Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-12-20

is worse to have a rival when one is
cursed with a jealous temperamant,
passionate in love, and equally pas
sionate in hate. My cousin and | both
loved Rose Dumaresque. lie had
loved her before did, but then he had
met her first. He had known her for
TWO long weeks before my eyes had
rested "a her and This madness had
taken possession of me. And yet l
can hardly call it madness, for knew
that l would have laid down my life
for her in cold blood, that l would
have bridged chasm for her that
she might cross in safety over my
body, and next moment have dropped
gladly into the gulf. l believed that
she might make of me what she would,
ever bride and control my hitherto
UNCOVER ned passions, and raise me to
her own lofty standard but l knew,
too, there was nothing | wouli not
stoop to for her sake, no crime that
would not dare to win her.
I looked at my cousin, and wondered
il he loved her as did.
No; Edward Torrington-we both
bore the same name, though | had
been rechristened TED. while his bap-
tismal name had stuck to him-was
not the man TO count alls fair in love
and war. There was a nobility in his
character as well as appearance which
forbade such sophistry, and sometimes
used to think moodily he WIS more
fit to mate with her than I.
Edward was tall, and spare of build.
like all our family, except myself, with
a heavy. red-brown mustache, and
eyes of that deep violel blue which is
said to betoken great spirituality. He
was a handsome man, far handsomer
than I. who had none of the family
looks to boast of; it was always
mystery where I got my dark skin. ir-
regular features, and broad shoulders
from.
We were unlike in other ways, for
| was wild and hayward, while Ed
ward had fixed principles, and lived
up to them. And yet. in spite of his
virtues, which no one recognized, and,
If the truth must be told, enyied, more
than did. there was rigidity in his
ideas want of ardor in HIS affec-
tions, at which l chafed.
Edward loved Rose, but his magma
ton could go no farther. He would
go no farther. He would talk calmly
of her beauty, her excellence, AMI,
with the same calmness, criticise per-
lection until / would leave him in
evaporation lest | should betray m
self.
At such times had wild desire to
speak to her of my own love; and yet,
when the opportunity came, would
hesitate Edward was her favorite;
years ago they had met, when she was
little schoolgirl and he grave youth
at college, AM with the remembrance
OF these days upon them both, he
called her Rose, and she called him
Edward She had confidence in
him which l felt mserably she with
held from me. And yet with her
would always try TO curb myself, TO
speak on matters with which | knew
she was in sympathy, and to keep ST
lence on the distorted views | held of
men and things.
Did she care for me at all? There
had been time of sweet intimacy, all
too short, between us, when she had
lifted her eyes to mine with glances
that bewiliered me, when she had
/ looked upon me with dazzling smiles
moments when my pulse had beat
high and | had dared to hope. But
! that l believed to be before she had
come to hear of my wild reckless life,
| Her manner had slowly changed
! True, / had myself altered Doubt
had entered into my soul, and was
brusque and curt, and / am sure some
| times she must have felt strangely
puzzled She could not know that il
was thus / strove to mask my real
feelings, for | was miserable always
but never more so than when | saw
her together with Edward.
One of these days stands out in my
memory. 1t was a. warm afternoon in
June, and Miss Dumaresque haG come
over to see my mother and beg her
patronage for charity she was in.
terested in. Rose Dumaresque had
never looked more fair in my eyes,
and apparently in Edwards. for he
was in attendance on her with an adj
miration that he seldom showed.
They were walking the garden paths
together when / described them, she
in her white robe, with cluster of
roses in her silver waist belt, and Ed
ward, in his light summer suit, with a
straw hat tilted far forward over his