Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-03-03

baby, tired of lying on the ground, be
gan to cry, and with the natural in
stinct of helpfulness, which was. per-
haps, her strongest characteristic,
Francesca sprung up and begged
leave to nurse II. Then, as she paced
TO and fro with her little white-cap-
ped charge. hushing It TO sleep with
one Of Carlos songs, she realized as
she had never done before that to
tend the children of others is the sa
cred right of every childless woman;
and somehow her world, which had
seemed just before so hopelessly mar
rowed. broadened out again. and
looked less dark and dreary.
Presently the peasants finished their
work and went away. Francesca
gave the sleeping baby 70 its mother,
and taking Slbyps hand, strolled
homeward.
why. who can be here?" exclaimed
sibyl Some one talking with
father. Look"
Francesca's heart leaped into her
mouth. for she caught sight through
the trees of a Panama hat exactly
like Carlos. In an instant a hundred
wild hopes and conjectures had
passed through her mind, to be all
too quickly dispelled, for, as they
drew nearer, Captain Britton came
down the path to meet them, and she
saw that the Panama hat belonged TO
Count Carossa For a moment she
could not help hating him; what right
had he to take Carlos house, to dress
like him. to walk down that path
which was forever associated in her
mind with he day Of her betrothal?
It was all she could do to greet him
as usual
81 find Count Carossa is going in to
Naples this evening TO the ball." said
Captain Britton. 80 | have offered
him seat in our carriage. What
time had You thought of starting
Franz"
Francesca had thought OF going
early and returning early, but quickly
realized that Count Carossa would
probably stay late, so she proposed
that they should go an hour later
than she he d first intended. and, with
out being discourteous, managed to
seem perfectly Indifferent as TO the
arrangement The count was piqued
by her manner; she was the first
pretty foreigner he had ever met who
was not willing 10 flirt with him, and
he was determined to win her. She
was obliged to promise him dance
TO stand by and look polite while het
father invited him to dinner that even
ing, and later on. even to accept
some white azaleas which he brought
with him from the villa Bruno. not
at all understanding that the mere
sight Of them would recall to her the
image of her absent lover, of whose
existence the count had no idea,
He was a good talker, and the cap
tain was delighted with him, while for
the present he was very willing tC
spend most of his energies on his
host leaving Francesca unmolested
aid enjoying the sight of her as she
sat at the head of the table. looking
exquisite in her white dress, and witt
the flowers nestled against her snowy
neck Something had brought i
/ faint tinge of color TO her cheeks
/ perhaps il was that the count haC
/ asked her a few innocent questions a.
to the former inhabitants Of the VIM;
Bruno. or perhaps it was veXation a
/ the thought that she had been obliged
/ to accept his flowers She felt Ger
/ tain that her cousin Kate would have
managed to avoid accepting them
would have framed some quick anC
dexterous reply. or thought of a goot
excuse But no way of escape had
suggested itself to her; TO have re
/ fused them poinlblank would have
+ been both rude and prudish; an6
/ though she disliGed the count. yet
| she was too innately courteous tc
wound the feelings OF another And
| then with a sudden pang, some Italian
phrase spoken by the visitor recalled
Carlo to her mind, and she remem
/ bered how short a time it was since
he had sat in that very place at the
| table and the tears would we'll NJ
/ into her eyes. She had become oil
late. however, rather an adep In the
matter OF managing tears She knew
to nicely how far they might rise
without being noticeable, and both to
her father and to the count she
seemed a seltpossesed little hostess
only intent on making everything easy
and pleasant.
The captain had, with ponderous
effort, turned the conversation from
the villa Bruno. but after awhile the
count innoceutly reverted to it,
Il suppose you like all the rest OF
The world. were taken by surprise by
Signor DOnau." he remarked. read
justing his table-napkin which had
slipped out OF his collar, and failing
TO note the expression of the captain
face, they say no one had Gny notion
that he sang at all so strictly had
Plale kept him"
He never sang out of his own
house, said Captain Bri,ton. trying
desperately to make his voice and
manner natural and not daring to
look at his daughter But l have