Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-02-01

had known cases OF a relapse, and
she felt that if Sir Heron did go
back to the old life his last state
would be like that Of the man in the
parable, worse than the first He had
sown his wild oats and had left the
field, but if she had allowed him to so
back, he would reap that whirlwind
which is the sure and certain harvest
of all sucn sowings.
So she sat about making the Void
pleasant Reminding him that he was
the master. and she a mere dependent,
or house-keeper; she repaired the
stables; turned one of the dining
rooms into a billiard-room built an
armOry-with her own money; de-
clared solemAIy that she liked the
smell of tob lcco-which she found
uncomfortable seven years ago-and set
about finding a society for him.
Sir Heron demonstrated at the
changes made on his behalf but
Lady Letchford stuck to her task.
you shall not be dull if can help
it, Heron" she said Il visa the
societ was little more brilliant; but
can't repopulate Crawford, can I,
dear?'
At which Sir Heron had laughed in
his careless way, and looked quite con
tent that she could not.
"No, it is not brilliant" said the old
lady musingly, Men and manners
seem to have changed terribly since
l was young. Il is bad form now to
know anything about any other sub
ject than money or politics. | have
sat at the head of this table, with
seven men on each side of me, and
not dull one among them; but they
We're the men of the last generation
Now people think they satisfy all
requirements if they eat and drink
what you give them and hold their
tongues"
We are in the age of silence ma
mere" said Sir Heron.
Indeed" retorted the old lady, with
that tone of steeElike irony which so
often made her friends vince. Isl
lence is golden. l regret that the
golden age should be so intensely dis
agreeable"
Once again, as in the past years, the
Void threw open its tall doors, and
I guests were hidden to the feast. En-
tertainments, which reminded the
elders of the days of the Regency and
astounded the young ones by their
stately splendor, followed each other
in rapid succession. The proud and
anxious mother paraded, as it were, all
the beauty of the county before her
sons eyes. He had but to throw his
! handkerchief, sultan-like and make
his CHOICE but Sir Heron would not
throw his handkerchief-he would
scarcely, so to speak, take it from his
! pocket. The procession of eligible
beauties was marched by in vain.
The dreadful rumor that he was not a
marrying man began to be whis-
pered
Lady Letchford was in despair.
Then she began to think that she had
made a mistake. The selection had
been too large, too imposing. She
thought that she would thin it down
and, having skinned the creme de la
creme, exhibit it for his approval 1t
| Happened at that time, just few
months before Mays arrival at Ores
ham House, that society had set up a
new fashionable, who, unlike many of
her kind, possessed, in addition to her
fatal gift of her exceeding loneliness.
the advantage of decent anteeedents.
| AS Lady Letchford was aware, not a
| few If the formidable beauties had
arisen. like Venus Aphrodite, from the
waters-not by the sea. but by the
gutter, in which they had been dis
covered by some connoisseur in fe-
male charms.
Rose avasour was an execution to
| the too general rule. She was not
only beautiful, but was respectable,
being the second daughter of Sir Ed
ward Vavasour. whose responsibility
was proved by his being a distant-a
very Decentralization of the great
Letchfords.
When Lady Letcnford heard that
Rose Vavasour's photograph, in va
rious picturesque attitudes, was being
exhibited in the shop windows; that
the society papers were full Of para
graphs referring to the same young
lady's nose and eyes, and feet, even;
that a prince of the blood had waltzed
with ner three times in one evening;
that people we're wearing Vavasour
jackets ana carrying VavasOur walking
sticks when Lady LetchfOrd heard all
this, and a good deal more, she was
not horrified-that sentiment Of emo
ton was far too pronounced for her
patrician breeding-but simply filled
with a cold wonder and contempt.
But as rumors Of her young and dis
, tant kinswoman's exquisite loneliness
reached her, and people spoke of the
young lady's manifold charms and ac-
complishments. the old noblewoman
grew thoughtful.
Ordinary beauty was evidently pow
rless to produce any effect on Sir
Heron-perhaps the extraordinary and
manifold charms of Rose Vayasour
might move him.
She remembered taat among Roses
brothers there was certain Va e,
whose name she had heard Sir Haron
mention as that of one of his London
friends: and, with a promptitude
which characterized her. she informed
Sir Heron that she meant to invite
Vane and his sister to spend a fort
night At the Void