Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-08-02
Continued.


fugitive, hunted like a dog from place
to place, or you'd understand the dis.
trust with which such man views
every human being. l swure May to
secrecy, Sir Heron. You would have
done the same venture to think."
Heron groans.
You are right" ne says; and yet
yet a single word would have dis
pellet the hideous misunderstanding!
Sydney Dalton looks up suddenly.
Who tod you that | was Mays
sweetheart, Sir HeIon?" he asks
quietly
Heron starts and his face pales.
VINO told him? No one. il. SO many
words; but one had. nevertheless,
drawn mis- suspicious that way, and
she, the woman who HAD led him TO
the wood and to the supposed DIS
coyery was to he his future wife.
Rose Vavasour
Sydney Dalton stares at the fire
thorghtfully.
Why didn't you-i, you thought
May was playing you false, Sir Heron
why didn't you cut in between us?
BY Heaven, | should have done it if
! had been in your placer" and his
eyes flashed.
Heron sinks On to the stool aal rests
his heal on his hand as he remembers
how Rose Vavasour's hand he'd him
back,
And how lid You come there?"
asks Sidney Dalton.
4 happened-no, says Heron hoarse-
". I was led thereto the place
where YOU were
sydney Dalton springs to his feet.
BY Heaven," he says, q knew it.
I knew there was somebody lowering
about 1t was a woman. 100 IA fair,
eood-looking girl; l saw her as l was
in hiding waiting for May! ST. Heron,
there's more in this than appears on
the surface! You have behaved cruelty
most cruelty to nay sister if you have
punished her for your own mistake"
Heron hid his face in his hands.
q deserve all your reproaches," he
says. You cannot condemn me more
than / condemn myself have been
q fool and a mailman"
Sydney Dalton paced uD and down,
his handsome face working with emo
ton.
NOW l can understand the poor
girls letter" he says. 4 might have
known that my fathers death and
their poverty wouldn't have crushed
her down so if there hatHt been
sonnet ling else"
Poverty" eXclainis Heron, looking
mp. What 10 you mean
Sydney Dalton looks down at him
Io you mean TO say that you don't
know thar my father died ruined
man, and that May and Carrie hal to
begin the world again with uniy one
friend-my fathers oh c:clk?"
Pale and trembling, Heron stares
at him.
The young fellow smiles bitterly.
why" he says, the blow fell the
same night. Your desertiou must
have beer very instantaneous, Sir
Heron
Speechless, Heron baws his head.
Then he looks up.
q knew nothing of it," he says
wildly. Il knew no word of it," and
he grinds his teeth as he thinks how
cleverly his mother and the rest have
kept ii from him IF / had known
30 you think --- And she said no
word OF it to me when l met her Not
q word"
May is not the one to talk about
her poverty to the wealthy Sir Heron
who had thrown her Off" says Dalton,
bitterly. Poor girl! The brightest,
purest girl in the world She knows
how to bear it. Shes forgotten you
by this time, Sir Heron, depend upon
it; and if she hasn't sent YOU back
Your ring it is because she hasn't it
to send. She gave it to me in mis-
take that night-as she would have
given me the shawl off her back. 1t Is
a satisfaction to me to be able to re-
turn your ring" he says CURLY, and
drops it on the floor at Heron's feet
Heron starts ana stares at it in ST.
1ence for a moment. then he takes it
up and puts it on his finger.
Il accept il" he says, but only to
put it on her hand again. Yes" he
exclaims, striding to and fro wildly,
cit may not be too late-shc may not
have forgotten me. | will win her
forgiveness. A LIES devotion shall
atone for the misery l have done her.
I swear to you, her brother. that l
have never ceased to love her, Day
and night she has been with me, sleep
ing AMI waking, Yes. ] will atone
ana you-even you shall he L Fought
to admit that l have done So
With trembling eagerness he pulls
cut his watch, his eyes flashing, his
lips quivering.
There is no -imc to be LOST" he
says. I'VE must 80 to her at once,
Thank Heaven. I know where TO find
her! In poverty, My dear May. We
must go at once" and in his freazied
impatience he takes up his coat as IL
he had but to drive To the London
terminus AMI book seats for Marley
Sydney Dalton watches him in sad
silence for a moment, then he touches
MIN On the arm.
81 am afraid, Sir Heron" he seys,
that your discovery has come TOO
late"
roo iatv--'' says Heron hoarsely, his
disturbed mind evidently failing to
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