Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-03-18


INJURED How old are you?"
Nineteen" said Stella, simply.
Then you have inherited your
uncle's brains" the old lady replied,
CURLY. ut is not given TO every girl
to say the right thing at nineteen"
Stella blushed, and looked round the
room.
There were ten or twelve persons
standing and sitting about, some OF
them beautiful women. exquisitely
dressed, talking to some gentlemen;
but Lord Leycester was not amongst
the latter. She was conscious Of thai,
although she scarcely knew that she
was looking for him. She wondered
which was Lady Lenore. There was
La tall, fair girl leaning against the
piano, hut somehow Stella did not
think 1t was the famous beauty.
The clock on the bracket struck
eight, and she saw the earl take out
his watch and glance at 1t mechanI-
cally; and as he did so, voice behind
her said
Dinner is served, my lady"
Nobody took any notice however,
and the countess did not show by sign
or look that she heard. Suddenly
the curtains at the other end Of the
room were swung apart, and a tall
, form entered.
Though her eyes were fixed on an
: other part of the room, she knew who
: it was, and for a moment she would
, not look that way, then she directed
her eyes slowly, and saw that her In
stinct had not misled her.
= 1t was Leycesterl
For a moment she was conscious OF
a feeling of surprise. She thought
! she knew him well, but in that instant
+ he looked So different that he seemed
= almost q stranger.
d She had not seen him before II
; evening dress, and the change from
the velvet coat and knickerbockers
/ to the severe, but aristocratic, blacE
suit struck her.
Like all well-made, high-bred men
: he looked at his best in the dress
which fashion has decTeed shall BE-
The evening costume of gentlemen
She had thought him handsome
> noble in the easy, careless suit o
velvet, she knew that he was distin
i guished looking in his suit of evening
sab.es.
i With his hand upon the curtain h
" stood, his head erect, his eyes no
n eagerly, but commandingly, scannin!
the room.
She could not tell Why or how sh'
l, knew. but she knew that ne was look
IS ing Tor her.
IT Presently he sees her, and subtl
J. change came over his face, 1t was no
> smile so much as look of satisfac
s, ton, and she knew again that frowl
d would have settled on his white bros
Il if she whom he sought had not BEEF
IS there.
d With a high but firm step he cam
K across the room and stood before her
E holding out his hand.
n "You have come" he said; ="
> thought you would not come. 1t il
. very kind of Mr.. Etheridge."
She gave him her hand without {
o word She knew that the keen gra,
" eyes Of the old lady beside her wer'
J fixed on her face. He seemed to re
member too. for in quieter, mort
r commonplace, tone, he added.
d Il am late; it is an habitual fault o
2, mine"
e ut is >" said the old countess.
d He turned his smile upon her.
"Are you going to scold me?"
d 81 am not fond of wasting my time,
Is she said. Come and sit down for ;
n minute if you can"
l. He glanced at the clock.
Am 1 not keeping you all waiting?
d he said
4, Lady Langford shook her head
IT mo; we are waiting for Lenore."
II Then she is not here!" though
Stella.
!? "Oh, Lenorei" he said, with smile
n We'll, no one will dare to scold her
10 AS he spoke the curtain parted, an
u someone entered
Framed by the curtain that fell be
y hind her in crimson folds stood a CIR
r not yet woman, for all her twenty
three years of wonderful beauty
e, with deep golden hair and violet eyes
u Stella knew her at once from he
e npcle's description, but it was not tn
beauty that surpassed her and mad
|; her start; it was something more thai
g. that 1t was the nameless, indescrit
able charm her figure, her very att
Of tude
She stood a moment, with fain
d haIf-smile upon her lips, lookin
e round; then she glided with a pecr
lie liar movement, that struck Stella a
ID grace Itself, to Lady Wyndward, an
bent her head down to the countess.
Stella could not hear what sh
d said, but she knew that she was apo
d ogizing for her hardness by the wa
g the earl, who was standing by. smile
re at her Yes, evidently Lady Lenor
y would not be scolded for keeping dir
q ner waiting.
d Stella sat watching her; she fel
her eyes riveted to her in fact. an,
suddenly she was aware that the vic
e let eyes were fixed on hers.