Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-11
CHAPTER XVII.

Trolling forth an old Jacobite song
and how many of those old Jacobite
songs are glorious-Leola came
bounding down the broad stairs; her
voice rang sweetly and joyously
through the hall, causing the servants
to stop in their work ard smile sym
pathetically-caus Mrs Wetherelf
who was upstairs, to look over the
balustrade and watch the graceful
figure as it fitted over the marble
and to exclaim:
Bless her sweet young heart how
she has changed"
Changed, indeed, Who would have
recognized, but for her hair and eyes,
in the light-hearted, bright-faced girl
literally glowing with happiness, that
went singing down the steps into the
garden, the heavy. pale-faced girl who
sat in the miserable room in Paradise
row? What had worked the change
wealth, prosperity? Well, scarcely
all the credit can be given to those
powerful agences The time had not
long passed since she stood in her
room feeling overweighted by the
very extent and ponderosity of the
grandeur which had fallen upon her:
she felt solitary, oppressed. You will
remember that when she went into
the mushroom that night, she sat
down and sang-what? That sublime
prayer. ave Marie! Ave Maria,"-
sang it from a heart too full and
heavy.
Now, as she moved across the lawn
with that 1.-THE, indescribable grace
peculiar to her, her voice rose, not in
a pathetic, pleading prayer-perhaps
because that former prayer had been
answered-but in joyous old Jaco-
bite ditty-
"wnen Charlie came to our house.
The young cavalier"
The very fading flowers picked up
heart in the bright, autumnal sunlight,
and raised their heads as she passed
them; the birds paused moment to
listen. then joined in Justify; and it
almost seemed as if all nature had
taken up the chorus. and was singing
in unison with the girls sweet voice.
At least, so it seemed to two men
who, standing in the park, listened in
silence. They We're two friends,
Lord Beaumont and Cyril Kingsley
Lord Beaumont had met Cyril as the
former was crossing the park to the
Abbey. and they had stopped to talk.
A friendship, firm and close, almost
brotherhood, had grown up between
these two, a friendship so singular as
almost to be unique.
Beaumont, as his friends declared
never seemed so happy as when he
was with the young farmer who man
aged the Home Farm.
Scarcely a day passed but Beau.
mont would walk down to the farm.
to arrange to meet Cyril somewhere
in the neighborhood.
Sometimes it would be to discuss a
book which they had both read. some
times to ask Cyril's opinion of a
picture, or a sketch, but often just
simply for the pleasure of being with
him and talking to him
Cyril was not only on close terms
with Lord Beaumont, but had won his
way by no unmanly means, to Lady
Howtb's favor. and the earl himself
never failed to speak in the highest
terms of young Kingsley" as he
called him.
There was something about Cyril
which attracted people and then
bound them to him in a peculiar way.
That he was a gentleman at heart
and in manner was palpable to the
slowest observer, although he never
for an hour forsook the plain attire
of a farmer, or went out without his
russell gators. or failed in dignified
respect to his superiors.
IL was curious to see the two friends
together, and one not knowing their
respective positions would have been
induced to say that Cyril was the su.
perior, for Lord Beaumont always de
ferred to his opinion, and spoke of
him with an affection largely tinged
with respect
q believe he said. once to Cicely,
when Cyril had left the studio
Lord Beaumont enticed him there as
often as ne could--'I believe there is
nothing Cyril could not do if he chose
10 .ry He is wonderfully we'll
read. he is a first-rate linguist. he
plays. | am convinced, because l saw
him humming over piece of music
from the score; and as for athletics,
he rides like Mexican, and swims
like Byron, and"
Would be an Admirable Crichton If
he could paint said Cicely, with her
sudden smile
I'm not so sure he cannot do that
retorted Beaumont, for l have seen
sketches in his room full of power
and beauty"
And yet he is content to remain in
So humble position as the manager
of farm" said Cicely
Yes: it is a mystery" Lord Beau
mont had replied, thoughtfully, Il
often wonder whether there is some
pecuIiar turn in the story of his life
which has made him content to settle
down in a sphere so far beneath his
deserts"
4 like him" said Cieely. "becars9
he likes you"
~ .L;.,1 tr docs said Paaurpnnt