Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-02-26

ested him. Her glance met his own, and
for an instant held it in a sort of won
dering regard. He had not thought she
was half so beautiful till he saw those
splendid eyes, provocative, mirthful, yet
with something strange and almost sol
emn in their intense dark depths that
startled him as much as if he had heard
a sermon preached in a ball room or seen
something equally incongruous.
He found himself saying in his heart,
What sort of girl is thisF and ere
he could answer the question in any def
mite way her eyes dropped; she let her
hand fall to her side with a graceful,
negligent gesture.
Are yoa fond OF dancingf" she asked.
Fond of dancing he echoed. "Why?"
"0h, because most army men are"
And what makes you think | am an
array man? Mrs. Dunbar did not men
tion my name"
NO; but do you think it was needed?
Like that of the Church. the profession
proclaims itself. had formed my own
opinion of you before you were intro
duced. l did not want to hear your
name"
Again she laughed--a little, low laugh,
pleasant to hear, yet not so mirthful as
it should have been, coming from such
young lips. His ear, quick at discerning
the false ring in most women's laughter,
caught this note OF sadness in hers. It
puzzled him, but then the girl herself
had puzzled him all this time. He
thought-indeed, he knew-that he had
never met anyone like her.
How long or how short time would it
be before that fact came before him in
the light of a regret? Happily he did
not know then.
You are very candid" he remarked.
well. perhaps am" she went on. II
can't help saying what think. should
like to do it much more frequently. but
isn't 1t strange how truth offends. and
yet how we are always lauding it?'
VERY strange. We have TO thank
these artificial habits of society for that"
Society. society,"" exclaimed the girl
YEARLY. How sick one gets of it and its
ways and doctrines! We, who pride our
selves on our freedom. are bound to a
worse slavery than the poor creatures we
gave our blood to free. l wonder" she
added bitterly, what force OF courage
or strength could free us"
"The situation, reduced to its primitive
elements, is simply a case OF individual
folly" he answered refectively. ito be
altered or annealed only by individual
effort"
Which none of us is brave enough to
make"
well, you see," he answered thought
fully, lit would be a great bore; self
sacrifice, and all those hlghfalutin' prin-
ciples that sound so grand and read so
well, are awfully troublesome things in
real life. It's 50 much easier TO go with
ones time than oppose it"
And pays 80 much better. you should
add" she interrupted Narcastically.
Exactly"
There was a moments pause. Then
she said suddenly:
~ you ever think r
he lifted his eyebrow.
Occasionally do. Do you consider it
unlikely2'
She vas silent for few seconds. Then
a smile stole over her lips, smile seri-
Gus, soft. puzzling almost as herself and
her manifold contradictions of face and
manner.
Once again he colored holly, and the
flush brc ut to her a sudden sense of the
apparen, rudeness Of her words She
deemed il best, however, not to notice the
mistake
1T is so rare" she went on. calmly,
ito find anyone who will allow that he
has a mind, or that it has any use beyond
the contemplation and discussion of triv-
iaites."
Would you like ballroom partners to
discuss science and the Pentateuch?"
Certainly not" she said, laughing a
little. Everything in its place is a
good motto. but even In ball room one
need not be wholly and entirely frivol-
Gus"
(Which reminds me that have monop-
olized you all this time, and never once
asked you to dance"
Since you have as good as said it is
no pleasure, cannot think of inhcting
its pretense upon you," she answered. de-
murely.
Pardon me. you misunderstood"
Very likely" she said, with one OF
those przzling glances, but don't you
think ii night be penance tome? Like
yourself, | really don't care for dancing"
You IRE determined to be unmerciful,"
he said; Il suppose you will never forgive
my unfortunate mistake"
(Which do you meant
'The-the-sbout your cousin, OF
course"
All" she said. slowly. and looked at
him with a whole world of mischief in
her beautiful eyes; that was uufortu-
nate, as you say, but it might have been
worse"
Howl he asked quickly.
She was moving away now with a bow
that seemed meant as a distant farewell,
but he followed her, and offered his arm,
which. after a moments hesitation, she
took.
Because. after all, the lady whose vo-
calization displeased you so much is not
my cousin
How unkiud OF you to brighten me
So" he answered. reproachfully, "and
to tell me such a--such a."
That's right, spare my feelings.
laughed the girl; II only wanted to give
you a lesson. 1t is unsafe in society to
give your opinion of one person to an
other"
DO you think" he said, biting his liz
with unconcvealed vexation, that | an
4 SO ignorant. so IMMERSED in the ways OF
/ society that l require lesson in man
ners?"
oh. no" she said glaneing at hi.
/ couded face with ready contrition
Pray don't fancy that. am really
very sorry. only did it for fun"
Don't look so drcadfully serious over
/ IT," he answered, as he met the plead
/ lug glance. Even fun and mjsuuder
/ standings are no bad basis for friend