Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-04-06
CHAPTER XII.


he ever looks Dack-say when he Is
smoking his afterdinner cigar, for 1t
Is then that man travels into the
regions of the past, ana calls up for
his special delight the sins and the
follics OF his youth--lf he ever looks
back, 1t Is on 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--tho5e 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.
membrance 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 dead and gone
pleasure which can compare with
this.
For the first time In his life he has
tasted loye-~through three seasons OF
were ready TO Vavasour herself-the
beauty before whom the fashionable
world has knelt with awe-striCken
homage, has been powerless and now
this little brown-eyed girl. with her
moCldng laugh and rose-red lips this
daughter Of parvenu has caught
him and holds him fast and sure
There Is no DENYING It, Sir Heron
acknowledges, as he stands in the pelt,
Ing rain, putting at the cigar, which,
with the greatest difficulty. he has sue
Cecded In lighting. that he Is in love.
Even now he can feel her soft, warm
arm around his neck, hear the shy
"Hcron, | love you" in his ears, and
snatch mysterious delight from the
remembrance.
pacing up and down in the rain, look
ing at the many windows of Gresham
House and wondering which Is hers.
II IL only the striking Of the stable
clock that awakes him from his de-
lightrul 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 Sill Heron timid, and vet
rs he thinks OF his proud mother. ana
the manner In which she will receive
the tdings. his spirits SINK
"Why folly 1t Isl" he mutters,
aloud AS If she were not good and
sweet enough to grace an emperor's
throne"
But all the same he shrinks little
and AS he turns toward home, he
realizes. for the first time, that II Is
raining hard, and that his light over
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 a loose shooting Jacket. and with
grim smile. goes into the drawing
room, But even as he passes through
the hall, he stops and looks around
and thinks with thrill, how SWeetlN
the graceful figure and beautiful face
will light up the somher, oak.carve,
n wallis
Then he pushes aside the curtaif
and enters the drawingfoom
Lady letchford ls still sitting, up
right rs n darr. in her hgh,backet
chair, Rose Navasour is reclining, il
an attitude that a sculptor might copy
on couch before the Are Nane, witt
shadow Of smile ON his hand
some face. is louuging ON an ottoman
All look mp AS the tall figure enters
and Nane leans forward and pokes tn
fire.
Have you only Just returned
! Heron" asks Lady letehford
: II Is needless to say that she ha
been listening for his footsteps in tn
: hall
Only just" he said. lightly
"Then--you must be wet through.
!. she says, grimly,