Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-04-05
CHAPTER XII.

Sir Heron Letchford is no saint If
he ever looks Dacl-say when he is
smoking his after-dinner cigar. for it
is then that a man travels into the
regions of the past, and calls up for
his special delight the sins and the
follies Of his youth-if he ever looks
back, it is on a picture which must
needs be anything but pleasant Sir
Heron has his own cupboard full OF
grisly skeletons and gliding phantoms.
He has sOwn his wild oats-those oats
which spring up into a harvest which,
not seldom, other people have to
gather-but, as he stands under the
dripping trees he can call up the re
membrane of no pleasure which has
yielded him tenth part of the delight
which he has drunk so deeply of to-
night,
Through these past years he can
search in vain for a dead and gone
pleasure which can compare with
this.
For the first time in his life he has
tasted love-through three seasons of
beautiful women-almost any Of whom
were ready 10 Vavasour herseIf-the
beauty before whom the fashionable
world has knelt with awe-stricken
homage, has been powerless-and now
this little brOwu-eyed girl. with her
knocking laugh and rose-red lips this
daughter of a parvenu, has caught
him and holds aim fast and sure.
There is no DENYING it, Sir Heron
acknowledges, as ne stands in the pc II
ing rain. putting at the cigar. which
with the greatest difficulty he has sue
ceeded in lighting. that he is in love.
Even now he can feel her soft, warm
arm around his neck, hear the shy,
Heron. | love you" in his ears, and
snatch a mysterious delight from the
remembrance
An hour passes and stills finds him
pacing mp and down in the rain, look
ing at the many windows of Gresham
House. and wondering which is hers.
1t is only the striking of the stable
clock that awakes him from his de-
lightful dream, and recalls him TO the
fact that he has to break that dream
to others.
His greatest enemy would not Ven
ture to call Sir Heron timid, and yet
as he thinks OF his proud mother. ant
the manner in which she will receive
The tidings, his spirits sink
why folly it is" he mutters,
aloud AS if she were not good and
sweet enough TO grace an emperor'sI
throne"
But all the same he shrinlls little
and as he turns toward home. he
realizes. for the first time, that it is
raining hard, and that his light ove.-I
coat is wet through.
THAT won't improve matters, he
thinks. grimly "The mother would not
think any woman worth getting wet
for"
So, when he reaches home he goes
TO his room and changes his wet coat
FOR loose shooting jacket, and, with
a grim smile. goes into the drawing
room. But even as he passes through
the hall. he stops and looks around,
and thinks, with a thrill. how sweetly
the graceful figure and beautiful face
will light up the somber, Oak-carved
walls
Then he pushes aside the curtain
and enters the drawing-room.
Lady Letchford is still sitting, up
right as dart in her high-backed
chair. Rose Vavasour is reclining, in
an attitude that a sculptor might copy
with
a shadow of smile on his hand !
some face. is lounging on an ottoman. |
All look up as the tall figure enters, |
and Vane leans forward and pokes the
fire
Have you only just returned, |
Heron? ?" asks Lady Letchford,
It is needless to say that she has
Leen listening for his footsteps in the
hall.
'Only just he said. lightly.
A'Ther--you must be wet through"
she says. grfmly-
Not quite through. but it is raining
pretty smartlv."
4 hope they didn't get wet" says
Rose Vavasour, with the most elabo-
rate and unmeaning politeness.
Not very much" says Sir Heron.
HAS Miss Dalton quite recovered
asks Vane, stroking his mustache.
but With the same mocking smile.
quite. thanks says Sir Heron.
Lady Letchford looks up. Why the
thanks ?" Why should he. Heron
thank Vane for inquiring after this
girl?
quite an abrupt termination ,nur-
mars Rose Vavasour.
Abrupt, butts not too soon" say
Lady Letchford. frIsidly. i am not
d weak-mindcd woman. but another
half-hour Of the torture would have
driven me to an illness"
Trying kind Of individual drawls
Vauc. languidly, but WITH his half
closed ewes full on Heron, who stands
silently 'statuesque By the fire
The man" says Lady Letchford 4
is worse than the girls and that is
aging "A great deaf It has never !
been my misfortune TO meet with the
new kind Of parvenu. but can quite
ndorse all that IS said of them. II /