Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-07-19
Continued.

hands in his and stands looking down
at her, an eager light in his eyes.
Miss Dalton-May Why should I
strive to hide my heart from you? I
have known that I loved you for
months past | think loved you the
first time I saw you. l 10 love you
most passionately. Dare hope to
win your love in return?"
Startled and agitateG. she stands
trembling and in silence.
She has endured much already to-
night, this revelation of a good, pure
honest love cverwhe,ms her.
Nothing dauntel by her silence, his
clasp on her hands tightens.
81 frighten YOU" he says, gently,
evidently depressing his eagerness
with a great effort 81 do not mean
to do So l did not mean to tell you
this tonight. | meant to keep silent
for some little tine TO come. until
until you had leagne,l to know ME bet
ter. But SUCH love as mine is hard
TO silence. | have carried it about
with me, part and parcel Of myself,
for months past Sleeping and wax
ing, your face, your dear voice, has
been beside me. Forgive me if | am
too rough and mperative--" for May
shrinks back and strives, family
strives, to withdraw her hand. This
love of mine has taken such posses
sion of me that | am blind to all else.
May, dear May, how could one help
loving YOU Not /. at least! I do
love you with all my heart and soul,
and now-what are you going to deal
out to me?"
He pauses, his handsome face pale
and anxious
May looks up suddenly, her lips
tremulous, her eyes moist, looks up
with an appealing, implor.ng gaze.
ION, no-no!" she mu-murs. Don't
don't say thisi"
His lips culver. but he smiles with
little earnest gesture.
But l must say it. You-you will
not tell me that | am not to hope.
Hope! do not ask you to say that
you return the love l bear you. No,
how could you? But l ask you, most
humbly, tc let me try AMI win your
love-"
May covers her face with her hands,
anu the tears course down her face.
She knows as surely as if an angel
whispered in her ear thai there is a
love offered TO her which the proudest
woman on earth would do well to grasp
and cherish-a love which falls to
the lot of few of the daughters of men.
If she could bu- put away with firm
hand that other wild passionate. hope
less love whose lame Turns with the
torture of despair in her innermost
heart
Silently the tears course down her
cheeks, each tear falling like molten
lead in his heart as lie stands and
looks at her
MAY" he says. at last, is there no
hope? Am | too late? Are you 60
ing to tell me what have dreaded to
hear; that there is some one else
some other claim upon you?" and his
voice breals.
With a wild gesture Of sor1owful re
greet she raises her face to his and
clasps his hand.
ooh, why did You tell me this? Why
why should you love me? You who
are so noble and good, SC far, far
above me. am not worthy of such
love as yours. Too late! Is 1t too
late? l wish-I wish I had been
dead before | came here to make you
unhappy"
''Hush-hush," he says, and he
raises her hand to his lips. DO not
say any more. Unhappy! You have
not made me unhappy. My greatest
happiness lies in my love for you. 1t
IS better to have loved and lost than
never 10 have loved at all Hush.
Do not cry / cannot bear that"
NO" says May. Il am not cry
ing. Brt--but am so unhappy" and
II the depth of her self-reprcach' she
draws1 .arer to him ard lays her hand
upon is arm.
Her nalf-caress scatters his self-con,
tTol TO the winds.
With low cry he takes her hand
anil looks down at her with passionate
longing.
May. do not send me away quite
quite hopeless, | canrot bear it. Tell
me that 1 may nope, that | may hope
n lime years forward, if you like
TO win yon! 10 not take all hope
from me-"
May looks from side to side, tor
tur2d by his passionate entreaties. her
heart melting with pity and reproach-
fri tenderness. II canno- tell YOU
she says. DO not say another worG
I-I-let me go now. Do not say an
other word"
Not one word" he says, earnestly.
a CLEAN of hope f1t shing in mis- eyes
mot one word will wait, yes,
maternity Leave me but hope Good
night, dear dear May" and with a
reverence and tenderness which would
have befit.ed knight of oil, he lifts
her hands to his bps and let's her go.
Gordon stands and looks after her.
watching her with that lingering, wist-
full look of a great and unselfish love,
Until her slim. graceful figure has
faded away in the twilight then he
turns and goes slowly homeward
For months this love of his has been
growing. hut nofuntil this moment has
ne known how dear she was 10 him.
Gordon is no narrOw-minded cleric:
vicar of the country village as he is,
he is also a man Of the world. Captain
of the college eleven. stroke in the