Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-02-02
the empress of the old and the en-
press of the new world.
CHAPTER w.

I pIAdlllgt tHt bIu lfluy hFlIOlllCu uCl
guests, and with stately patrician cold
ness the young lady accepted it; then
she turned to Sir Heron. 81 thought
you were at Palestine!" and this,
notwithstanding Lady Letcnford had
expressly mentioned in her note that
S.r Heron was at home!
AS for Vane he assumed at ouce the
bon camarade air. Like all the
Vavasours, he was extremely well IA
vored A perfectly oval waco, Grasp,
golden hiar, blue eyes that expressed
Just what their owner wished them to
express, and golden mustache that
emphasized rather than concealed
perfectly shaped mouth.
He wrung Sir Heron's hand with a
heartiness that set aside for the mo-
ment his even-bred languor.
"Awfully glad to come by dear
fellow! Awfully kind of Lady Letcn-
ford to ask us! Decided on the mo-
ment. Rose threw up Lord knows
now many engagements"
I'm sorry" said Sir Heron. Miss
Vavasour has accepted in haste to
repnt at leisure"
Then came more entertainments and
dinner parties which, for exclusiveness
rivaled the famous parties of the
Versailles Court.
Lady Letchford was not at al
"She shall see," she thought, with
all mothers pride, "how high a
I Of 81 to
nothing better than my sen, Sir
Heron"
And, indeed, Sir Heron stood out
with sufficient distinctness to war
rant his mothers pride. The Letch-
cords were as famous for their beauty
as for their hauteur, and Sir Heron
lad inherited not only the Letchford
baeuty, but the Granvilles-his
mothers. Above the crowd of Berk-
shire society his tall figure and dark,
patrician face lowered pre-cminent.
Rose Vavasour saw this; she saw
also that the Letchfords ruled as a
1 power in the land, AMI felt that Vane
was right, and that even a fashionable
{
done well in marrying a Lechford Of
the Void.
But what about Sir Heron? Well,
/ for the first few days he watched the
comedy enacted before his eyes with
amused Indifference. He saw his
mother, the great Lady Letchford, pit
| ted against and overcome by the Lon
don beauty; ne looked en- the scene as
If he were disinterested spectator
at theater, and noted her powerful
sway-the sway which the fashionable
goddess exercised over the BerR-
shire society, and then--and then-the
subtle influence of her exquisite love-
| Illness, of her many mplishments,
of her indescribable charms, made
themselves felt, and he began to
think that If ne must choose a mate,
he could not do better than choose this
beautiful queen, who reigned over all
who came within her magic circle,
and who seemed fitted to adorn even
so exalted Il position as that of mis-
tress Of Letchford Void.
And to him the fashionable beauty
was gracious and yielding; however
cold and precise she was to others,
to him she was always warm and af-
fable. His lightest wish seemed law
to her. Once at luncheon he had ven
turcd to criticise a ruf1le which sac
wore around her white, stately neck,
and his idle careless words had been
noted by her. his opinion followed
This, the suttlest kind of fattery,
told upon him, and Sir Heron, If not
actually in love. was on the border
land thereof.
When a woman VINO is cold to all
others is warm to you, then beware OF
her!
But, half smitten as he was, Sir
Heron still remained lord of himself
and heritage OF Woe" and often,
when some party had been planned by
Lady Letchford he would, utterly dis
regarding it, take his gun or walking
stick and set off on a shooting expedi-
ton by himself
He never offered any explanation or
put forward any excuse,
No oXpostulations or entreaties
would force or urge him from his re-
solve. With the LetChford smile he
would put the remonstrance aside and
so on his way.
1t happened that on the morning fol
lowing the evening on which May and
Carrie had seen him and his guests,
Vane and Rose Vavasour, he came
down to breakfast in his shooting coat
and CATERS. his gun in hand, and his
dogs barking and yelping outside the
door.
Lady Letchford had arranged visit
to Lady Bromwich, at the Grange-a
visit involving luncheon and perhaps
an impromptu dinner-and nad counted
upon Sir Herons presence. she look
ed up as he entered, gun in one hand
game bag and cartridges in the other,
and uttered faint remonstrance.