Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-08-05
CHAPTER XXI.


stood Tor q moment staring round HIN
as ii he we're bereft Of his senses; a.
indeed he almost was.
The shock had come so suddenly
that it mad deprived him OF the power
OF reasoning, OF following the thing
out to its logical conclusion. As ne
walked on. threading his way along
the crowded thoroughiare, and excit
ing no little attention and remark by
his wild, distraught appearance, ne
realized that he had lost Stella.
He realized that he had lost the
beautiful girl wac had stolen into his
heart and absoI ned has love. And the
manner Of his losing her made the
loss SO bitter! That a man, that sucn
a creature as this Jasper Adelstone,
should come between them was terri
bic. If 1t had been any other, who
xas in some fashion his own equal
Charlie Guildford, for instance, gen
tleman and a nobleman--it would
have been bad enough, but be coui1
have understood it. He would have
felt that he had been fairly beaten;
but Jasper Adelstone!
Then it was so evident that love
vas not altogether the reason OF heS
treachery and deseTtlon; there was
something else; some secret which
gave that man a hold over her, He
stopped short in the most crowded
part OF the Strand, and put his hani
10 his brow and groaned.
TO think that his stella, his beauti-
full child-Iove, whom he had deemed
an angel for innocence. should share a
secret with such man And what
was il? Was there shame connected
with It. He shuddered as the suspic-
ion crossed his mind and smote upon
bis heart What had she done to
place her so utterly in Jasper Adel-
stones hands? What was it? The
question harassed and worried him 10
the exclusion OF all other sides OF the
case.
Was i something that lad occurred
before he, LEICESTER, hao met her?
She had known this Jasper Adelstone
before she knew LEICESTER; but he
remembered her speaking of him as
a coueeited. selfopinioned young man;
he emembered the light scorn with
which she had described him.
No, it could not have happened thus
early When then? aud where was
it. He could find no solution to the
question; but the terrible result re.
manned. that she had delivered her
self. body and soul. into the hands OF
Jasper Adelstone. and was lost TO
him. Lcycesterl
otrihlng along, careless OF where he
was gong. he ound himself at last
in Pal Mail, lie entered one OF his
cubs. and went to the smokirg.rOom
There he iii Il cigar. and TOOK out the
long aud absently. II all bad gone
right, stella would have been his, il
not By this time. a very lite later.
and they would have gone TO Italy,
they TWO. together and alone-with
happiness.
But now Il was all ehanged--the
cup had been dashed from his lips at
the last moment, aud by-Jasper AdeI-
stoBe
lie sat with the uusmoked cigar ID
his fingers, his head dropped upon las
breast. the nightmare OF the secret
mystery pressing on his shoulders. Il
was not only the loss Of Stella, it was
the feeling that she had deceived him
that vas SO bitter TO bear; it was the
existence OF the secret understanding
b. Seen the two that SO utterly over
whelmod him lie could have married
Stella though she had been oeggar
in the streets, but be could have no
part or lot In The woman who shared
a secret with such one as Jasper
Aiedstone, -
The smoking room footman lowered
about, giancing eoyertIy and curiousiy
at the motouless figure "A the deep
armchair. acquaintance sauptered IN
aud gave him goodbye; hut Leyces
ter SAL brood.ng over his SORROW and
disappon ,mept, and made NO re
Spouse
A more miserable young man il
would have been impossible to ins
IN all London than this viscount aut
heir to an earldom, with all his inn
mense wealth and proud hereditary
titles.