Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-05-07

y
dsy-making. depart from the Mount
and return 70 the court An imposing
cayaleade. cleaning in crimson and
gold. they wended down the dark
rock; laughing ladies', pranked-out
cavaliers who Wavei their perfumed
hands With farewell kisses TO the
grim stronghold in the desert. late
their palace OF pleasure. and to the
young mistress thereof
"Good-by. Elise" The marquis was
last to go.
"Good-by."
He took her hand: held It to his
lips On the whole, he was not III
pleased. His wooing had apparently
prespered, for. although the marriage
had been long. arranged. my lady's
beauty and capriciousness had famed
In him the desire to appear success
full sutton for her heart as well as her
hand. II sometimes she laughed and
thus failed TO receive his delicate gal.
lantries in the mood in which they
were rendered. the marquis vanity
only allowed him to conclude that a
woman does not laugh If she is DIS
pleased. II was enough that she found
him diverting; he served her; they
were friends and had danced and Arid,
den through the spring days in ami
cable fashion.
"Good-by," he repeated. when
are you coming to court again! The
queen Is sure to ask. | understand
her majesty is plancing all manner
of brilliant entertainments, yet YER
sailles-without you.. Elise."
Me-" arching her finely penciled
orows. "Oh, I'm thinking of staying
here. becoming nun. and restoring
the Mount to its old religious pres
tige"
Then I'll come back a monk" he
returned in the same tone.
IF you come back at ALL" provok-
ingly. There. go! The others will
soon be out of sight"
Il, too-alas, Elisel"
He touched his horse; rode on. but
soon looked back to where, against
a great. grim wall, stood a figure all
in white cleaning in the sunshine.
The marquis stopped; drew from his
breast a deep red rose, and, gazing
upward. gracefully kissed the glowing
token. Beneath the aureole of golden
hair my lady's proud face rewarded
him with a faint smile, and some
thing-a tiny Observation-Disclosures
like a dove above the frowning, time
worn rock. At that, with the eloquent
gesture of troubadour. he threw
his arm backward, as If to launch the
impress on the rose to the crimson
lips OF the girl. and then. plying his
spurs. galloped of
And as be went at a pace. head
long If not dangerous and hitting the
exigencies Of the moment, my lord
smiled. Truly had he presented a per
feet, dainty and gallant figure for any
woman's eyes. and the Lady Elise, he
fancied, was not the least discerning
of her sex. And had he seen the girl.
when an unkind angle of the wall hid
him from sight, his own nice estimate
OF the situation would have suffered
no change. The Mount, which for
merly had resounded 20 the life and
merriment of the people from the
court. on sudden to her looked cold.
barren, empty.
"Heigh-ho!" she murmured, stretch
ing her arms toward that point where
he-they-had vanished Il shall die
Of ennui | am sure!" And thought
fully retraced her steps to her own
room.
But she did not long stay there;
by way of makesbift for gaiety, sub
stituted activity The Mount, full OF
early recollections and treasure-house
mystery. furnished an incentive for
exploration, and for several days she
devoted herself to its study; now
pausing for an instant's contemplation
OF a sculptured thing of beauty, then
before some closed door that held her.
as at the threshold of a Bluebeard's
forbidden chamber.
One day. such a door stood open
and her curiosity became cured. She
had passed beneath a machicolated
gateway and climbing a stairway
that began in a watch-tower, found
herself Unexpectedly on great plat
form. Here several men, unkempt.
pale. like creatures from another
world, were walking to and fro; but
at sight of her. an order was issued
and they vanished through a trap
all save one. misshapen dwarf who
remained to shut the iron door, ad-
just the fastening and turn a ponder
GUS key. For a moment she stood
staring.
CTO BE CONTINUED)