Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-10-06


pieces OF cotton OFF your coat-that's
it; now come on" and the old man,
keeping passive in inc hands of .ho
young girl, is lei to his seat.
Aunt DostreiI is just as practical as
her brother is theoretical. and is al
ready serving the ham and eggs with
the air of matron at the Founding
4 Hospital. She looks up sharply as
Jeanne enters.
Il was just going 10 send up to you,
Jeanne; / didn't expect to see you
down. Your boots, Jane tells me,
are wet through and through, and
your shawl saturated with melted
snow. Wher, I'D you go last night?
and Halls boots are just the same. ="
Jeanne looks confused for a mo-
ment Hal stares at his plate with
an incipient grin struggling on his
face. Jeanne has kept her mistake a
| profound secret even from Hal, has
struggled to forget and wipe it from
the tablets Of her own mind, but her
heart heat apprehensiyely. Can the
| stranger have been mean enough to
walk around and complain? The red
Pushes her face, then she puts on a
bold front
The boots will dry, aunt We were
out in the snow yesterday afternoon.
And, aunt, Hal wants five shillings for
; pair Of skates for the Park, you
| know"
You can't buy skates in Newton
Regis, Jeanne"
Hal can walk over to Marty"
Hal will have to stay in this morn
ing if he is going ont this afternoon"
says Aunt Dostrell, with mild firm
ness.
Hal looks the picture of despair,
| but Homogeneous Jeanne, half
boy at heart-comes to the rescue.
Then I'll walk over, aunt she
says. and Aunt Dostrell, yanquished
at all points, slowly and reluctastly
! produces two half crowns. while Hal
mods gratefully across the table, ana
INDUCES in quiet, inoffensive dance
on he tips of his toes.
Meals don't occupy much time at
the Gate House. There is the remain
der of he pig to be manipula cd 5y
Aunt Dostrell and Uncle John is all
anxiety to get back to his crucibles.
IIali-dnhour afterwards Jeanne IS
S opQing briskly down the street, her
1.-THE figure clad in IFS serviceable
/ blue serge, one streak OF crimson
across the skirt, her brown-gold hair
| ripping in its tight coils under her
close little sealskin hat, her beautiful
fR'e bright and frank, her heart beat
ing lithely under the influence Of the
crisp. frosty air.
Jeanne can walk llthely, and look
frankly for, as yet. she is in maiden
meditation fancy free With Jeanne
all is read as yet; she has not yeti
passed beyond the portals of the
great temple of love. Love is toI
Jeanne as an unueaning symbol OF
some deep mystery, of the very nat
ure of which she is entirely ielorant
The library at the Gate House is
small, and is absolutely deficient in
works of Imagination. Jeanne knows
the few readable books by heart, but,
although they have taught her some
thing Of Tho history Of England. its
language, and not little of chemistry, |
they have taught her nothing of the
divine passion, the absorbing elemen !
of woman's life.
Jeanne and love have not, as vet, |
met, and the heart that beats so
haalthily and regularly within her
bosom is that of child strong and |
fearless, true and noble. but a chilf's I
still The greatest JOY that Jeanne
has yet experienced is a fair wind in |
the sails of the Nancy Bell, the blue
sky above her and the rushing water
beneath the keel.
Jeanne is perfectly free from van
ity That she is beautiful no one
has ms yet told her, not even Mr.. Bell
who worships her but who would as
soon dare to beard his bishop as to
breathe hint of his alteration 10 the
frank, and sometimes pitilessly can
did Jeanne. Poor Ben can only trem-
BILE in her presence, ana lavish ner-
yous, admiring and tender glances
through his spectacles,
Newton Regis, generally. has not
awakened to the fact that the girl
who came among them a little wee#
thing. is rapidly growing into beau
Uful woman and now. as she passes
down The street all who meet or see
hNr ,riv4 ba,. o. er,if no -ro+.tss3.a grs,,., /