Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-12-20

safety at last.
ITO think" said Sidney. shat you
have really been across the oeeani
never knew but one person who had
been abroad. 1t is DIR. Max Wilson"
Back again TO Doctor Maxi lie
Moyne. unpacking sandwiches from q
basket, was aroused by sheer resent.
merit to indiseretion.
''You like this Wilson chap pretty
WELL don't you?"
"What do you mean?"
You talk about him rather a lot"
This was sheer recklessness. of
course. He expected fury. humiliation.
He did not look up, but busted him
self with the luncheon. When the ST.
lence grew oppressive. he ventured TO
glance toward her. She was leaning
forward, her chin cupped in her palms,
staring out over the valley that
stretched at their feet.
Don't speak to me for minute or
two" she said. Pm thinking over
what you have just said"
Down through the valley ran a shall
low river. making noisy pretenslons to
both depth and fury. He remembered
just such river in the Tyrol, with this
same Wilson on u rock, holding the
hand of a pretty Austrian girl, while
he snapped the shutter of camera.
He ha that picture somewhere now /;
but the girl was dead, and of the
three, Wilson was the only one who
had met life and vanquished it.
I've known him all my life" Sid
ney said at Lest. you're perfectly
right about one thing: l talk about
him and | think about him. I'm being
candid, because what's the use of he
ing friends if were not frank? / adj
mire him-you'd have to see him in the
hospital, with everyone deferring TO
him and all that, to understand. And
when You think of a man like that,
who holds life and death in his hands,
of course you rather thrill. II hon
estly believe that's all there is to it,
IF that's the whole thing, that's
hardly mad passion" He tried to
SHitit SufCeeuEu lainUH.
well, of course, there's this, too. /
know he'll never look at me. I'll be
one of forty nurses; indeed, for three
months I'll be only a probationer. He'll
the hospital at ALL"
Il see. Then, if you thought he was
in love with you, things would be diff
ferent?"
IF l thought Or. Max Wilson was in
love with me-" said Sidney solemnly,
I'D go opt of my head with joy"
To hide the shock with which he
realized that she was, unknown to her
self, already in the throes of roman
tic attachment for Wilson, X. suggest
ed descent to the river. She accept
ed eagerly, and he helped her down.
That was another memory that out
lasted the day-her small warm hand
in his; the time she slipped and he
caught her; the pain in her eyes at
one of his thoughtless remarks.
I'm going to be pretty lonely" he
said, when she had paused in the de-
scent and was taking a stone out of her
low shoe. Il shall hate to come home
at night" And then, seeing her vince:
I've been whining all day. For
heavens sake, don't look like that If
there's one sort of man detest more
than another. it's man who is sorry
for himself. Do you suppose your
mother would object if we stayed out
here at the hotel for supper? I've or
dered moon, Orange-yellow and extra
size"
Il should hate TO have anything or
dered and wasted"
'Then We'll stay"
Its fearfully extravagant."
''Tll be thrifty as to moons while you
are in the hospital"
So it was settled. And, as ii hap
pened, Sidney had to stay, anyhow.
For, having perched herself out in the
river on a sugar-lOaf rock, she slid,
slowly but with a dreadful Inevitable
ity, into the water. X. happened to be
looking in another direction. SO it oc-
Cured that at one moment Sidney sat
on a rock, fluffy white from head to
feet, entrancingly pretty, and knowing
1t, and the next she was standing neck
deep in water, much too startled TO
scream, and trying to be dignified I'M
der the rather trying circumstances. X.
had not looked around. The splash had
been a gentle one.
IF you will be good enough" said
Sidney, with her chin well up, ito give
me your hand or a pole or something
because if the river rises an inch |
shall drown"
To his undying credit, X. lie Moyne
did not laugh when he turned and saw
her. He went out on the sugar-lOaf.
and lifted her bodily up its slippery
sides. He had prodigious strength, in
spite of his leanness.
"Well !" said Sidney, when they were
both on the rock. carefully balanced.
"Are you cold?"
mot a bit. But horribly unhappy. /
must look a sight" Then, remembering
her manners, as the Street had it. she
said primly:
Thank you for saving me-"
There wasn't any danger, really,
unleSs-unless the river had risen"
And then, suddenly. he burst into de-
lighted laughter, the first, perhaps. for
months. He shook with 1t, struggled
at the sight of her injured face to re-
strain 1t. achieved finally a degree of
sobrIetv bv fixing his evas on the river