Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-07-09
CHAPTER xxTv

Chose events, there's no reason why you
two good people shouldn't be happy at
last Mrs. Marsden is terribly i'll and
shaken after all she has undergone, but
] think the best medicine she can have Is
the medicine you bring with your own
presence. How is it you have not been
near her since the day of her acquittalE
Ivor was sitting by the table in his
dreary lodgings. Col Dunbar had come
so pay him a farewell visit, for on the
morrow he and bis wife and Beryl Mars
den were to leave London for the Abbey,
and his purpose in coming to see lvor had
been to persuade him to join them at
Naux the following week.
Dunbar" he said, hoarsely, do you
Forget who | ana nameless, homeless
Gortuneless man, with nothing in all this
wide world to call his ownT
Il beg your pardon" interposed Col.
Dunbar, hastily. Nothing? Do you call
q womans pure trust and love nothing?
DO you call friendship nothing? Do you
call life, health. strength nothingF Come,
come, Ivor, be a sensible man. You nave
suffered a great deal and so has she.
Don't go running your head against
stone wall Of obstinacy and pride. You,
lost the Court, by an accident; Beryl
Marsden gained il in like manner. As
for the flaw In your birthright, that is no
fault of yours. nor do | think that Beryl
Marsden is the woman to care for It. But
you should tn k twice before you break
her heart. Surely she has borne enough
Ivor bent his head on his hands and
-groaned aloud.
Say you will come" persisted Col.
Dunbar.
Ivor shook his head.
II have kept my world have avenged
her" he said, slowly. But what right
have to trouble her any longer? She is
free now; she may be happy in time. L
I cannot bring my shamed life across her
pa again"
Then you viii excuse my plain speak
ing. but you are a foolv' said Col. Dun
bar rising to his feet in irrepressible in
dignation. Good heavens, man! what is
rthe use Of splitting straws in this fash
ion2 You are in love with each other;
you have fought the hardest battle that
is given men and women to fight in this
world, and have come out OF il nobly, and
fnnw you ,viIlfuny turn your back on hap
pines"
'You-gou can't understand" muttered
.HEor.
mo, I'm glad to say can't" said the
Colonel, Ironically, and what's more,
dent wish to- I'm disappointed in you,
IvOr. / really am. / thought you were
a sensible man, and not the sort of fellow
one reads Of In novels and romances-
women's novels, | should say-upsetting
everything by some COMPOUNDED bosh
about principles and honor being worth
all the love and happiness standing ready
at their hand. Madge will never forgive
you; as for Berry,"
''Has she-has she spoken about mey'
asked Ivor, falteringly.
MOO, I believe not" answered Col.
Dunbar, reddening. But all the same,
2fadge says she's dying for a word from
sou, and Madge knows-she's sharp
enough"
when she needs me, or wishes for me,
4 will come to her, said Ivor, slowly.
<'But cannot force myself upon her no
xiee now, aud she-she would only de-
-pise me II I did"
''Well, wash my hands Of the whole
affair" said Col. Dunbar. petulantly. IF
you choose to make yourself voluntarily
miserable, that's your affair. | suppose
you'll be going out to Mexico again, or
Afghanistan, or Egypt, and doing your
utmost to jeopardize your life by way Of
breaking her heart, and proving your
love. That's about your sort, isn't itg'
Iyor smiled sadly. Heaven knows |
would not add to her unhappiness by
word or deed" he said, gravely; ''but in
my place, Dunbar, you would see as
do. that to put forward any past claim
upon her memory now would be little
short of Insult"
Then you won't Gomez
II was such white face, and such a
sad face, that looked no at Cosmo Dun
bars in that moment. that it shook his
self-controi to its very center. showing
him in one brief second what unexplained
depths Of yony might lurk in that tried
and sorrowing soul of his friend.
"Iyor, my dear fellow, don't look like
-Shat--don't sacrifice yourself for shad-
oww he pleaded again.
But Ivor only shook his head. and Col.
Dunbar went out from his presence with
eluuded brow and very heavy heart.
II must talk It over with Madge," he
said II fear I've only made matters
worse"
1t was two days later-Ivor was sit
ting in the same room when cab drew
up 10 his lodgings, and a lady alighted
and was ushered into his presence-the
lady vas Madge Dunbar.
He started to his feet when he saw
her bnt the question he would have put
Il. sta val an b5S lima nv sornofni.,e ha
saw Id her face.
"No," she said, answering that unspok-
en- demand, "we are not at Vaux. We
could not go. Eerylis very i'll"
His face blarch,d. The hand pressed
bled exceedingly.
tIll?" he said. Not dangcrously?'
Yes" anz9 cred Madge, abruptly;
%'ofherwise | should not be here. She Is
just fading away. day by day she gets
weaker and worse. Nothing rouses her.
Nothing interests her! Il is heart break.
ing 10 see her. | thought / would come
and tell you IL know all that mas
been between you. and | know that her
love for you is costing her her life.
call it cruel--unmauly- behave as you
are doing. Not once have you sent word
or sign since that day in the prison. And
the odum of that terrible time is still NJ
on her. she can meyer forget il, and sht
thinks her name Is Blasted forever. Moth
5ng win eyer-iuduees her 10 go 10 Grant
nam Court or touch the money. and
SuwpOsc when she dies the place will be
thrown into Chancery as she leaves no
heirs You two people are bent on max
4ng most utter fasco OF your lives, II