Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-12-18
CHAPTER IL LCon.imed.l

commenced a letter to Winfield Eyre.
He had served her now would she be
more disposed to look lenienly on his
offense. and let her loye conquer her WON.
Rnly pride. Il vii at least make the trial
before | go, he said TO himself, and then
he took up his pen aud wrote thus
Il inelose you nSte. Miss Eyre, from
the man Fenner. You will see b. that
taat he engages 60 discontinue his an
noyance Of you. aud to leave you for tue
future free and unmolested. Aud now
before | leave England on my long voy-
age, | pray of you TO hear the appeal o.
my heart to yours WiDifred. love :ou
with all ms soul, with the truest. deep
est strength OF which passion is capable.
and | come to you to decide my future.
Ny happiness, my misery, are in your
hands. 1t is for you to seal my perfect
bliss by conserving to become my cherish
ed wife, or to punish a fault born Of love,
and to condemn me to lifelong sorrow
BY driving me away from the sunshine OF
your presence. DO not decide hastily. |
shall not leave this for a week. and II
your answer is whit | scarcely dare to
hope it will be. | shall not leave at all.
II you cannot find it in your gentle. wom-
snly heart to forgive me- l shall 30 OUT
INFO the world and seek to forget the only
woman in the world ever really loved. y
Wien Winifred broke the seal, and read
Errol's letter her first emotion WAS one
Of Intense relief. Then, reaGing the ay0w-
al Of ErToi's love. for N ,1nent her heart
reiented to him. aud q sad. fond recollec-
tien az the handsome hero Of her past
worship made the tears start into her
eyes Then her quick pride came TO the
rescue she tore the letter to atoms aud
threw them from her. Il will never for
give m--never. she cried. passienately;
and tiien she thought what that letter
would have been so her IL ii had come
few days sooner.
1t wanted bur one day to the compile
ton of the week. when Arthur lie Mar
chant rushed into Err0i's room.
Ny dear Errd," he exclaimed, what
is this hear bout your leaving the
Court Ii surely Is not true!'
Ny dear fellow said Enrol gently.
~ cannot tell whether | am going or not.
You shall know tomorrow. | am wait
ing for my verdict. and If it is adverse to
me shall 80 away, and try to forget my
trouble"
Two days after Errol said to lie Mar
chant:
It's all over. and I'm going. Don't
ask me any questions, old fel!ow-Im
hard hit"
Before Mr. Hazt;egs left the Court he
made his friend promise 70 play host
there in the shooting season during his
absence; and on the last day Of August
he was standing on the deck of his beau
tiful yacht 0enone looking down into the
blue waters Of tire Mediterranean. His
thoughts were full of tenderness = the
woman who had scorped him.
She is right he said, but | thihS. II
she had known how | loved her, she
would have fop I'd it in her heart to for |
give me-"
\ fortnight later Lady Grace Farquhar, I
by dint Of subtle diplomacy, managed to
secure what she had for some time past
set her heart upon. and that was to prac-
tie4ily adopt Winifred Eyre as her pro- .
tege, If not as a daughter. She was very
anxious that Winjfred should have an
opportunity Ct being introduced to so
cietS and the coming shooting season at /
Sir Ciaxt0ns estate. Endon Vale seemed
TO afford Lady Grace the opportunity. /
Among those who would be present for /
she shooting her nephew. Lord Harold /
Erskine, who was quite taken with Flora 1
Champion and whom she knew that I
young lady, In default OF becoming Mrs. +
Hastings, would only too gladly accept. /
With shis trump card in her hand. Lady /
Grace accepted dinner Invitation at T,
Hurst Maror, the home OF the Cham /
pions. and while there delicatey. yet 1
plainly insinuated to Sir Howard and to ,
Mrs. Champion that unless Mrs. Cham /
pion and Flora would drive with her 10 /
Mr.. Eyre's farm and second her invita- I
tien to Winifred to come to Eudon Vale !
there wouid be no invitation for Miss |
Champion. Moreover. Flora would have I
70 bind herself to treat her cousin with /
at least ordinary courtesy during theig I
ssay in the SAM house.
Sir Howard accedetl readily enough to /
this arrangement as long as he was not /
obliged to speak 10 his granddaughter. /
whoa he had never spoken to or even i
seen in his lie or in any way 10 recog- /
nize her father, Ii vas a bitter pill for /
Mrs. Champion and Flora 20 swallow. but |
the thought that IL Flora did not go to |
Endon Vale, Sir Harold Erskine might |
possibly fall in love and propose to Wini- /
fred. obliged them to give a grudgiug con |
sent
The young girl was gathering roses in /
the garden as the carriage from the |
Manor drove up the road She turned /
away to the house. She could not bear
the c0ntemptuous looks the Champions
cast on her as they went 10y. But then
she heard the carriage stop, and she look.
ed back in surprise. The foounau was
letting down the steps. and Mrs Cham
piou was descending, followed by Lady
Grace Fareuhar. What could it mean :
The blood rushed TO her face. and for
moment she hesitated. Then she went
forward
You did not expect visitors 50 early.
nay deary' said Lady Grace. kissing her.
Mrs. Champion has come to cal upon
you.'
Mrs Champion came forward and
shook hands with her. and uttered a FEW
polite commonplace, which put Wiui
fred Mt her ease. She had great deal
tee much tact 10 allude TO the past--ln
deed, she behaved precisely as though she
and Whmfred saw aud beard Of each
other for the first time.
Winifred soon recovered her compoS-
IRE, and invited them to enter the house.
Mrs Champion was struck by the taste
aud elegance displayed in the miniature
dra ing room. and while Wjnifred WIS
talking to Lady Grace. she examined
her keenly. She was forced TO confess
to herself that this girl who had been so
long ignored. and SO much disdained was