Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-12-14
a Mean IT, Mean IT." He Assured Her.

gotten it--she who had been all her
life so deferential toward it! Even
now she remembered it only because
it interfered with what she wanted
to do.
For the eye of her small society
was very keenly upon Kerr She re-
allied. all at once, that he had be-
come a parsonage; and then, by
smiles, by lifted eyebrows. by glances,
she gathered that her name was be.
ing linked with his. she was aston
ished. How could their luncheon to-
gether at the Purdies', their words
that night in the opera box, their few
minutes talk in the shop, have crys-
tallized into this gossip? It vexed her
alarmed her, how It had got about
when she had seen him so seldom,
had known him scarcely more than
a week. 1t was simply in the air. 1t
was in her attitude and in his, but
how far it had gone she did not
dream. until in the dense crowd Of some
ones at-home she caught the words
of a young girl The voice was SO
sweet and so prettily modulated that
at its first notes Flora turned invol-
UNFAIRLY to glimpse the speaker, a
slender creature in a delicate mist of
muslin, with an indeterminate chin
and the cheek of a pale peach
Just think" Flora heard her say
ing, "he went to see her three times
in two days, but today. did you no
tice, he wouldn't look at her until she
went up and spoke - him. | don't
see how girl can, larry Greasy"
She moved away and the words
were lost. Flora looked after her. For
the moment she felt only scorn for
the creatures who had clapped that
Interpretation upon her great respon-
sibility. These people around her
seemed poor indeed, absorbed only in
petty considerations, and seeing every
thing down the narrow vista of the
correct" Her eyes followed the
young girls course through the room.
easy to trace by her shining blond
head, and the unusual deliciousness Of
her muslin gown. She stopped be-
side two women, and with a certain
sense of pleasure and embarrassment
Flora recognized one Of them Mrs.
Herrick. She caught the lady's eye
and bowed Mrs Herrick smiled,
with gracious inclination in which
her graceful shoulders had part.
1t gave Flora the sense Mrs. Her
rick's presence always brought her.
of protection, of security, and the pos
sibility of friendship finer than she had
ever known She started forward.
But Mrs. Herrick, presenting instantly
ner profile, drew the young girls
hand through her arm and moved
away.
Flora WINGED as IL she had received
blow. The other people who had
heard the same gossip of her had
been, on account of it, all the more
amused and anxious to talk to her.
She felt herself judged-iudged
from the outside. it is true-but still
there was justice in il. She had been
flying in the face Of custom, ignoring
common good behavior, in short,
sticking to her own convictions in de-
fiance of the worlds And she must
pay the penalty--the loss Of the pos
sibility Of such friend.
But 1t was hard, she thought, TO pay
the price without getting the thing
she had paid for. 1t WAS more like
gamble in which she staked all on a
chance. And never had this chance
appeared more improbable 70 her than
now. For If Kerr valued the ring more
than he valued his safety, what argu-
ment was left her?