Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-08-15
Copyright BY Chas. scubnsr's Sons
CHAPTER xlI-continued.

any hardheaded young business icono-
clsst of an agnostic century could. But
on this particular evening when he
was smoking his after-dinner pipe on
the fiagstoned porch with Corona for
his companion, there were phenomena
apparently unexplainable on any pure
~ material hypothesis.
81 am sure / have much less than
half OF the curiosity that women are
said to have, but. really, l do want TO
know what dreadful thing has hap
pened to you since we met you in the
High Line offices this morning
mamma and l." was the way in which
one of the phenomena was made to oc-
cur; and Smith started so nervously
that he dropped his pipe.
You can be the most unexpected
person, when you try" he laughed, but
the laugh scarcely rang true. What
makes you think that anything has
happened?"
81 don't Think know" the small
seeress went on with calm assurance.
''You've been telling us ia all sorts of
6umb ways that you've had an upset
fling shock of some kind; and l don't
Believe it's another lawsuit. Am l
eight so far?'
81 believe you are witch, and it's a
mighty good thing you didn't live in
the Salem period" he rejoined. "They
would have hanged you to a dead
moral certainty"
"Then there was something's" she
queried; adding, jubilantly: II knew
itw
$50 on" said the one to whom it had
happened; Ego on and tell me the rest
of it,"
"Oh. hat isn't fair; even a profess
siOnal clairvoyant has to be told the
color of her eyes and hair"
"Wha-what!" the ejaculation was
fairly Jared out of him and for the
moment he fancied he could feel a cool
breeze blowing up the back of his neck.
The clairvoyant who did not claim to
be a professional was laughing softly.
''YOu told me once that a wor qn
was adorable in the exact degree in
which she could afford TO be visibly
transparent; yes, you said afford and
I've been holding it against you. Now
Tn going TO pay you back. You are
the transparent one, this time. You
have as good as admitted that the hap
pening' thing isn't man; 'wha-what
always means that, you know: so it
must be a woman. Is it the Miss Rich
lander you were telling me about rot
long agoy'
There are times when any mere
man may be shocked into telling the
truth, and Smith had come face to face
with one of them. ut u.s." he said.
''She is in BrewsterT
"Yes. She came this evening""
"And you ran away? That was hor-
ribly unkind. don't you think-after
she had come so far?'
"HoId on" he broke In. Don't let's
so so fast / didn't ask her TO come.
And, besides, she didn't come to see
me-"
Ibid she tell you that?"
81 have taken precious good care
that she shouldn't have the chance.
saw her name-and her father's-on
the hotel register; and just about that
time 1 remembered that 1 could prob
ably get bite to eat out here"
You are queer! All men are little
queer, i think-always excepting colo
nel-daddy. Don't you want TO see herr"
Indeed, DON'T"
"Not even for old times sake"
mo; not even for old times sake.
I've given you the wrong impression
fnlr &c
obligation on my part. 1t might have
drifted on to the other things in the
course of time, simply because neither
of US might have known any better
than to let it drift But that's all Il
back number, now"
Just the same, her coming shocked
you"
1T certainly did" he confessed sober
iy; and then: "Heve You fo~-otten
what told you about the circuL stances
under which 1 left homer"
"Ohi" she murmured, and as once
before there was little gasp to go
with the word. Then: "She wouldn't
s-she wouldn't"
mo" he answered. "she wouldn't !:
but her father would"
$50 her father wanted her to marry
the other man, did he?"
Smiths laugh was an easing of
strains. you've pumped me dry" he
returned. the sardonic humor reassert-
ing itself.
A motorcar was coming up the drive
way. It was high time that an inter-
ruptIon Of some SORT was breaking in
and when the colonel appeared and
brought StilIings with him - the loung
ing end of the porch business confer
ence began which gave Miss Corona an
excuse to disappear. and which ac-
counted easily for the remainder of the
evening.
Smith returned TO Brewster the next
morning by way of the dam, making
the long detour count for as much as
possible in the matter of sheer time
killing. II was a little before noon
when he reached town by the round
about route, and went to the hotel to
reconnoiter. The roomclerk who gave
him his key gave him also the infOrma-
ton he craved.
"Mr HIGHLANDER? Oh, yes; he left
early this morning by the stage. he is
interested in some gold properties up
In the range beyond Topaz Fine old
gentleman. 10 sou know him. Mr..