Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-04-29
BOOK l..
CHAPTER v.
introducing Mr.. Flint.

Whatever IL might have been thai
Rudolph Van Vechten wanted to pom
der in connection with the mornings
happenings, he had no thought for the
hourly procession OF strange men into
Number 1913, nor for the yelled lady
Gas much as her appearance had agi
tated him), nor yet for the murder
If murder there had been.
His mind was flooded with dissolv
ing images of fair girls face. lie
saw her shrinking in dread before an
unspeakable terror, from which he
could not shield her; he saw her sob
bling out her heart In bitter distress
and Il was not his privilege to comfort
her. And then, most vivid of all, were
the scorn and reproach of her hand
some dark eyes, against whose silent
accusation he could not defend him.
self
His fruitless mental effort was chat.
ing and fretting him almost TO dis
traction; his head ached and throbbed /:
his nerves felt as IL they stood stripped
in sleet storm. And beautiful face,
as luminous as dawn, noated elusively
before him, pleading. rebuking, teas
ing. cooking, hating. but constantly
and always leaving him more and more
mystlfed and hopelessly perplexed
As far advanced as the season was
there still remained several weeks
which. earlier. he had planned to spend
with the Carterets. Fred Carteret
owned pleasant summer home on the
north shore OF Long island. and com.
Portable sailing-yaeht which Tom Phin-
ney delighted to navigate up and down
the sound. while the other dined. made
merry or took advantage of the cool
breezes to sleep. He even regretted
that he must forego Tommy's cheerful
habit of every now and then poking
his head In at the cabin skylight ard
shouting directions to the bridge play
ers below-who. as everyone knows.
always enjoy that sort of thing. He
would invariably vanish before the
only available missiles could arnihi
late him. and become immersed In
some profundity OF his selfimposed
duties.
journey in his own trim eteam.yacht
(T. Phlnney, MASTERY, down TO the
Chesapeake. to wait for the autumn
hegirs of ducks His cousins pros.
pective arrival from abroad had al
tered all these pleasant arrangements.
Paige Carew had completed her mu.
steal studies In July; some day she
would enchant the world--or at least
that elect portion of il which she
would condescend 10 favor-with her
violin: her career az the conservatory
assured this prophecy. Was not that
honor and glory enough for a girl not
yet twenty?
Then why should she and Mrs Dew
ereaux 90 OF to London for the sea
son, instead of coming home to meet
the people with whom she would have
70 mingle after they were married.
and receive their laudatons and con
gratulations3
Van vechten paused at this refiee-
ton
After they we're married. Ever
since he could remember. this contin-
Reney had been taken so for granted
that he had never thought TO question
r. 1t was so much the proper thing
for them to do, such logical union.
so desirable from every point OF view,
that he and Paige had always regarde
II as a settled thing--an assured fact
awaiting only the ri?e moment
True, neither OF them seemed eager to
hasten the time. but II that time was
ever to come II must now be near at
hand: they could not much longer be
content with some time
He trowned with annoyance why
couldn't such sensible girl come
home at the proper time. when all ar.
engagements had been made for her re-