Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-09-04


watched them. One was Barbara
Earle, VINO read her fate that evening;
the other was Captain Massey, who
loved Lady Hutton's ward more deeply
than words can tell
When the last song had oied away,
and the curtain fell, they rose to leave.
the house, and Barbara Earle Heard
Lord Bayneham say, in answer to
some remark of Hiida's No, l think
not. 1t will be many years before 1
come here again. The memory OF
this night will suffice for me-"
These words told no new story to
Barbara. On the night Of the ball,
when she first met Hilda she guessed
all that she now knew
That evening. long after every one
had retired to rest and a deep.
unbroken silence had fallen upon the
house, Barbara Earle stood, pale and
still, by the window. The breeze
came in from the park and played
ing the brow that seemed to Durn with
dull. heavy pain. Barbara had w2pt
until the fountain of tears was dry.
her sorrow was exhausted now, and
the faint moonlight fell upon a face
that was sublimely beautiful in its look
Of calm resolve. A few stars cleaned
in the quiet, night sky; all Nature
was. sleeping; the birds were husheO,
the flowers were at rest, aud the wind
seemed keeping watch over them.
The puiet, holy calm soothed Barbara.
The storm had passed. one of Wild,
tempestuous sorrow; but the silence
of Nature brought rest to her. The
world and all in it looked little and
mean under the light of the solemn
stars
While she stood there, Barbara --arle
held, as far as mortals can hold, the
destiny of three lives. Had her de
cision on this evening been different
her life and other lives would have
been changed She knew now that
Claud Bayneham loved another better
then herself. She knew, too that he
/ was honor itself; he would never sees
fcr release from his promise; he would
keep it at any risk, and so lose hi:
LIES happiness. There could be nc
doubt of this. His face changed when
he looked upon Hilda; a light she haf
never seen there before came upoT
it. HIS eyes were full Of silent, hope
less love. She had seen him turn
pale and tremble when Hilda touched
his hand.
Barbara Earle bit her lips, and q
rush of hot angry pride filed hel
heart, when she remembered how he
had wooed herself. Not so would he
speak of love to the golden-haired girl
whose face was like music Even al
the time she had felt it. but she had
the tine she had felt it, thinking that
Lord Bayneham was OF calm, unde
monstrative nature, and that he woulC
love her better Wen he understood
how dearly and deeply she loved him
He asked her to marry him a:
cody and as calmly as he would have
asked her to paint him a picture Oh
sing song. His whole soul seemed
to trembIe upon his lips when he SAID
| 'go@d-evening' a few hours ago tc
Lady Hutton's ward There could be
no mistake about it-Lord Bayneham
had learned to love at last; but II
was not she who had taught him the
/ lesson.
Barbara Earle's life lay wrecked be
fore her. AS long back as she could
remember. every thought Of aer good
noble heart had been given to ClaLd
Bayneham. She had no wish. n,
plan, no hope that did not begin and
end in him. His future career had
been her study for many years He
had great talents, and she longed q
see them usefully employed, not vast ed
in dreamy, elegant idleness. Now
from the future which she had SC
proudly mapped out, she was excluded
Her keen. womanly instinct told her
that, Ia from being the brightest
hope in Lord Bayneham's life, she was
| tire OuG CiVuu b1dt udTkcItcu IL. bet
ter anything than that; better that she
should suffer, from duty, and not from
love, while his whole heart was given
to- another
i That morning, when breakfast was
over, Lady Bay1eham said she had
some shopping to do;so the carriage
was ordered and Barbara invited to
iOin her. but Miss Earle said sha har