Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-04-15

esses on her neck: yes, it was all
real; she loved Lord LEICESTER, and
he, strange and wonderful to add.
loved her.
Why should he do It? she marvele1.
Who was she that he should deign 10
shower down upon her such fervenl
admiration and passionate devotion?
Mechanically she rose and went
over to the Venetian mirror, and
looked at the reflection which beamed
softly in the dim light.
He had called her beautiful, lovely!
She shook her head and smiled with
a sigh as she thought Of Lady Lenore.
There were beauty and loneliness In
deed How had It happened that he
had passed her by, and chosen her,
Stella?
But It was so, and wonder, and
gratitude and love welled up in her
heart and filed her eyes with those
tears which show that the cup OF
human happiness is full to overflow
ing. The clock struck the hour, ana
with a sigh. as she thought Of her
uncle. she turned from the glass. She
felt that she could not go to bed; it
was far pleasanter to sit up in the
stiffness and silence and think-think!
To take one little incident after an
other, and go over it slowly and en-
lovingly. She wandered about her
room In this frame of mind, filled with
happiness one moment as she
thought Of the great good which the
gods had given unto her, then over
whelmed by wave Of troubled anx-
iety as she remembered that her
uncle, the old man whose goodness to
her had won her love. was speeding
on the journey toward his secret
trouble and sorrow.
Wandering thus she suddenly be
thought her Of picture that stood
with it's face to the wall, and swoop-
ing down on 1t, as one does on a sud
denly remembered treasure, she took
up LEICESTER Wyndward's portrait,
and gazing long and eagerly at 1t,
suddenly bent and kissed it. She
knew now what the smile in those
dark eyes meant; she knew now how
the love-light could fash from them
Uncle was right" she murmured
with smile that was half sad.
There Is no woman who could resist
those eyes if they said 1 love you. "
She put the portralt down upon tn
cabinet, so that she could see it
when she chose to look at it, ana abb
stractedly began to set the room ia
order, putting a picture straight here
and setting the books upon their
shelves, stopping occasionally 10
glance at the handsome eyes watching
her from the top of the cabinet AS
often happens when the mind is set
on one thing and the hands upon an
other. she met with Hn accident In
one corner Of the room stood three
cornered Nhat.not Of Japanese work,
lnclosod by doors inl nd with ivory
and motherof.pearl: ia attempting to
sut bronze straight upon the top OF
this piece of furnit ire, while she
looked at the portrait OF her heart ;
lord and master. she let the bronze
slip, and in the endeavor to save il
from falling, overturned the what
not.
1t fell with the usual brittle sound
ing crash which accompanies the
overthrow of such brica-brac, and the
doors being forced open, out poured a
miscellaneous cohec iop Of valuable
but useless articles.
With little exclamation OF self
reproach and dismay, Stella went
down on her knees to collect the scat
tered curios. They were OF all sorts;
bits of old china from Japan, medals,
and coins OF ancient data, and some
miniatures in carved frames.
ella eyed each article IS she
picked 1t up with anxious criticism,
but fortunately nothing appeared the
worse for the downfall and she was
putting the last thing, q miniature. in
it's accustomed place, when the case
flew open ia her hand and deicaelE
painted portrait on ivory looked up at
her. Scarcely glancing at it, she was
about to Replace it In the case, when
an inscription on the back caught her
eye, and she carried case and NINA
ture TO the liaht.
The portrait was that Of boy, a
fairhaired boy, with a smiling mouth
and laughing blue eyes II was a
pretty face. ald Stella turned II over
to read the inscription.
II consisted Of only one word
Prank
Stella looked at the face again list.
lessiy. but suddenly something in II
she knew. und that intimately flashed
upon her, sic looked again more
curiously Yes. there could be no
doubt OF il. tao face bore certain
likeness 30 that Of her uncle. Not
only to her uncle, but TO herself tor
raising her eyes from the portrait to
the mirror she saw a vague something
i'm expression only haps-looktnB
at her from the glass as 1t did from
the portrait,
Prank FSnE she murmureds ~
know no one OF that name. Who can
It be-
she went back 10 the cabinet, ana
took out the other miniatures, but
they We, closed. ANA the spring