Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-03-01
IContinued.

and the beauty smiles down upon her
with placid serenity.
Il am afraid you are very tired,
dear Lady Letchford." she says, soft
ly.
Tired Sir doyn, my dear Rose.
Tired am not so tired, Z am
disgusted
DISCUS, l have said once or
twice that l wuold not so to this ball.
1t has always been horror to me at
the best of times; but. tonight" and
she emits faint groan.
Rose Vavasour leans back and toys
with her spoon
Gatherings of this sort always are
announcement"
announcement echoes the baro-
ness. Dangerous, positively danger
Gus! My dear, it would be absurd to
attempt concealing the annoyances
which Sir Herons conduct tonight has
caused ne. l cannot understand how
he could have behaved so abomin-
ably"
'Did he do anything so very dread
full" murmurs Rose Vavasour. "Are
you not making-well, the worst of it,
my dear Lady Letchford? Men viii
be--well, men,"
Ordinary men, perhaps" is the
naughty rejoiner But my son-Sir
Heron Letchford-is not an ordinary
man, and cannot commit indiscretion
with impunity. Surely you could
not fail to observe the attention, the
marked attention. he paid to that
lat girl"
ut was certainly obvious enough to
attract notice. You mean the girl
in white satin-she was very pretty
beautiful. rather"
Beautiful" eXclaIms the baroness
with naughty Impotence, "if she were
as beautiful as Venus, it would be NO
excuse for Sir Heron's conduct; all the
room noticed it--that detestable Lady
Snatchbull even sneered at it. 1t will
be all over the country tomorrow, and
that is not the worst of it. If it had
been another man Il might have passed
without remark, Jut Sir Heron f.
noted for his indifference and Austen,
tion from this sort of thing, and that
makes his conduct tonight so NOTICE
able; and this girl, too-one quite out
of our own set-a nobody"
rs it not rather an advantage? Sill
Heron will not be likely to meet her
again; perhaps she oomes from the
other side of the county, Dear Mrs
Letchford | think, really think you
are making too much of this. and
troubling yourself with to little cause;
mere passing fancy-she was ex
tremely pretty-that he will forget be
fore breakfast tomorrow"
Forget! The other end of the
county. My dear, the girl lives with
in stones throw of us-she belongs
to those miserable new people-the re
tired sugar boiler or whatever he is
the Daltons, who have bought the
property adjoining the Void"
A faint flush Of surprise, Dwell
scarcely alarm--comes over the pale
face.
so near she murmurs, "Ah
yes, l remember the name. We were
talking about them when we were
walking through the wood the other
night. You do not know them?'
Know them" exclaims the baro
ness, staring. rs it possible? They
are-simply too uncomfortable The
girl is-is--tha best of them ALL" she
continues, reluctantly, "but the man
the father is-oh, quite inadmissible."
rs he so very bad, them" asks
Rose, quietly.
Vulgar In the extreme Surely
you must have seen him at church? A
short. fat, red-faced little MANN
fact, just such man as you would
think one of his class would be. If
could have forescen that | should have
been brought int contact with them
you heard thai woman Turner intro
duce the girl?'
Yes answers Rose, musingly. "It
was very unfortunate our coming upon
them just at that moment"
'"Ieron on his knees!" exclaims the
baroness.
He had torn her dress. She is not
only pretty, but what is w0rse-clever
Yes, and the introduction! l am
afraid IS owly-"that Sir Heron will
ask you to call upon them"
Call upon theml" exclaims the
baroness, angrily, but fearfully. I'm
possible Heron would know that
such a request would not be enter
tanned for a single moIIent"
Il do not know whether muir
murs lie beauty, softly.
Surely breaks in the old lady
wonderingly.
Yes, think would not refuse
should Heron propose the request. In
fact, if l might presume to make a
suggestion l would say-do not wait
for him 10 ask
Too astonished and indignant fol
speech, Lady Letchford regards heI
with a fixed stare. Rose vayasoul
leans back and looks at the fire with
halfclosed eyes.
Yes" she murmurs. Il should cal
on them"
Call on them! Help to bring
them together. Are you aware OF
what you are sa ing, Rose Vavasour?'
Can you keep them apart?" Rose
asks. IF you are right in conclud
ing that Sir Heron is really-attracted
by Miss Dalton, do you think that he
will not avail himself Of their prox
unity. and-you see. am sure, dear