Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-02-02
BARRIERS BETWEEN
By CHARLES CARvICE
By CHARLES CARvICE

! MANNED dinner WORKS through ilH
courses; fantastic fabrics Of sweet
stuffs take the place OF more solld
food: pomegranates and melons lie
demurely on fig leaves from Alexan-
dria. two scent fountains throw up
miniature jets of perfumed water
conversation grows general, and the
countess rises as Sparks, the butler,
comes toward Charlie bearing a bot
tie OF the yellow seal.
Jeanne gathers up her crewel-worked
robe. Clarence is attention to the
last: gives her her fan, and, with a
humble look, holds out the flower he
has ravished from the epregne.
Wont you take this?" he says.
Jeanne takes 1t with a smile, and
Clarence goes back to the table and
drains q goodly glass Of the yellow
seal, with heart fiuttering like-a
man in love.
While dinner has been in progress,
the servants have thrown open the
doors of the conservatory adjoining
the great drawing-room, and the
mimic forest of ferns and flowers is
lit up with daintiIy-shaped, grotesque
lanterns.
Jeanne, Jeanne like, makes
for this. and scots herself in low
chair beside a marble faun, that leers
down at her as he throws spray OF
water from his scooped hands.
This meeting with Lady Lucille
and Lord Lane Is so unexpected that
she scarcely yet realizes 1t. Lady
Lucelle's prophecy had come true;
they had met again, and with every
appearance of good will.
With an inward modification
Jeanne reflected upon the consum-
mate presence of mind with which
the fashionable beauty had set aside
the fact of their having seen eacn
other previously, of the exquisite we'll
bred air of composed pleasure with
which she had smiled; and, as Jeanne
reflected, she sighed.
Three months ago she expressed a
wish TO enter the great world.
How could she have guessed that It
was so false and treacherousY
Scarcely have these thoughts fitted
through her mind than soft voice
says in her ear:
well, Lady Jeannel" and looking
up, Jeanne sees the blue eyes bent on
her with smiling audacity. Jeanne
looks up with sudden fash Of color.
but there is nothing more than the
usually delicate tint on Lady Luz
celles fair skin, not a trace OF con-
fusion or embarrassment. Rather one
would say an air of delicate enjoy.
ment. as If the situation amused her
She even laughs softly as she
watches Jeanne's expressionable face.
Lady Ferndale," drawing chair
close to Jeanne's, and leaning for
ward with the most graceful ease
just as she did. Jeanne remembers. on
that afternoon in the little drawing.
room at the Gate House, Il wouldn't
give a penny for your thoughts, for
know them already"
Jeanne raised her eyebrows. but
does not speak.
"Yesl" says Lady Lucille. tanning
herself slowly, and smiling into
Jeanne's steadfast eyes, you've been
thinking ever since We were intro
duced," and she laughs softly
what a bold, wicked creature l ami"
"Wicked?" says Jeanne, as if she
wouldn't deny the bold.
Lady Lucille looked at her with
more softness in her sharp eyes than
her admirers would deem them capa-
BILE of. Obi" she thinks, then he
hasn't told her about the letter."
'Dreadfuly bold and awfully deceit
full: now, confess!"
Jeanne smiles rather coldly.
Confess YOU meant to cut me
whenever you saw me-that you
would have done it today If you
could My dear, ! saw II in your
face when you heard my voicel
Jeanne-may | call you Jeanne?-
don't say no. or look coldi We two
can't possibly quarrel. we're too great
a contrast. Fair women and dark
never do quarrel. Let us be friends!"
Jeanne smiles.
DO you think my friendship so de-
sirable then, Lady Lucelle?"
Desirable? / couldn't get on with.
out it," says Lady Lucelle, with the
most frank and charming smile. my
dear Jeanne, we shall meet nine
months out of every twelve: we
move in the same set, know the same
people. l detest-I cannot endure
situations in which the awkward and
embarrassing predominate. never
had quarrel or a GOODNESS in my
life"
Never" says Jeanne.
'Never," says Lady LUCILLE. !
see what YOU mean, my dear Jeanne
but your are wrong One may get
weary of ones best friends, but
quarrel with theml Life is too shorr
for anything so foolish. Why. m,
dear. there's scarcely a woman in thi.
room-excepting some of the very OLE
ones-that doesn't dislike me, AMI
would quarrel with me, II | were silE
, enough to humor them. And some o
them have better cause than you
You've got your plumcake. you know
where some of them have lost their
through me or sO thew thirk