Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-06-10

Il
He looked at her for a moment Ia
silence. She had never appeared 10
him more beautiful than this morning;
there was a subtle light Of hidden JOY
shining in her eyes, glow Of youth
full hope about her face that set his
heart beating with mingled pleasure
and pain-delight in the beauty which
he had sworn should be his, pain and
torture in the thought that another
the hated Lord Leycester-had al
ready looked upon it that morning.
Even as he stood silently regarding
her, a bitter suspicion smote through
| his heart that the joyOusness which
shone from the dark eyes had set
there by Lord LEICESTER. He bit his
| lip and mis- face went pale, then with
a start he came close to her.
Give me which you please" he
said. Here IS a knife"
Stella took the knife heedlessly and
carelessly. There was no signifi-
canoe in the deed; she did not know
that he would attach any Importance
to the fact that she should cut the
rose and give il to him with her own
hand, if she had so understood it she
would have dropped the knife as If it
had been an adder.
In simple truth she was not think
ing OF scarcely saw him. she
WAS thinking of that lover. the god OF
liner heart, and seeing him as he swan
through the river foam. For she was
scarcely conscious Of Jasper Abel
istone's presence, and in the acuteness
of his passion he almost suspected it.
White or red?" she said, knife in
hand.
He glanced at her.
Red" he said, and his lips felt hot
and dry.
Stella cut red rose-a dark red
rose, and with little womanly ges-
ture put it 10 her face; it was lit
tie girish trick, ali unthinking, uncon-
sciously done, but it sent the blood to
the heart of the man watching her IN
a sudden. passionate rush.
There" she said; cit is a beauty.
4
but give me an English rose, F1oren-
tine roses are fuller than these, but
not so beautiful-roh, not so beautiful!
There" and she held 1t out to him.
without looking at him. II she had
done so, she would have surely read
something in the white constrained
face, and small, glittering eyes that
would have warned her.
He took it without a word. In sim
pie truth he was trying to restrain
himself He felt that the time was
not ripe for action-that word Of the
devouring passion which consumed
him would be dangerous, and he whis.
lpered to himself Not yet! not yet! p
But her loveliness. that touch of the
rose to his face, overmastered his
cool. calculating spirit.
"Thank you" he said at last; thank
you very much. sAall value it
dearly. / shall put it on my desk in
my dark, grim room. and think OF
y0u.
Then Stella looked up and started
slightly.
'oh!" she said, hurridly. You
would ike some more perhaps? Pray
take what you would like" and she
held out the knife, and looked upon
him with a sudden GOODNESS in the
eyes that should have warned him.
No. / want no more. he said, "All
the roses that ever bloomed would not
add to my pleasure. 1t is this rose
from your hand that value"
Stella made a slight movement to
ward the window. but he put out his
hand.
Stay one moment-only moment,
he said. and In his eageness he put
out his hand and touched her arm.
the arm sacred to LEICESTER.
Stella shrank back and little shud-
der swept through her.
What--what is it" she asked in a
low voice that she tried to make calm
and cold and repressive.
He stood, shutting and opening the
knife with a nervous restlessness, as
unlike his calm impassabiity as the
ST. aiming torrent that forces it's way
though the mountain gorge is like the
lake at their feet; his eyes fixed on
her face with anxious eagerness.
Il want to speak to you" he said
only a few words-a very few
words VIII YOU listen TO me? I
hope you will listen 70 me"
Stella stood, her face turned away
from him. her heart beating. but
coldly with fear and rcpuguance, not
as it had beat when Leycesters low
tones first fell upon her ear.
He moisteued his lips again. and
his hand closed over the shut knife
with a tight clasp. as II he were striy-
ing TO regain se'f.command.
4 know 1t Is unwIse. | feel that
that you would rather not listen to
me. and that / shall do very little
good by speaking, but cannot There
are times. stella"
Stella moved slightly al the famj
liar name
There are times when a man loses
self control, when he filings prudence
20 the winds. or rather let's il slip
from him This is one OF those mo