Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-01-29


a canvas displaying a half-fnished
Venus rising from her cradle of sea
foam; for upon this, the only son OF
the house, the partial gods had be-
slowed many gifts, any one of which,
had he been poor man, would have
made the world regard him as one Oh
his masters. But as It was, he painted
and played for amusement only; and
there were only few Of his friends.
and only those who were most inti-
mate, who suspected that the wild,
reckless LEICESTER could do more
than ride like ceptsur and shoot
like North American Indian. How
were they to know, seeing that he
rarely spoke Of art, and never of his
own passionate love of it? Had they
known, it would have given tnem key
to much in his character which puz-
zled and bewildered them; they would
have been nearer understanding how
1t was that in one MAJ could be COM
hined the soft tenderness of south
srn nature with he resoIute, defiant
recklessness ot the northern.
He entered the room and went 10
the fireplace in which log was burn
ing brightly, to guard against the too
frequent treachery of an early sum
mer evening, and flingIng his hat on
to chair, passed his hand through
his hair with thoughtful yet restless
smile.
"Stellai" he murmured. Stella;
That was wrong. A star should be
fair and golden, all light and sunshine,
while she-great Heaven! what eyes!
1t was surely the sweetest, loveliest
face that a man ever looked upon,
No wonder that coming upon it so
suddenly-with my thoughts hun,
dred miles away, coming upon it sud
denly as it shone up above me-that
should think it only a vision! II
that face as | saw it could smile out
gap and stare at it? If-yes, but
from the Academy next Spring. what
crowds of fools would gather round Ia
who could do it? No one! No onel
/ AS well try and catch the sunlight on
a brush and paint it on canvass
/ well try" he broke off suddenly, his
eye caught by the Venus .Aphrodite
smiling from the easel, and going
( across to it, stood and contemplated
lit.
/ Venus with pale face and mean
ingless blue eyes, with insipid yellow
j hair and simpering smile. Never more
VIII Venus take that semblance 70:
me. No, she will be as saw her to
/ night, with dark silken hair, and
sweeping lashes shading the darF
brown eyes, in which one sees the
soul peering from their depths That
/ is Venus, not this" and with smile
of derision he took up brush ant
drew a dark, broad effactng line across
the fair face.
so departs forever I'll former
dreams of womanIy loveline ss. Love
illness! 1 have never seen it until to
| night. Stella! A start Yes, she is
rightly named, after all. She shone
down on me like a star, and I-great
Heaven!-was like one bewitched!
! While she-she made laughing-stock
of me. Compared me with the nag
and treated me like schoolboy toe
big to be whipped but not too large tc
| be laughed at.
"By Jove, it is not thing to be
proud Of; called to task by a girl-a
little slip of a girl not yet womanl
and yet I would not have missed that
/ eyes though they lighted up at my ex
pense. Stella
There was d knock at the door, and
his valet, Oliver, entered.
Lord Leycester stared at him a
moment abstractedly, then reused
himself from mis- reverie.
What is it, OIiver?"
You sent for me, my lord"
ooh, yesl had forgotten. I viii
wash and get into my other coat.
Oliver passed noiselessly into the
other room and asst ted his master to
change the velvet smoking-jacket for
the dress coat, brushed the thick
shortcut chestnut hair into order and
opened the door.
Where are they all?v he asked
Are any of them in the Smoking
room?"
Yes, my lord, Lord Barton and Cap
tain Halliday; the Marquis of sand
ford and Sir William are in the bill
lard-room
Lord Leycester nodded, and went
down the stairs across the hall; a ser
want drew a curtain aside and opened
door, and Lord LEICESTER entered a
small ante-room, one side of which
opened into 4 long-stgetching fernery,
from which came the soft trip trip OF
fountains, and The breath which filled
the whole atmosrhere with tropical
perfume.
a couple of footmen in gorgeous Iy.
cry were standing beside double cur
tain, and at a sign from Lord Leyces-
ter they drew it apart Lord Leyccs-
ter passed through and down a small
corridor lined with statuary, at the
end OF which was auv.&or curtain.
No passage, or door, or ante-room but
was thus masked, to shut out the two
things which the earl held as abomina-
fiNr,-