Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-08-09

tionship. and you left them with the
impression that you had been a wit
ness to a clandestine meeting of
lovers, that you had found her to be
treacherous and faithless''
She pauses; he does not speak, but
stands looking down at her with
strange expression on his haggard
race; heI voice. soft and low and sub
tly melodious. scarcely reaches him.
He Is looking back TO that awful even
ing and wondering why the chann.l
she speaks OF should have played into
her hands Sure are we. the sons of
rlen, the sport of the malicious godsl
She pauses and touches her lips with
the cdIe of her handkerchief
''You wonder why / did this. No.
You think that l was anxious to be-
come | ady Letchford, mistress Of tho
Wold; that | was scheming for wealth
and position. You are wrong, partly
wrong, at least l was scheming for
the title and the wealth; how else
could it be? What is the aim of a wo-
manlilie ne? They call me a beauty;
well, let it he so. Beauty is worthy
If its hire. But it was not altogether
that and she pauses and looks at
him with a calm slnile on her face.
which has, however. suddenly grown
hite. Heron, loved you"
He starts slightly and puts up his
hand
For heavens sake" he says hoarse-
| ly, spare us aoth!, Let there be an
end of this"
| She arises and stands lingering her
jeweled bracelet, but still looking at
him steadily.
i There can be in one minute. You
think that | should be ashamed to
/ speak thus, having lost you There is
no shame. There shall be truth be-
tween us at this parting. loved you,
Heron, and my very love gave me
strength and will 10 endeayor to save
you from this disgrace"
He starts and his face hardens again.
81 thought it disgrace then; I think
! 1t doubly disgraceful now that the
| father turned out a mean advcnturer."
lie stops her, his Impotence ex-
naustej at last.
10 what may all this tend. may
ask"
simply to this" she answers, that
you may know fully why l, Rose Vava-
sour, the future Warehouses Of Corn
vale'-and she arises to ner full
height, "once stopped to scheme for
the honor of your hand Goodnight,
gcod-by, indeed l SHOULD like to ut
ter the usual conventional wishes for
your happiness, but l know too much
If the world to hope for any good to
arise from an unequal marriage. Good
| BY Sir HeTon!"
Heron goes to the door and opens
| it, accompanies her to the carriage
ana puts her in, with calm, cold cour-
tesy, and then returns to the house,
marveling, more sorrowfully than
Eangrily, that such beautiful form
should ilclose so hard and cold a
heart Perhaps it is as well that he
cannot see her as she sits. her head
bent in her hands, the whole beautiful
form working In the agony OF dlSap-
pointed love and wounded pride.
1t takes him five minutes to recover
himself, then he goes upstairs and
knocks at his mothers door, and in re-
Spouse TO the feeble Come in" he
enters.
The poor, proud old woman is sitting
in her chair, her face leaning on her
hand. the whole attitude so eloquent of
hope deferred and unspoken wretched-
ness that his heart smites him.
Mother" he says, in softer accents
then he had spoken for years,
| mother"
At the well-beloved voice she arises
hurriedly, holding the arm of her
chair; then she utters a low, heart
rending cry and falls fainting into his
arms.