Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-04-26

Never mind me, she says. with the
| soft, undulating music in her voice
which she can summon at will Tell
me May" there is just the
slightest hesitation at the name, lit
tie catching of the breath, but he
doesn't notice it.
About May?" he says, in the vague
way characteristic of the man-lover.
You are, suppose, formally en-
gagged to her now?"
En-. y>sl" he says, and, with lit
| tie touch of color on his face, he holds
up his finger. on which Mays ring re-
poses. Yes. quite formally. Mr.. Dial.
| ton saw no objection
A smile of scorn swept for a second
over the beautiful face.
Indeed, he wanted to be particu-
| larly generous, to play the benevolent
| father-in-law-in short, he offered to
make me a present of forty thousand
| pounds on our wedding day, but, of
course. l told him that was impos-
sible"
you refused?"
/ "Of course. l told him that if he
liked to settle it on May, for her own
separate use, | would settle a like
amount also; but that as TO handing
me forty thousand pounds as a dowry
lit was not to be thought of"
You offered TO settle forty thous-
and pounds on her" says Rose, slowly,
! her lips set tight. a jealous, envious
| fire consuming her. Eighty thousand
pounds. this underlined girl-from no.
where. whom no one knew-was to
| have, while she-she-the great Lon
don beauty, was set on one side. ut
is large sum- she says, almost in
audibly.
Not too large" he says. careless
! iy; the estate can stand it, and we
must rot BE- outdoHc by the father Oh
no, not too large. And my mother
Las Withdrawn her objection! l can
Tot understand why she should object
SO strongly"
You see she knew SO little of her
knows so little of her now. OF course
she has told you all about her past
life?"
No, don't know that she hast"
No" with a faint little smile of
surprise. Really, no" Girls are
usually so very communicative under
such circumstances. / should have
tt ught that she had told you every
thing. concealed nothing"
Everything, he repeats. Con
cealed! What on earth can she have
to conceal?" and his hand goes up to
his mustache
The beauty looks at him from the
corner of her half-closed eyes. some
what as a cat might look at a mouse
with whom she is playing.
Conceal Oh. nothing" she an
swers. with a soft little laugh. Though
l think no girl can reach womanhood
without having something to conceal,
and her life has been so-varied."
| Heron makes an irritable drive at
the log, which sends up an angry
shower of sparks.
"Of course, goes on the soft. must
cal yoice, "of course, Lady Letchford
is only too ready to be suspicious and
will have it. though | have laughed
ner out of the idea, that May is some
what of a nirt | tell her that she
has only seen her twice. and that one
must not draw conclusions from
girls conduct at a ball. OF course,
there will be rumors about new peo-
| pie. but it is ridiculous to listen to
| them"
"Rumors?" he says, gnawing his
mustache and frowning at the fire as
| the barbed arrows insinuate them
selves into his mind. "Rumors-her
past life-a f1irt," he mutters. and be.
! fore him rise the recollection of the
locket and the expression of embar-
rassment and trouble which stole over
Mays face when he spoke TO her on
the subject.
The beauty smCoths her dress and
turns the rings on her white fingers.
! absurd, isn't it," she says with
little laugh But Lady Letchford will
forget all her wild suspicious and
| prejudices now, am sure. We must
do our best to dispel them-for your
sake" and her voice drops.
He looks up, half curious. half anxi-
Gus. He is not thinking Of his mothers
suspicious. but Of the locket-of the
confounded locket for which he had
divod and about which May has main.
tanned so mysterious a silence-for It
| seems mysterious now.
Pom my word" he says with an
uneasy laugh, I'D better get May to
write short account of her life up to
, the present date, so that my mother
may be satisfied"
do not" she says. with a playful
shake of the head. Believe me, that
! innocent flirtations with the music
, master and so on would read quite
Dlackly in your eyes. Let the past
rest, Heron. and take May as she is.
! And / am quite sure she is pretty
enough to make one forget her past
quite love her for standing so woman
/ ly to her colors. A girl with anything
less than her spirit would have re-
treated before such an attack"
"You are right" he said warmly.
! She has been cruelty used. poor
! child"
A jealous. malicious sheer distorts
the beautiful face. which is hidden for
moment behind the screen she rails
es.
Never mind. she says, she will
have her reward"
ss-n marrying me do YOU mean ?" he.