Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-04-28
How many simple ways there are to
bless

How good Of you TO come, said
Clare. fastening forward to greet him
as he was shown into the drawing
room; Il was afraid this gloomy after
noon might brighten you away. l
must introduce you 10 Francesca's
cousins, whom you have so often
hear Of"
Carlo looked eagerly enough to see
If he could trace any likeness to Fran
cesca in the four girls, who care up
in frank and friendly fashion to shake
hands with him. Kate, the eldest
was about her age, and he instantly
perceived that she had the same Eng
lish gray eyes-dark gray, with no
blue in their depths. Though, how
ever, she was a nice-looking girl. she
made no pretensions TO beauty; but
every now and then a tone In b sr
voice would thrill him by It's likeness
to Francesca's and he felt much at
tracted by her, though he perceived at
once that she was passing judgment
on him. and that her manner was
more critical and less friendly than
that of the younger girls.
Lucy, the second sister, was fairer
and prettier, and seemed to be the
sweet-tempered one Of the family, but
| she interested him less than Kate,
whose slightly aggressive manner
piqued him into curiosity. Molly was
rather tomboyish young person Of
| fourteen, w'sh a frank hail-fellow-
well-met manner; and Flo, the baby
of the family, was just eleven; a slim
little girl, with short, fair hair, and
very short petticoats, who enjoyed
life in a kittenish sort of way, and,
while much petted by every one in
the house, had somehow Just escaped
spelling.
Glare sat, looking wonderfully nat
ural, in the corner of the big Chester
| field sofa. and made him sit beside
her, where they could talk comfortably
| together, a little removed from the
group of girls who, on the other side
of the hearth. clustered round Gigi
and made much OF him. The drawing
room was such a room as Carlo had
never before seen, and aster the weary
round of dingy lodgings and second
rate hotels TO which he had Of late
been accustomed, he could fully ap-
preciate It. II reminded him Just a
! little of the salotto at Casa Bella in
It's air of comfort and homelikenessi
but whereas the Casa Bella room had
semi-ItaIian air from its Cantigalli
plaques and pottery, and its striped
silk couvreltes, this room was thor
oughly and typically English A sec
ond room, visible by day, was cur
| tanned off in the evening, when snug
ness reigped supreme; a fire of Goals,
crowned by huge log. burned in the
! low, wide CRATE, and sent rudy glow
over the brass fender and dainty brass
! fre-irous. while "A awrmtoned Persian
carpet and wallflowered curtains har,
monized with the salnon-tinted walls,
upon which were gathered a wealth OF
pictures that at once attracted Carlos
eyes, though the names on the mas
sive gilt frames-B Brett. Ansdell Vicat
Cole, and Mlliais conveyed to him, as
a foreigner no special meaning.
Glare was a little afraid OF abiding
TO Casa Bella after her rather care
less speech of the preceding day, but
she spoke of the Ritters, and of other
mutual friends. and asked endless
questions about Naples and Pozzuoi
which Carlo was enchanted to answer.
! For many months he had been utterly
cut OFF from all his old ties, and from
| The people who could sympathize
with them. II was delightful to him
| to go over the familiar ground once
more with some one who knew 1t and
| loved it almost as we'll as he did.
| To be with Clare again made him feel
strangely Young aud light-hearted.
He forgot Anita and Comeyio: he for
got an the petty jealousies and dis
putes Of the company; he even forgot
| his own private troubles, found gen
uiuc relief in speaking Francescas
name. and could almost have fancied
that he was once more a boy, resoly-
/ ing 10 WORK aud wait till he could pre-
sent his name to Captain Britton with
The prefix OF Avyocato.
You can stay nice long time. |
! hope2' said Glare 'Mr 9ritton will
be coming in soon, think and he
specially wished to see you He so
much enjoyed your singing on Satur-
lay"
This is my off day" explained
Carlo so ! am not bound to be back
hy any special time 1t is Fra piay'
olo' tonight. and ! have no part in
that"
Is that your only chance of holi-
day? De you mean that you sing all
the other lights OF the week.
That just depends on whether the
engagements doyetail into each other
Very often they do When the town
is important We generally stay a
week. and then he round seldom va
rics Arrive or sunday. Faust on
Monday. Fra Diavolo Tuesday. Son.
uambu,a Wednesday. Lucia Thurs
day. Barbiere Friday, 'Rigoletto' Sat
urday, on 10 The next place on sun
lay9
- the travelling always done on
SUNDAY -