Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-08-01

entrance and stood facing her with an
air in which panic and a subtle sense
of humor were bewilderingly blended.
His head was swathed with bandages
and the white setting lent his dark
| features a look of the picturesque, the
unusual. His eyes, fixed upon the
white figure of Lady Morteyne, were
half embarrassed and half amused.
It's what the chaps who write
books would call a deuced awkward
| fix" re said genialig. "Aint it, Kitty
Beg pardon, I'm sure-I forgot. Lady
Morteyne, | meant-but it seems aw-
fully natural to call ones wife by her
Christian name. Beg pardon aeAin--
awfully sorry. OF course, you're not
my wife-hang me if / hadn't forgot.
ten that. too, for the minute say.
/ it wasn't my fault, you know the in.
fernal motor tried to settle me.
Landed on top of me-afraid I'm in a
horrid mess. Your housekeeper-
good old soul-tied me up with
towels and swore you'd gone to dine
at Weycct and wouldn't be back for
hours, or I'd never have come in at
ALL wouldn't, on my honor, Kitty.
Oh. hang. there it goes again-what
a fool l am. l always was a fool you
know-you mustn't mind
Lady Morteyne had come slowly
into the middle of the room. She
held her white furred cloak together
at the throat and her face was pale,
though it did not express any particu-
lar shade of feeling. Il dont-mind,"
she said rather deliberately. Hadn't
you better sit DOWN."
But hadn't / better go?"
There was a touch of remorse in
his gay voice. For a moment he sat
silent looking about the pretty room
with its flowers and pictures-looking,
little furtively. at the pretty woman
by the fire.
"Oh-I've got to congratulate you
he s. i'd suddenly. Hear you're going
TO marry Raymond. First-rate chap,
Raymond; bit of a saint, but l sup
pose you want a change. say,
Kitty, wish you every sort of happi-
ness, you know. I'm bad lot and all
that, and l made mess OF things, but
Pm glad you're going to have another
chance of happiness and-and-Kitty,
dear hope this time Raymond will
bring it off for you better than did .
There was a little change in his
voice. She did not lift her eyes from
the fire.
Thank you" she said quietly.
He was silent She looked still,
meditatively, into the fire.
TITS a bit of ones life," she said in
a low voice. "One-one can't alto
gether forget
You can afford to forget, Kitty; 1t
wasn't your fault. You can put it all
out of your mind and be happy--with
Raymond. | think-sounds rather a
queer thing to say think I'm rather
glad your going to marry again. It
doesn't seem so much as though I'd
spoilt your life-perhaps I've only
spoilt a bit Of it after all-the first
bit?"
There was a question in his voice.
Lady Morteyne drew the cloak up sud
denly over her shoulders as though
she felt cold
"Yes-the first bit she said. s"Buy
think it's the first bit of life that
counts-more than all the rest"
They're an internal time fixing up
that motor he said, half to himself.
She looked up with start.
I'm sorry they're so long. Is your
head hurting you?"
"Yes-no-lots of things are hurt
ing me worse than my head" he said
roughly. kitty, are you going to
bring Raymond hereafter you're mar
ried? No-I shouldn't have asked
you've no right to ask you. know,
Only-we> came here. Hang them, are
they building that motor over again ?"
Were going to Paris" she said.
There was long silence. And still
her thoughts went on as though she
had lost all control over them she
saw Raymond's face--the face which
she had told herself expressed such a
beautiful character, so different from
the character Of the man who sat
looking at her with eyes of thing
that is being tortured She was glad
that he was feeling something of all
that she had felt-gad. Raymond
would make her happy-Raymond,
with his beautiful ideas, his tastes for
everything that was high and improv-
ing to the human race. Somehow at
that moment the though Of Raymond g
passion for improvement left her
cold. But he was a frs rate chap
the phrase stuck In her mind. He
was bit Of saint--perhaps he was
more Of a saint than any one she
knew And-he was her second
chance Of happiness.
She told herself that several times.
It helped to blot out the thought Of
the man sitting looking at her.
Suddenly he rose and began to walk
up and down the room in silence. She
heard the sound Of bis footsteps pass