Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-02-02


will never speak of any more-thai
first time ] saw you; l was a little
jealous, perhaps, for you were most
exasperatingly pretty in that white
dress; but I liked you, and do want
you to like me. Let us swear a friend
ship. as the man says in the play"
Jeanne smiles. What can she say
what would anyone say in answer
to the appeal, made in the sweetest
and most liquid of tones, and with a
frankness which seems truth itself
Lady Lucille takes the smile as an
assent
That's all right" she says. with a
little fiuttering sigh VI satisfaction
"and am quite happy. Candidly, my
dear. couldn't have afforded to quar-
rel with so great person as the
Warehouses of Ferndale! Why, cut
direct from you world have socially
ruined me. See now how wholly
trust youi Is there any one of them
who would be so honest? They all
profess to love You, but they don't.
They all envy you, and most of them
hate you. There isn't one of them,
and she looked toward the room full
of women with placid smile. but
would have gone on their knees TO
get what you got without the asking.
My dear Jeanne, 1t must be nice to
be a marchioness,. only to feel that
every unmarried-and most of the
married-women one meets would be
glad TO stab one in the back IL stab
bling were the fashion"
Jeanne listens with an uneasy
smile. From any other lips such
plain truths would sound coarse, and
startling, but spoken in Lady Lu-
celle's soft, lingering tones, they do
not strike home with less poignancy.
Not one." she continues. Look
over your fan at that tall girl in the
blue satin. She is one OF the Peer
land girls-there are five of them. and
unmarried. This is Augusta. Poor
Augusta! She tracked Lord Ferndale
for two seasons, from London TO
Paris. from Paris to Scotland, up hill,
down dale. She must love you! so
must her mother, the old lady in the
turban, with the mustache. Augusta
is now stalking poor Nugent. Gets up
in the morning and holds his gun,
which she can't bear the sight OF, ana
pats his horse, of which she is NOR
tally afraid. You will see when he
comes in how she will draw mp the
blue satin from that chair beside her
and smile at him. Poor Augusta
Jeanne cannot help smiling in spite
of herself
Poor Lord Nugent!" she says.
Just so" assents Lady Lucille,
with little shrug of the shoulders.
But he is used to it, and can take
care of himself--some of them can't,
and fall easy victims. Teal" she
breaks off, as a footman approaches.
Thanks. What a farce it Isl This
is a r emnant of the old. patriarchal
days, when women were kept in servi.
tude. l wonder when the men will
learn how much we hate the society
Of each other, and let us share the
port and rare wines and best stories
which they reserve till we've left the
dining-room? My dear, there is
nothing so deceitful as a man, Did
vntt avap naftea hnu ,,paua apd ca
date they come in, just as if they
had been learning the shorter cate.
chism, instead of chuckling over
doubtful bon-mots and scandal? All
the life goes out of them as they en-
ter the drawing-room, where we SIT
like tame cats in cage. tapping our
tea or lounging at the plano. BY the
way, does Lord Ferndale sing now?'
The question is not an abrupt one
for Led. Lucille never asked an
abrupt a stion in her life-but it IS
so unexpected that Jeanne winces.
vane has not sung since the wedding.
day
81 think not" she says. trying to
speak carelessly.
REALTY" says Lady Lucille, glanc-
ing through Der half-closed eyelids at
Jeanne's averted face. "That strikes
me as dreadful waste of the fine
material. | have often thought it was
a great shame marquis should have
such a voice and such a talent for
painting: it is rather unfair to other
men who have neither title nor any
thing else. I'm afraid he doesn't
paint much, does he?"
Jeanne smiles. As a fact, vane has
done little else but paint; but she is
spared reply, for the countess, who
has made several attempts to get to
her, reaches her at last, and Lady Lu.
celle is induced to go to the piano.
"Oh, yes, II sing If you want me,
she says: that is, until Lord Fern
dale comes into the room. He once
told me that sang without any
heart. and vowed never to open my
lips in his hearing again.
A small circle encloses Jeanne
plans are being made for the morrow
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