Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-01-06
" CONFESSION

was SPHulHely attached 10 MIN, more
so than she knew. And when she saw
how well he looked, how very much
alive and alert-mentally and physi-
cally Philip always seemed at concert
pitch and never to know let-down-
hesitation and doubts were swept
wind
81 suspected It," he announced, nod
ding sagely: you're a fraud-and
thank God for that Now give me tea,
please, and tell me All"
She made little move of petu-
lance. II knew you'd laugh at mel"
81 hoped l would"
Philip Topped boyshly into his ia
vorite chair, helped himself to Gig
aret, and watched Priscilla narrow
ly while she sugared his cup with the
traditional two Jumps, added the slice
of lemon, and drowned both in tea.
Never had she seemed more beautiful
or more perfectly poised. Impossible.
he told himself, there could be any.
thing amiss with a creature of such
radiancel Some girlish notion, moth
ing more serious
''How long have you known me,
Philip"
LET me see To the best of
my recollection. since you were about
a year old; remember coming into
the nursery unexpectedly and finding
you"
"Never mind! Have you ever OBJ,
served anything in me that led you to
believe I was abnormal in any way?"
He contemplated a frivolous reply,
but seeing the gravity in her eyes re-
Trained.
"Neverl" said Philip solemnly.
"Well, there is something
Philip: l have dreams. The strangest
dreams Let me tell you. And
please don't laugh, Philip. 1t isn't
any laughing matter"
He drew the soberest face of SYM
pathy imaginable. go on"
''As far back as | can remember,
I've every now and then had special
sort of dream that seemed very real
a
then. | think. they weren't so definite
But when began to grow into
long dresses, the dreams took on a
certain form they've kept ever since"
"Such as-?"
what | fancy slums must be like.
The self see in dreams belongs there
dresses, acts, talks precisely like a
girl who's never had any advantages
to speak of, much education or con-
tact with the pleasant side of life. All
the same she is myself much
as If | put on some disguise so COM
plete II disguised even my speech and
habits of thoughts. even my senti-
ments and impulses. This girl does
and says things | never could and,
awake, have never thought of. But to
her they seem quite right. the natural
and right things to do and say. The
truth is most of the time she's rather
self-satisfied and pleased with every
thing-the life she leads. the people
she knows, the fun she has-every.
thing"
81 understand" Now unfeignedly
intrigued. Philip had abandoned all
pretenSe of treating the matter light
ly, and was sitting forward. cigaret
smolderlng between his fingers, his
eyes intently searching Priscilla's
face. Tell me something about the
content of these dreams. Go back as
far as you can
"My first memories are very vague"
Priscilla told him. "They were child.
ish and simple impressions of another
little girl who was rather unhappy
most of the time. think she lived
with an old woman--a wretched old
witch of woman who was cruel TO
her, seemed to hate her and enjoy
beating her--in mean little flat
somewhere. The old woman used to
tell fortunes with cards in the front
room. But all that's very vague now.
don't remember much more. except
that the little girl used to play great
deal in the streets"
But when sheer you--grew up.
the dreams became more real?"
"Yes; about that time something
uNpptiltu W lut Olu WOtudll, L pEeSuLut
she died. and the girl was left alone to
look out for herself. don't know what
she did for a living because | never
saw her except at night. Then would
meet her. or rather find myself with
her in the Street of Strange Faces
=. ="
A questioning look obliged Priscilla
b break off here and explain about
the river. the Dark Corner. and the
Street.
"And then We" she resumed-"or
she--would start of and have curious
experiences. She somehow fell in with
a sort of desperate, a gang leader
such as one sometimes reads about in
the newspapers, named Red Carne-
han"
$50 you remember names!"
"oh, perfectly; places. too. And
this Red Carnehan fell in love with
her and they became enro god