Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-12-16
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER

moment, then light seemed to dawn
upon her.
Now that I come to think of it," she
said, slowly, you were but too careful
never TO say one word to me which
could legally construe into n propose Of
marriage. | was alone In the world.
poor, almost nameless. at least unknown,
when you met me at Bombay. And you
you olly told me that you loved me.
you did not ask me to marry you! Yes.
see Il all now. / see-I seei 1t be-
hooves man Of honor to be very careful
not to say one word which he may have
TO break Ia the letter. though he may
ruin a woman's whole life and break her
heart quite consistently with every re-
quirement Of honorl Yes. see. And all
this time have been thinking too well
Of you; / thought that Il was all real
until your godfather began to put pres.
sure upon you"
Rachel, assure you" he began, you
take a wrong view Of all this. l."
Stay" she said, with great dignity.
81 want 20 hear no more of your excuses.
1t was just this: love 10 one scale. money
in the other and money weighed the
most Let us say no more, for If we talk
till crack of doom we shall think no diff
ferently. | have only one other thing to
say. II is, let this be the last discussion
between US on this subject. Let US close
the book forever; and mind, If you or my
/ godfather ever open il again, | shall have
no choice but to Justify myself TO him.
/ / shall not like doing il, but / shall not
/ be able TO help myself"
4 don't understand you" be said, de-
family.
Don't your think it Is very Gle AZ"
she answered. Simply that I shall hays
to tell my grandfather Why | refused to
! become your wife. For all the rest,
| have done"
| you would tell the general"
"Not willingly. / have taken the
/ blame up till now. because l wish you
to be az you have been all your lie, his
heir. | would rather receive no money
from him whatever, for / have no right
to it. | told him 90 the other day--yes.
terday--this morning--what am / say.
ing? / mean when he was here last. l
begged him TO make no change"
And that is all you have to say to
meT' he said. roughly.
That is all
Very we'll good-by. Rachel"
"Goodby. Valentine" she answere,.
For one wild. mad inonhint h. stood
looking fxedly at her as If be sere tax
ing his farewell Of her foreve.: thea ts
turned on his heel abruptly and went
quickly out Of the room.
Then she flung down her paiette and
brushes and ran TO the window to see
him go: but alas! the beautiful stained
glass which filed the quaint Gothic wia-
dow hid him from her sight and she
could only discern a form. a ,hadow rath-
or, pass along the pavement and dlsap-
pear into the blaze # glory which flooded
the street
50 it is all over. she cried. II have
been true to myself. but oh. how love
him still--how love him stint"
She turned back to the picture again
and went on painting. with vague kind
Of feeling that her work was all she had
left to live for. that In her work was
her only chance Of consolation. In truth.
she was hurt. far more bitterly hurt. than
she had ever been before. Harrington's
iniudicious admission that be had been
careful during that happy homeward
voyage, not 20 actually engage himself
20 her, had done more to set her apart
from him than everything which had
gone before. She was wounded TO the
very quick, stung TO the lowest depths
OF her heart. trembling still with the
shame and the pain of il.
After half an hour or 50 she found the
effort too much. that her head WIS begin
ming to reel and her senses feel numb
| ed and dull; then sic put her palette
! down agnin and threw herself into a deep
| chair: not because abe wanted TO be idle
| and think. but solely because she was too
much unnervef sud shaken to be able TO
| stand any longer. And there for an hour
/ she stayed motIoniess, until Mrs Damas
returned from her class
| "De wiling Rayp' she cried, gayly
/ How have you got On today
II have done nothing Rachel said,
| getting up from her seat and going to
| look at the picture. Il have been idle
| for hours aud then she saw that during
| the little while in which she had been
/ hllndly painting in ma attempt to keep
her self possession, she had put In lines
about the girls mouth and eyes utterly
out Of keeping with We gay, white gown
and pretty blue ribbons and the gray kit
ten on her shoulder giving her an ex-
preston of hunted misery which on look
Ing in the glass she saw reproduced in
her own strained. white face And. be
sides this, she had by chance, In her
blind pain. let enc Of her brushes fall
upon the picture. and there lay a great
crimson smear right across tho heart,
Fer moment she wac almost too sick
with pain 90 speak. Il have e1ectually
done for myself" she said, at last, trying
hard to speak in her ordinary voice,
though 70 her own ears even il sounded
harsh aud dlscordant There. let me
put It away. hate the thing shall
never touch il again."
Mrs. Damas turned and looked az her.
why. Rachel, my dear" she asked
what is it7 Has the general been here
OR Harrington Has anything hap
pened 70 upset your
To upset me?' cried Rachel, with q
wild laugh.
My dear. you are keeping something
back from me-something which it would
ease Your mind to tell me-" Mrs. Dana,
persisted What is 1t. Rachel? Tel
me, my dear"
Il have never kept but one thing from
you, Dorothy" said Rachel. mournfully
and that was the name of--of~-him
, Il was Valentine Harrington.
Dear heaven cried Mrs Damas
, with blank amazement Il have beef
, as blind as a bat, Well. he has beer
, here to-day And what has happened 2
! Rachel laughed nervuSssy, and point
ing 50 the crimson stain on the bosom
I Of the girl in the picture.
. ~ 81 chat - hn said 81 hwVsA fANrNs