Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-07

clasped her arms round her mothers
neck.
Let me stay with you" she cried;
81 love you best"
In one moment it seemed as thoDSt
the mothers soul n ust le2Se her
Then she clasped the child, murmur
ing words that Lady Hutton never for
got. To the last her 11ournful eyes
followed the little figure. drinking in
as it were, every movement, every
action. The child passed. forever
from its mothers home. She gazed
after it watched the sunbeams shin
ing on the sweet face and golden hair
watched the stately lady take the lit
tie one ia her arms and dry ner tears
watched the child as it smiled, and
then knew herself forgotten. With a
cry that rang out in the clear sum
mer air, startling and shrill, Magdalen
Hurst fell to the ground, and the sun
beams played upon her white, un.
conscious face; while the child from
whom she had parted slept softly and
sweetly in Lady Hutton's arms.
CHAPTER u.
Five years before the opening OF
our story there was not happier or
more beautiful girl in Scotland than
Magdalen Burns. Her father was
head gamekeeper to Sir Ralph Frs
kline. Her mother had been Lady
Erskine's maid. They married and
lived in a pretty cottage close to the
woods of Brynmar. They had one
little daughter, called Magdalen, to
suit some fancy of her mothers On
the same day that little Magdalen
was born at the cottage, a daughter
and heiress was born at the hall
Lady Ersl1ine was, however, danger
ously i'll, and her babe was nursed by
Mrs. Burns. As the heiress Of Bryn-
mar grew up she retained great af.
lection for her foster-sister. Lady
Erskine offered to send little Magda-
len to school, but the sturdy game.
keeper refused. He was quite will
ing, he said, for his daughter to learn
reading and writing; but he did not
want a useless fine lady about the
house. Magdalen must learn to
wash to brew, and to bake; then, at
some future day, she would make a
good sensible wife. What, for in,
stance, could be better for her than
to marry one of the young game
keepers, who might perhaps in time
succeed him? He was not ambitious
this honest Donald Burns. Education
was all very well Tor Miss Erskine;
she would perhaps marry lord; but
his Magdalen had nothing to look to
except succeeding her mother in tine
management OF the little household
So Magdalen learned to read and
write, and nothing more; but Nature
allows of no interference, and she had
originally intended Magdalen Burns
for something more than the guide
wife" of poor, honest Scotchman
The girl had dowry that sometimes
"a princess lacks; she was gifted
with wonderful beauty-beauty not
common with those Of her class-re
fined, delicate, and sensitive. Her
face was lovely, spiritual, and full OF
poetry. Her violet eyes were clear
and true: the sweet sensitive lips
were charming in their sunny smiles.
The little hands trained to brew
and to bake, retained their white
ness; the tall. graceful figure was not
spoilt by the life Of almost rude la
Dor. Nature does strange things
and she had given to this daughter oil
a Scotch peasant beauty and grace
that might have been envied by a
queen.
Miss Erskine, Magdalen Burns
foster-sister, in noway resembled her
She was perfectly well bred, with a
cool, calm, stately Manner, somewhat
dignified and naughty. and a ,lear
fair patrician face; but no one ever
thought of calling the heiress of Bryn
mar a beauty.
Despite the difference of rank and
position, there was a warm attach
ment between the two girls Miss
Erskine often left her stately home ia
roam in the woods with the lovely
young girl whose face every one de
clared resembled a picture. AT times
Magdalen Burns was asked to the hall
but her father never wished her to 60
there; perhaps he had some present
ment of the fate that would over.
take his beautiful daughter. He heard
nothing but her praises. and he did
not want her head to be turned with
fattery When gentlenen visitors at
the hall. having heard of the beauty
OF his only child. called on different
pretenses at the cottage Donald re-
ceived them very coldly, and gave i'm
perative orders that his daughter
should always remain in her room
while visitors were in the house.
Miss Erskine had many lovers. but
she cared only for one; that was the
young Lord Hutton. the handsomest
gayest. widest man in all the high.
ds,--reckless. careless. debonnaire,
Lord Hutton. the prodigal son of a
prodlgal race. ,He liked Miss Frs
kline. and his friends advised him to