Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-11-09
A TIMELY GIFT.
BY EVELYN LEE.

you tnat may as well give you now"
Not neckties, or sport shirt, or a
stickpin?' inquired David Woolson
4 suspiciously.
Not likely. seeing that you make
knotted strings of the ties in a week,
never would wear anything but cali
co shirts and lost the pin I gave you
the second day. No, David, I'm going
to give you watch"
why you gave me one once"
| Il did, on the anniversary of our sill
yer wedding, and you let it drop on
the floor and put it out of commission"
mo use burdening man with Jew
elry who is too busy with farming to
pay attention to faI-lals!" pronounced
David.
Well, a watch is something that
every man should carry.
II declare! 1t makes a fellow feel
sort of dressed up to carry a watch,
| Ell, Martha? And you're dear, whole
souled woman to think that much Of a
| hard-headed, clumsy old fellow like
| myself p
David delivered resounding smack
squarely on Martha's lips, and she
nuttered and flushed like some school
girl She had to scold mildly and in
struct in detail to get the watch placed
in the right pocket and the chain. bar
N the correct button-hole.
Martha smiled an extra welcome
when. on the stroke of six, David came
into the house from the field, rather
boyishly compared his watch with the
kitchen clock and announced
you've had good time-keeper
| made of the old wreck of a watch,
Martha. It's right to the minute
Arthur Moore called that evening.
He was keeping company with the eld-
est daughter, Hazel, and was a gen.
eraf favorite with the family. The
smaller children had considerable fun
repeatedly asking father what time
it was, while Hazel declared the watch
must be fast when her father OBJ
served that it was ten O'Clock, which
was the usual hour of departure Of
her lover.
II Wds tNO udyS IdLCE WuCu idVlu
walked over to Brownsville on some
business. The distance was only five
miles, and he did not care about spar
ing horse from harvest work. 1t was
at Brownsville that young Moore lived
with his stepfather, Hugh Griscom
Those two had not been very con-
genial, and Arthur had told Hazel that
the sooner they were married, the bet
ter pleased he would be, as GSiscom
had grown into gruff, unsociable COM
panion. 1t seemed that the latter was
a second husband of Arthur's mother,
who had left quite an estate The
stepfather was to have a life income
from the property, but after his death
it was to revert to Arthur.
1t was about three miles from
Brownsville that David paused on the
path lining the river, to gaze in aston
ishment at two persons conversing an
imatedly under some trees. One was
handsome young woman David had
never seen before. The other was Ar
thur Moore.
The woman seemed under a strain
of intense emotion. Her gestures were
animated and her familiar manner
with Arthur aroused deep suspicion
in David's mind. AS she chung plead
ingly to his arm David's face dark
ened. Why was this prospective SON.
in-law meeting woman clandestinely?
She acted as though she was pleading
with Arthur as only woman stirred
by love or some kindred emotion was
likely to do.
For over half an hour David watched
the pair. He resolved to seek an ex-
PLANTATION of the apparently recreant
love. Finally the twain parted. The
woman went away weeping. Arthur
came up the river path, his face seri-
Gus and troubled He acted startled as
David sternly confronted him.
81 have been here some time," spoke
David. "What does this mean, your
meeting woman secretly?"
IF tell you in confidence win you
regard it as a pledged secretY in
quired Arthur.
EYES,"
every we'll; 1 came TO meet that
woman, the deserted wife of a close
friend, to see if l cannot bring about
a reconciliation"
"Ohl by the way, what is the timer
half jocularly inquired Arthur as he
turned where their paths parted.
"Half-past four" reported David.
| Coming over tonight?"
"Oh, surely"
Arthur Moore did not go to the
woolson home that night. Before dusk
a telephone message announced to the
startled David that Arthur had been
arrested, charged with the murder of
his stepfather at three o'clock that
afternoon-the motive the possession
| of his mothers estate.
AT the hour stated servant had
heard shot. She rushed to the liv-
ing room of the house, to find Hugh
Griscom lying dead on the floor shot
n