Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-02-12
q don.t lnow.- saIa the ARTIST. sIn-

the young uaH, DoN S~A
thing in the quiet manner Of the Old
man that stopped any further ques-
tons.
NO." said Mr.. Etheridge; why
should I? / haye"-and he smiled-"no
ambition. Besides l am an old man,
have had my chance; let the young
ones take theirs. leave them room.
You are fond of art?"
Very" said Mr.. Adelstone. May |
look round?"
The old man waved his hand, and
took up his brush.
Jasper Adelstone wandered round
the room. taking up the canyasses and
examining them; Stella stood at the
window humming softly.
Suddenly she heard him utter an in
voluntary exclamation, and turning
round saw that he had the portrait OF
Lord LEICESTER in his hand.
His face was turned toward her, and
as she turned quickly. she was In time
to catch a sinister frown OF dislike,
which rested for a moment on his face,
but vanished as he raised his eyes and
met hers.
Lord Leycester," he said, with q
smile and an uprising OF the eyebrows.
"a remarkable instance Of an artists
power"
What do you mean?" asked Stella
quietly, but with lowered eyes.
Il mean that it Is fair example Of
ideality. Mr.. Etheridge has painted a
likeness of Lord LEICESTER, and added
an ideal poetry Of his own"
you mean that it is not like him?"
she said.
Mr.. Etheridge painted on, deaf to
both Of them.
NO., he said, looking at the picture
with a cold smile. at is like him,
bat it-honors him. 1t endows him
with a poetry which he does not pos.
sess."
You know him?" said Stella.
WHO does not?" he answered, and
his thin lips curled with smiling
sneer.
A faint color came into Stellas face.
and she raised her eyes for a moment
What do you mean?"
II mean that Lord LEICESTER has
made himself too famous was going
to say infamous"
A vivid crimson rushed to her face,
and left it pale again the next instant.
DO not" she said, then added,
quickly, Il mean do not forget that he
is not here to defend himself"
He looked at her with sinister
scrutiny.
Il beg your pardon. did not know
he was a friend of yours, he said.
She raised her eyes, and looked at
him steadily.
Lord LEICESTER is no friend of
mine" she said, quietly.
y am glad of it" he responded.
Stellas eyes darkened and deepened
in way peculiar to her, and her color
came 1t was true that Lord Leyces-
ter was no friend of hers, she had but
seen and spoken with him by chance,
and for a few moments; but who was
this hi. Adelstone that he should pre-.
sumo to be glad or sorry on her &C
count?
He was quick to see that he had
made slip, and quick to recover him
self.
Pray forgive me if have presumed
too far upon our slight acquaintance
but was only thinking at that mo-
ment that you had been so short a
time in England as to be ignorant of
people who are wen known to us with
whom they have lived, and that you
would not know Lord Leycester's real
character"
Stella inclined her head gravely.
Something within her stirred her to
take up arms in the absent mans de-
Tense; the one word Infamous, stuck
and ranked in her mind.
You said that Lord Leycester was
Infamous she said, with grave
smile. Surely that is 100 strong a
word.
He thought moment, his eyes rest
ing on her face keenly.
Perhaps, but am not sure. GER
tainly used it as a play upon the word
'fameaa, but / don't think even then
that / did him an injustice. A man
whose name is known all over the
country-whose name is familiar as a
household word--must be notorious
either for good or evil, for wisdom or
folly. Lord LEICESTER is not famous
for virtue or wisdom. l cannot say
any more"
| Stella turned aside, faint crimson
dying her face, strange thrill Of pity,
ay, and of Impotence, at her heart.
Why should he be so wicked, SO mad
and reckless-so notorious that even
this self-satisfied young gentleman
could safely moralize about him and
warn her against making his acquain-
lance? oh, the pity OF 1.-THE pity
of it," as Shakespeare has it-that one
with such beautiful, god like face,
should be so bad
There was a few moments silence.
Jasper Adelstone stlll stood with the
picture in his hand, but glancing at
Stella's face with covert watchfulness.
For all his outward calmness. his
heart was beating quickly. Stella S
was tho SORT IF hea11fv IN make a