Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-11-19

of this sort Of thing already. Ned, you
mean well. but ii Is not fair 10 this lady.
! and you are too much of a gentleman. !
know, to persist
"You are infatuated" said Ned, warm
/ ~; your eyes are blinded TO the truth .
"And therefore" said she, eoldly, you
had better not interfere. Go your way
and leave us TO ours"
IF there be proof to be got of what /
say, | shall find it out"
MY dear Ned. you mean well, but we
cannot tolerate your Interference here.
You owe apologies to this lady"
II owe ii to her TO justify what have
said, and that is all the apology ! can
make"
He instantly conceived the idea Of find
ing out the clergyman and his family
whose daughter she was supposed TO be.
He set off without letting his brother
know his design. and the following day
was in England, and in the drawing room
Of the parsonage, receiving from the
clergyman a little biography Of his daugh-
ter. She was dead--had died two or
three years befOre-did not get on with
her step-mJther, and, being little per-
verse, had gone TO be a goyerness. She
had black haIr-the other had brown.
She was tall-the adventures was short.
The latter, having the same name, had
no doubt taken advantage Of this confus-
ion to pass herself off as the true Miss
Irving Thus furnished, Ned Burton
returned with all speed, and again found
his brother and the lady together.
II have got proofs" he said; now,
suppose, you will open your eyes"
mo" sd his brother, calmly; "be-
sides you are too latei she is now my
wife"
Il warned you not to interfere" she
said, ''and told you that you would have
your trouble for nothing"
Ned was beside himself
mot for nothing; | can unmask you
still"
What good would that do you" sh"
said, save that you have the malicious
object of making your brother uncomfort-
able. He knows, or can guess, what sort
of scandalous stuff you are going to dis
close. / assure you they have already
said and done their worst against me,
and, strange to say, have not shaken his
feelings towards me. After that, what
can you do? Take his advice: make the
best of It, warn you l shall never for
give you If you so on with this exhibition
Of vindictiveness."
II shall enter into no bargains with
you, and shall conceal nothing. If he
has committed himself to thiy fatal mar
riage, at least he shall know that he must
be on his guard against you. have seen
the family whose daughter yon claimed to
be. and they deny all knowledge Of you.
Your story was false"
She turned to her husband.
Am to speak--to defend myself? You
know the story | always told you from
the beginning. What these people, my
bitter enemies, may have told him my
bitter enemy, because / have interfered
with his succession to your estate, does
not concern me-"
You must not say a word. Lydia;
am satisfed-more than satisfied, unless
you wish, for Ned's sake"
For Ned's saker she repeated, with
deadly bitterness that he long remem-
bered. You will bear me witness THAI |
cautioned him against this exhibition of
impotent spite. | warned him that all he
could say or collect would not turn your
generous affection from me. Well, in re-
turn for this treatment. for Ned's sake
as you say, l register this VOW: that / will
never seek to turn his brothers affection
from him, as perhaps ! might find oppor-
tunities of doing. But as for my own
regard. the man who tried to kill both
my reputation and happiness is entitled to
nothing from me | cannot undertake
even to present the conventional specta-
Gle of Christian forgiveness. You have
begun as my enemy, and l shall look on
you as my enemy"
Ito be continued