Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-11-10

shrek; but Jeanne's nerves ar,
highly strung tonight.
With a little gasp she takes he
hand away, ard shrinks from hi
side again, but her touch, light as i
was, has sent the blood to Vernon
Vane's face, and his words come
more quickly and intensely.
/ This girl-of my picture-lived II
village d long way out of the MAD
world; she was a child, so young, 81
innocent, ths- she did not even know
that she was beautiful. I tried Il
paint her face as l saw it first. with
the golden CLEAN in her hair. the
light OF laughter in her dark eyes
She has ne eyes in the picture,
says Jeanne, softly.
but failed: no hand could Dc
it, not the mightiest that ever welded
brush, for the sweet. innocent purity
no one can give on canvas rr poem
This child-girl OF mine had lived al
he life in this one village, untainted
and unstained by one worldly thought
until there comes a light-hearted foo
Ia man of the world, STEPPED to the
neck In the selfshness of his class
and, true to his creed, he pours into
her ear a false and unreal account OF
the delights of the world beyond her
He casts aver her lying glamour
which fills her mind with unrest and
longing, and, caught by the trap which
he has set, he, for the moment, for.
gets his selfishness and his creed, and
offers her the hollow, worthless fancy
which he calls his love-"
The stern, savage tones sink into
Jeanne's heart, and set her trembling,
Insensibly she shrinks away from him
for a momen-, and as insensibly draws
near again
While this is going on, there is one
who stands by and watches, unnoticed
and silent. This second man knows
more of the world than the other one
who pirates so glibly of it. This Sec
oud man has come to the village for
rect from that same world and its
trcachery; has come, swearing never
to look on woman's face for love
again; has come to be rid OF his bit
terness and his misanthropy notwith-
standing all his VOWS, he loves her.
But he has no wild joys to offer her,
as has the other man; he has but
poverty and his love to offer her,
Now, then, which win she choose?"
There is a moments pause; with
pale, startled face, Jeanne walks on,
her eyes fixed on the handsome, pas
sionate face of the speaker.
THE one, forgetting for moment
his selfishness and selfinterest, will
come, and with his name, his noble
birth, his place in the world, in hand;
the other will lay at her feet his past
dark. Sustained and remorseful-
his poverty and his love-which will
she choose"
Jeanne's head drops for a moment,
then she raises her face; it is white
and startled, just as that statue OF
Galatea's might have been, and was,
when the sculptor called it into life
~ AhG oAC1A lilShS VI nAo pdoSAOhoIC
love.
The veil is dropping from her eyes
lit has not quite gone yet; childhood
and girlhood are loosening their grasp,
but still hold her. Love-lovei what
is it? What does it mean? Love
she has read of 1t, sung of it a little.
thought of it, dreamed of 1t, never.
And yet, as his deep, musical tones
have sounded in her ears, what was
1t that made her heart echo to them?I
why is 1t that her eyes feel drawn to-
his-why? As she asks herself
Jeanne-child Jeanne. recalls the
touch of his hand, the sound of his
voice, as he knelt by her side in the
Nancy Bell, and now, as then, she
feels her soul slipping from her.
Jeanne he murmurs now as he
did then; Jeanne, answer me, for Il
love you'll"
It is said at last! the magic words
were spoken which break the long
spell Of innocence.
To be continued.