Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-04-02


said Miss Wing gently.
+ At which the black head sank low
CT. while a sa1othered voice mumblcd:
do you think Liked 1t. coming to
tell?"
Miss Wing smoothed her hair. 1T
would have panied me very much If
f you had not come. Tell ne; whether
i he sees you or not, will he not write
TO your father? Do sou think his
feeling is so slight that disappOint-
ment will turn it2'
i The black head threw itself up
bravely and the fearless young eyes
met Miss Wings pensiye brown ones.
mo. Miss Wing. know 1t VIII make
no difference"
! Miss Wing stified sigh; Il may be
I that she was not so sure Of the firm
/ purpose of a lover; she spoke more
/ gently: 1T is only the disappoint
ment. then. If you can't see him."
The girls face quiYered little.
Perhaps I am foolish said Miss
/ Wing. but | think It would be dis
/ appointment very hard to bear. Still,
/ you must admit that parents 90 not
send their children TO school expecting
them 10 become engaged to be mar
ried; on the contrary, there is tacit
pledge that we shall protect our wards
from any ENHANCEMENT But this did
not happen at school; the only ques-
ton is, ought to prevent IT going any
farther? My dear. do you have conf
dence in me?"
Yes. Miss Wing said the girl.
OF course. | do not think that I
ought TO consent to your driving alone
together"
The girl drew long sigh II sup
pose not she breathed. In dismal
resignation.
But I should like him to come
here. to see me; and then. if l find
him 10 be what your father would APP
prove. you may see him here: and we
shall all have to explain things to-
gether, | fancy. 10 your father
The girl drew another. a very diff
ferent, sigh. and impulsiyely kissed
Miss Wings hand. She tried to speak,
and could only murmur. "Oh. do love
you"
And so. If you viii tell Graf Won
Butler-what Is his Christian name.
Florence?"
Max" said the girl, very low, for
she felt the presence OF the picture.
on which she had not once turned her
eyes. Before she spoke, under a pre-
tense OF pull at her skirt, she
slipped her hand out OF the hand with
tn. sapphire ring Yet her excited
Soung nerves yibrated at the slight
cough which came as the principal
changed her position. before she said,
In her usual tone: 1T is a fine name.
Well. Florence. you will tell Count
Max Won Butler that | shall hope TO
see him. And--will you trust me?"
The girl told her that she would
trust her utterly, and she knew that II
would be right; and oh, she was so
happy. And she came back to say,
with the tears in her eyes. Il shall be
grateful to you as long as live"
Miss Wing stood in the center of
the room, smiling. until the door
closed, But then n a second she was
at the door. almost fiercely. but noise
lessly, twisting the key In the lock.
From the door she passed TO the win
dows and dropped the shades. At
last. safe from every chance of espial.
she sat down again in her chair be
fore the desk, leaned her elbows on
the desk. and looked desperately, mis-
erably, into the joyous face of the pic
ture. She did not speak. but her
thoughts took on words and sank like
hot lead into her heart. Max But
lerl Max Butler, The little nephew
he told me about. And he has been
alive all these years; and happy: with
little sons, while IL have lied to
these trusting girls. 1t was wicked
and shameless | deceived myself;
then ! deceived them. | wonder why
knew what they were thinking. How
dared | look that honest child in the
facet ! suppose she wonders like the
rest why | have not told anyone of my
romance. And Il is simply that there
was nothing to tell. Nothing" she
looked into the soldiers happy eyes
while her lips curled and she muir
INJURED. drearily and bitterly, Il haven't
even the right TO be angry with you.
poor lad. What did you do? You are
not my Max; only made him up out
of my heart--llke children playing q
| game!" Her mind drifted dizzily
I through shapeless and inconsequent
| visions OF the past. She was seeing
/ agar the grim pile of the ruined cas-
( tie. the masses of broken shadow, the
! intricate carving on arch and archi
j trave and plinth. the wavering mass
of limbs and tree-trunks on the green
sward: and she with her twisted
ankle. was kneeling. trying to peer
/ through the shrubbery for her lost
companions. Did he come by chance?
She had seen the handsome young Of
! flcer daily, for week His great
aunt WAS Margaret's right-hand neigh.
Dor at the pension table d'hote. a
wlthered relic of Polish nobility with
fine. black eyes in a face like & hick-
DRY nut; who wore shabby gowns and
| magnificent jewels, frankly smoked
cigarettes. and seemed to have 8
yenomous tale ready to lit any name
mentioned in conversation--with one
! exception, her nephew's Margar-
garets first sight OF him WAS not un.
der the shelter of conventionallties
II happened that the countess feroci.
Gus pet (and the terror OF the pen.
sionl. Great Dane. was trying to eat
up a little girl. but fortunately had