Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-03-15

but an ocean, that divides them A
ladylke young woman, dressed in
BLACK and wearing a plain mob-cap
comes downstairs and drops them a
courtesy. 1t IS Lady Letchford's own
maid
The ,wo girls follow her up the
broad stairs and along the corridors to
a large guest-room, in which every
! chair and table and picture seems to
whisper, haughtily; @! am of the old
nobility" And the maid relieves them
of their cloaks. intellectually kneels
and arranges their dresses, and then,
with another curtsey. conducts them
down to the hall again, where Mr.. Dali
ton awaits them, feeling as if he had
just undergone cold bath. He had
I been prepared for magnifcence and
GRANDEUR kind of Guildhall splendor
and he could have borne up under
/ it, however splendid it might have
| been: but this vast oak-paneled hall
he dim light falling or the portraits.
the battered flags oyerwhelm him At
that moment he wished himself back
I III IIA5 Wv Il SOl StOuo III dM lIG-l OOlli
The servant, too oppressed him fear
fully. he stood so still and solemn in
his dark livery, his eyes fixed on the
ground, his whole bearing eloquent of
his surprise at the presence of such a
common mortal in the sacred house of
the l-etchfords.
On May and Carries temperance.
| 40. ,4E ;n1 -,
pair of heavy tapestry curtains. draws
them aside, and, opening a door, an
nounces in subdued tone:
MIR. and the Misses Dalton"
1t is a long room, filled with a sub
dued light, that harmonizes with the
! furniture of dark oak and ebony; here
and there are patches of crimson and
COLA, but only just sufficient to relieve
the warm solemnity of the whole.
The tall stately black-satin clad
figure of Lady Letchford arises and
ONES toward them with white out
stretched hand, on which glitters three
| hoops of diamonds and emeralds.
How do you do?" she says, hadrly
suppressing the shudder that runs
through her as Mr.. Dalton's large hand
hot through his glove-incloses her
own thin one. ''Your eldest daughter
and | are already-acquainted Civ
ing her hand to May who takes it and
does not inclose it, much to the old
lady's relief; "and this is your young
t-Miss-Miss-
"C4-..e," says Mr.. Dalton, his voice
sounding coarse and hard, though it is
only half its usual volume "Christen-
ed Caroline. my lady, but girls are
never satisfied with the names their
9odfathers and gOdmothers give EN- -
Carrie is much prettier than Caro-
| line murmurs the old lady, as she
fixes her glance upon poor Carrie: but
as the half-clised eyes rest on the
sweet, childish face, dosncast and
frightened, something of the cold steel
drops from tn I'm, and the thin lips
close with a smile. You must be
cold, my dear" she says; come to the
fire; this is Miss Vavasour."
Then the beauty comes forward-she
Is dressed in some material which is
neither silk, nor satin, nor velvet, a
soft kind of plush, in color neither
mauve, nor blue, nor gray, but a neu-
| trail tint composed of all tia which
sets off her fair, regular loveIu ess to
the fullest advantage. an embodiment
of perfect grace and breeding Placid
and serene as a sonata of Schubert's,
or landscape of Canaletto, she seems
part and parcel of the stately room.
and fit companion to the patrician ole
| lady who rules in it.
May takes it all in-the beauty, the
| grace, the patrician air-at a glance,
and then for the first time, uncon.
( NOR, RECEIVERS her self-possession, and
grows courageous and at her ease, and
| gives back smile for smile
For Rose Vavasour is too clever to
| spoil the play by undertaking her part
1t is no part of the play to freeze these
| plebians into good behavior, and so
make them appear passable- they
must be encouraged to show them
| selves in their true colors; they must
| be lured into displaying their vuI-
garity to the full; Sir Heron must be
! clearly and Enthusiastically made to feel
! that they are uncomfortable.
So she smiles, and talks as freely
as if she and the Daltons had known
and loved each other for years.
| Carrie seated on a low chair beside
Lady Letchford, listens to the brisk
conversation between May and the
] beauty with iil-concealed surprise and
satisfaction. After all, these grand
| people are not so very terrible But.
May, while she talks with apparent
ease. has one ear o. en--sensitiyely and
acutely open to the other two voices
the thin, subdued one of old Lady
Letehford. and the hard. coarse one of
Mr.. Dalton
Yes, my lady" he is saying. q like
the place. Can't say I've any fault to
find with it There's everything a
man could desire-soiFs gravelly. stu
walton Ugh. and the uniting is first
rate. Does Sir Heron unt?-of
course he does, though"
My son has been away from home
for some years. The hounds were
kept here for forty years until his
time"
PITY Sir Heron don't take EN-
over again: ShamefulIy mismanaged
now; -ahem-thought Of putting up
for the mastership myself but, of
Z