Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-21


him persevere.
CHAPTER VII.
The world generally did not call
Barbara Earle beautiful girl. The
great charm of her face was the soul
that shone there. Her eyes were
magnificent, dark, dreamy, full Of
light and thought. She had sweet,
sensitive lips, perfect in shape and
color People passed her by at
first, considering her almost plain;
at second interview they would like
her better. Then her face would
grow upon them, until they would end
| by declaring that no other girl was
! half so beautiful as Barbara Earle,
| 1t was the beautiful noble soul that
gave the great charm to her eloquent,
spiritual face. In repose it was
calm and serene: but lighted up, as
noble thoughts and noble words
could light 1t, it was magnificent.
/ She gave one the impression of be-
ing what is commonly called "all
soul" Her tall, graceful figure com
bined ease and dignity. No one
could be more kind and winning, no
one more dignifed and reserved than
Barbara Earle. She was not proud
or naughty; no mean word or mean
action ever escaped her She was a
true, noble woman, crowned with
richer gifts than the merely outer
ones of color and prettiness,-a woman
to inspire man with love of noble
deeds, to teach him the higher and
holier lessons of life; and withal
she had that nameless charm, that
wellbred, refined, elegant manner
that makes every woman beautiful to
whom it iG given.
overs in plenty sighed for Barbara
Earle She had no thought save for
Lord Baynenam. 1t was characters
tic of her that all who loved her were
the better and more noble for it, No
sullen resentment, no moody silence
and bitter dislike ever followed her
rejection of an admirer; and she re-
jected many before her engagement
to Lord Bayneham was made public
| Those who loved her best and laid
all they had to offer at her feet left
her presence, disappointed, it is true,
but earring with them good and noble
resolves. The chances are that If
Lord Bayneham had met Miss Earle
in society he would have been dazzled
and charmed. Having from his very
childhood associated with her, all her
noble and grand qualities seemed
mere habit to him. He was accus-
toned to her brilliant wit and quick
repartee, to her generous and spirited
defense of the weak and the absent,
to her scorn Of all things vulgar and
mean, to her amiable temper and self
sacrificing disposition; all these were
pa and parcel of Barbara. They
ne, - struck him; he admired her.
esteemed her, loved her, in a quiet,
calm kind of way, and had no obiec-
ton" to making her his wife next
spring.
1t was far different with Barbara;
with all the strength of her noble and
constant nature she loved the hand
some, clever young cousin whose wife
she was to be. She idolized him.
thought him perfect, thought him su
perior to any other man,-Ioved him
as only such women can, with a
grand, noble love; but there were
times when she felt half puzzled as
| to his feelings toward her. He was
all kindness; but he said so little
when he spoke of their future,-it
was in quiet, matter-of-fact way, as
of something that must be. Yet she
knew he cared for no one else; and
Barbara Earle comforted herself by
thinking that he was not of a dem
onstrative nature
When he returned from Scotland
she found him changed In every re-
spect. He had lost the gay flow of
spirits that once never failed him;
! he fell into dreamy reveries, from
which nothing could rouse him. He
looked like a man whose aim and
purpose in life were ended. He was
kind to her, but Indifferent to every
thing in the wide world. Nothing
seemed to interest or amuse him.
Even Lady Baynham noticed and won
dered at the change that had come
over her son.
One day Claud was unusually busy;
his lawyer was at Bayneham, and
many business affairs were on the
taps. The steward was waiting
and an important paper was mislaid
Lady Bayneham was in the drawing
room with visitors, so that Claud
could not ask for help from her. In
his perplexity he sought Miss Earle.
Barbara" he said, like most
people who undertake to do three
things at once, l am making a ter
rible mess of It; will you help me?
have lost a paper the plan for
those new houses at Greystoke. win
you go to my study and look for it
the keys lie upon my writing table?"
Barbara gladly FASTENED to comply
with his wish. Lord Bayneham's
study was a room sacred from all in
ltrusion. 1t was very rarely that any
one obtained admission there. 1t was