Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-04-10

1QeT6 might nave DGeu a uOfS
wretched, crime fear-haunted
being in the world than Guilford Ber-
ton, but it would have been difficult to
find him.
And yet, at times, he was not sorry
for what he had done 1t was not re-
morse, but actual fear of the dell
girl, and the horrible bred of discov-
cry. that made his days a torture
and his nights hideous beyond words.
Time after time he told himself that
If it had to be done over again ne
would do it. Ii twenty Becca SoutIs
sSaod between him and his ambition
and his>passion for Norah, he would
sweep them from his path.
There came letters each day, but they
business ones for the earl and general
invitations for Norah The former he
opened and laid aside, the latter
theyall bore the local postmark-he
forwarded TO Norah.
Fortunately for him, there happened
to be great deal to be done on the
estate ct that particular time, and he
busted himself about it with an ardor
which surprised the tenants. His
only chance of lodging madness was
to exhaust himself physically and
mentally, and ne rode hard and fast
and long each day, until he knock d
his own horse up, and had to fall
back upon upon the best hunter in the
court stables, much to the disgust Of
h. rr-hA eaxrrNp1s-cnd HE
opinion that Mr.. Berton had no more
pity for a 'orse than if it was a
steam hengine
One morning. on the fifth after the
earl's departure, he saw a copy of
the Morning Post at the reading room
of the club in the market town. and
turning the paper about listlessly
came with start upon Norah's name.
1t was an account of a reception at
the house of one of the cabinet minis
ters, and the newspaper man went
into high-fown laudation of the new
beauty" Lady Norah Arrowdale.
| According to him, Lady Norah was
not only the acknowledged beauty of
! this. the off season, but would as
suredly hold her own and bear away
the palm in the coming and regular
season next year. He gave an ac-
count of the reception pretty fully,
but it all seemed to turn upon Lady
Norah Arrowdale as upon a pivot
and he spoke of her as being sur
rounded by an eager and admiring
throng of courtiers. each trying TO
loutyie each other in attentions to the
lovely and charming daughter of The
popular earl"
Guilford Berton CRASHED his teeth.
and the paper shook in his hands so
that the waiter stared at him, thirk-
ing that he was going to have a ft
/ 1t was what he might have expect
ed, he told himself She was sur
rounded by all these men, some of
them, most of them, no doubt, of the
same rank as herself. One of them
would be sure to propose to her, and
perhaps be accepted. And here was
he tied to Santleigh, and leaving
them all clear field! He should
lose her, after all!
He left the club and rode home at
a furious gallop along the hard roads,
which would have driven the head
groom wild if he could have known
lit; and he almost resolved that he
would set out for London the next
morning. whether the letter he was
waiting for came or not
| But when he reached home a small
heap OF letters lay on the table. and
as he hastily turned them over his
face flushed.
There was one bearing tho Brittany
postmark.
He glanced at the address as il it
We're the writer instead of the writing.
and then carefully opened it.
The letter was from Cyril, and was
not very long one, considering.
Dear Norah,' it ran in a hand
which was at the best of times not
too legible, but which bore in the
present instance evident traces Of the
writer's agitation.
/ Dear Morrill, cannot understand
your silence. Are you offended with
me? If so, tell me in what lies my
offense, and viii endeavor to explain
it away or atone for it. But it may
be that you regret the bond that ex-
ists-or perhaps l had better say ex-
isted-between us. All, it cannot
cannot be that surely, dearest! can
not believe that anything, even your
fathers opposition can have brought
you to desert me, to forget the troth
you have plighted, the promise you
have sworn; and yet | spend the day
and most part of the night in this
beastiy place torturing myself with
the suspicion. Norah, IL you love me,
| fear nothing. / have the means Of
| overcoming even your fathers objec-
Ition TO our engagement Only wait
and have trust in me for a little
while longer. | would tell you some
thing about the work which keeps me
here, but | reserve IL all until see
you, Indeed, | can write only of the
pain which your silence causes me.
| II is simple torture, Write, write.
I will give you-see, how patient
am -four days more. If you have not
written-a word will suffice just /
love you still Cyril; be satisfied, =
| by that time / must cOnciuda that