Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-01-15

I
in a low, almost caressing voice, Mr.
Hastings thought; and it made his blood
boil.
Enrol had, Of course, never heard Miss
Eyre sing. When they went into the
drawing room he said to her:
Il hear You sing very beautifully, Miss
Eyre VIII you give me the pleasure of
hearing your voice?'
Il do not think my singing wonld give
you any pleasure" she answered, coldly.
You are, Of course, accustomed to hear
highly cultivated voices-mine is only q
rude, untaught, country one"
He drew back, wounded to the quick.
DO come and sing, Winifred," ex,
claimed Lord Harold.
Sitting down to the piano, she sang her
most touching. plaintiye songs, one after
the other. with a pathos that went to the
heart Of each one who listened. So new
er sang more beautifully than on that
night, and Enrol leaned against the EN-
brasure of the window. where his face
was screened rom observation, and
drank in every tone of the voice, which
was not only beautiful in itself, but
which he loved. He pever loved her be-
fore or afterward asihe loved her that
night, listening for the first time TO the
exquisite tenderness of her voice
When Winifred finally left the piano
she passed close to the curtain, and Enrol
came forward She spoke on the impulse
of the moment.
After ALL my singing was not worth
your thanks"
You did not sing for me-" he answer
/ ed, bitterly
Later, thinking over the events of the
evening. he found it an utter impossible
| ity to arrive at any definite conclusion
as to the feelings and motives which in
/ auenced Winifred's conduct toward him.
| Was his presence really hateful to herr
/ did she bear an unrelenting anger toward
| him for his unworthy treatment of her
long ago?-and had every vestige of the
! love he knew she had once borrc nim
| died out2
/ Bah" he thought, II am fool for my
| pains. Is it possible that /, who am to
. all intents and purposes man of the
world, should find myself eating my heart
| out for the love of a simple little coun-
! try girl? Tomorrow shall decide my fu-
/ ture course of action, and if see she does
not care for ME | will school myself to
meet her wiz; Indifference"
! At breakfast the following morning
both Sir Clayton and Lady Grace Far
| quhar pressed him to stay until the next
day. and he consented.
I And now" said Lady Grace. you
young people must go for a long ride this
lovely morning. and l shall shut myself
up with my husband and his learned
folios"
Lord Harold went to order the horses
Winifred no longer rode the quiet old bay
horse. but a handsome chestnut Sir Clay
ton had bought for her Until the previ-
Gus day Winifred had never in her life
been provoking or a fiirt, but OF course
those qualities must have been dormant
| somewhere in her heart or they would
scarcely have cropped up like the drag.
1 on's teeth Mt a moments notice. The
whole ride through she battered and hirt-
/ ed with Lord Harold, and uttered little
malicious. biting remarks to Mr. Hast
/ ings, with the most naive, unconscious
innocence.
The ride must have been fraught with
considerable enjoyment for Enrol, as ev-
cry turning, every fence, every heath
seemed to bring to Winifred's mind
some agreeable "reminiscences connected
with her other companion. As they were
nearing the park gates, farmer stopped
| Lord Harold to speak about some bust
ness, and Mr.. Hastings and Winfred
rode on. Enrol bent down toward her
presently.
Miss Eyre. have | no hope that you
will ever feel kinder toward ME than
you do now"
Il have no unkind feeling toward you.
Mr.. Hastings"
Then shall say less indiffer, nt?"
Can one help feeling Indifferent" re-
torted Winifred.
He turned away. stung to the quick.
Winifred kept up the same demeanor
toward the two men during the whole
ridr; a1d then at night. when she went
to her room. she cried bitterly, and hated
aud reproached herself unreasonably.
Il do love him-I do love him. She
sobbcd TO herself over aud over again
but the next morning she was as cold
and repellent to him as ever, and would
hardly wish him good-by before he mount
ed and rode away.
The afternoons post bag cor Gained two
letters in the same handwriting for
Wnifred, the other for Lady Grace. The
correspondent was Mrs. Clayton.
Dear Winirred' (she wrote to the for
merl-"Do ask Lady GEace Far1uhar to
spare YOU to me for week. Mr. Clayton
has taken a villa on the Thames for the
summer, and | am going 10 spend a few
days there before We 90 10 town for the
season. l expect to he very dun and
quiet, so that if you come 10 me you will
be performing an actual charity"
The note TO Lady Grace was couched
in much the same terms: DO spare Wini-
, fred. and persuade her to come to me. My
! husband aud aunt have quarreled, ard l
! am so terribly dull
! Mrs Clayton received Winifred with
! open arms
t Il am so glad you have come she ex-
5 claimed: your CompanionShip will make
me forget half my troubles. We shall
5 have a tete-a-tete dinner tonight. Mr..
j Clayton is ia town"
5 Winifred had not been five hours in her
! friends house before she was aware tina;
10 Fee had made a miserable marriage; that
! She had bartered all her possessions for
e an inadequate value, and that She almost
&, il not quite, hated the man whose name
r she bore.
r During the time that Winifred stayed
{ Mt the Celars, she had plenty of oppor-
= tunity of observing how this iHassortej
e couple lived. Francis Clayton's manner
p to his wife was in itself an ofense, A.
d most every word he addressed to her con
t tanned q covert sheer. ana he seemed I'd
i hud no greater pleasure than in thwart