Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-07-25
Fiction
Mrs. Desmond's clear voice.

Mrs. Desmond's clear voice.
And. turning she found herself
shaking hands with the tall. bronzed
man who had changed so little and
yet so much in those few years.
The few words of greeting over, ana
he moved after his hostess. as the
lion of the evening. while Ray heard
again in imagination his words Ia
her ears; Say Yes sweetheart
cannot give you up and In that
moment realized what she hal
thrown away.
An evening party of regrets, how
ever, is an impossibility to a pretty
and well known woman, and Rays
card, full for every dance, left no
time for "reminiscences. Only o-,r
the heads of her partners did she get
glimpses of Lowell in the distance.
and always, as it seemed to her, IN
close proximity to Nelly, Mrs. Des-
mond's pretty sister Ray felt the
evening a failure, and was sore ut
heart over the hopes she knew she
had built on it.
Il hear you have become a cele-
brated woman since we met last,
Miss Desmond. You must let me
congratulate YOU"
Ray colored as she thought of the
fulhllment of her hearts desire.
81 think the congratulations should
be on my side" she said. What
wonders you have accomplished"
And she glanced half shyly into
the grave face beside her
Thanks" he said briefly. Il
wanted work, and was fortunate
enough to get it."
Are you going back?" she could
not resist asking.
Yes; am only home for a short
rest
And he turned to greet some old ac-
quaintance.
Life from that evening seemed to
Ray to center around Lowell. Mrs.
Desmond. bent on her sisters enter
tainment, embarked on an amending
series of small dinners, evenings at
the theater, dances boating parties,
and every sort of amusement-all OF
which included him. Somewhat to
her sister-in-law' surprise, Ray also
seemed bent on a course of gayety,
and accepted every invitation with a
reckless disregard for work as sur
prising as it was unusual
Only just this once" she said to
herself-"only this one chance; and
then, if all is over, life shall never
mean anything but work again. Sure
~ child like Nelly can never salts
fy him now! She amuses him, just
as child would; but man wants
more than that in a wife
Everything did not quite begin ana
end in dancing and gayety even for
Nelly in those days which appeared
to Ray a never ending whirl. The
ordinary intimacy which springs from
frequent meetings had to a certain ex-
tent thawed the ice between her and
Lowell, and she talked well on most
subjects, he had found. But, how
ever interesting the conversation, it
was Nelly's lovely, laughing face Ray
felt that he was always studying,
Nelly's voice for which he listened.
The season was nearly over, and in
the dusk of a summer evening Ray
entered Mrs. Desmond's drawing
room, hoping that chance might at
least have brought one other visitor
beside herself. The room was emp
ty. and she sat down to dream and
wait in the twilight. Outside, the
murmur of a well known voice told
her who was there, though no words
reached her, and she felt nervous now
az meeting the man she had hoped to
find. She sat listening In the dusk
to the far away hum of the busy city.
The voices in the balcony sank lower
and lower, until presently the speak
ers began walking up and down anu.
distinct on the evening air came the
low, subdued words as they passed;
Doing something? Is that your
ideal, too? Years ago it was a woman
who must do something who sent me
away. The pain is over now, but
want to teach my wife myself what
to do. Is she going to let me, sweet
one? Can she give me any hope?'
The two moved slowly away, ana
Ray. with a tremulous, smothered sob,
softly left the room.