, any
how?" she demanded. 81 feel sure that
Eugene told me the reason which had
brought you from your wiids, but
have forgotten It"
For one thing" John replied, 81
have come because don't want to ap-
pear prejudicd, and the fact that
never spent a month In London, or even
week, seemed a little narrow-mind-
ed"
whats the real attraction" Lady
Hilda asked. at is a woman. isn't it?''
Il am very fond of a woman who
is in London" John admitted. ser
haps 1t is true that 1 am here on her
account"
Lady Hilda withdrew from her muff
gold cigarette case and little box OF
matches.
"0rder some mixed vermouth with
lemon for me, please" she begged. u
have been shopping, and / hate tea
don't know why came to see you.
l suddenly thought of 1t when i was
| in Bond street"
ut was very kind of you" John said
IF l had known that you cared about
seeing me. 1 would have come 70 you
with pleasure"
What does # matter?' she an.
swered. You are thinking, perhaps
that l risk my reputation In coming to
d young mans rooms? Those things