Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-02-01

married at ALL"
Noble dropped back into his chair Of
misery! 81 thought sou meant 1t
wasn't true"
"rve Just told you there isn't one
word of tr-"
'But you're-engaged-to him."
Noble gulped. "You're engaged to
him, Juliar'
She appeared not to hear him. 81
suppose It can be lived down." she
said. ITO think of Uncle Joseph put
ting such thing into the hands of
those awful childrenl ~
But Julia. you are eng
'Noblei" she said sharply.
"Well, you are eng"
Julia drew herself up. Different
people mean different things by that
word" she said with severity, like an
annoyed instructress. "There are any
number Of shades OF meaning to
words; and II I used the word you
mention In writing home to the family,
I may have used q certain shade and
they may have thought intended an
other"
But julia
Mr.. Crum u a charming young
man. she continued, with the same
primness. Il liked him very much. !
liked him very much indeed. liked
him very, very much / liked him
very-S
Il understand" he interrupted.
Don't say 1t any more, Julia"
NO; you don't understand. At first
/ liked him very much-in fact / still
do, of cOurse-Pm sure he's one Of the
best and most attractive young men in
the world. | think he's a man any girl
ought to be happy with, If he were
only to be considered by himself. /
don't deny that l liked him very much
indeed, and | don't deny that for sew
eral days after heater he proposed
to mel don't deny thought some
thing serious might possibly come OF
II. But at that time, Noble, / hadn't
hadn't really thought of what 1t meant
to give up living here at home, with all
the family and eyerything-and friends
friends like you, Noble. hadn't
thought what 1t would mean to me to
give all this up. And besides, there
was something very important. At the
time / wrote that letter mentioning
| poor Mr. Crum to the family, Noble,
hadn't hadn't" She paused, In
some distress. II hadn't"
@You hadn't what?" he cried.
Il hadn't met his mother."
Noble Ieaped to his feet. Julia
You aren't-you aren't engagedf
II am not" she answered decisively
IF ever was, In the slightest, Ger
tainly am not now"
Poor Noble was transformed He
struggled, making half-formed ges
lures, speaking half-made words.
"Julia-Julia--" he choked: Julia
promise me something's Julia-prom
ise to promise me something"
81 WILL" she said quickly. what dc
you want me to do7"
"Give me your word" he said, still
radiantly struggling. "Give me your
word-your word and sacred promise
Julia-you1l never be engaged 10 any
body at all ]"
At six minutes after four o'clock Of
the second afternoon following Julia''
return, Noble Din closed his own gate
behind him as he set forth upon this
| four-minute walk that would bring hin
to Julia's. He wore a bit of indoor
geranium In the buttonhole of his new
light overcoat.
Passing the foot of an alley which
debouched upon the street, he wa:
aware of a commotion. Of missiles
/ hurled and voices clashed.
| Casting a glance that way. Noble
could see but one person; boy Of
thirteen or fourteen who looked
| through a crack in q board fence
/ eteadfastly keeping an eye to this aper
| ture. and as continuously calling
through 1t, holding his head to one
4 level for this purpose, but at the same
( time dancing-and dancing tauntingly
/ II was conveyed-with the other part
of his body. His voice was now sweet
now piercing, and again far to'
dulcet with the sverkindness of bur
lesQue; and If, as IL seemed, ht
was unburdening his spleen. his spleeI
was a powerful one, and gorged. III
I appeared to be In torment of tor
| menting; and his success was proved
by the pounding of bricks, and rock
of size, upon the other side Of th'
fence
"Oh. dolllngi" he walled, his toni
poisonously amorous. "Oh, dollinl
Henery! Oo's dot de mos booful eye
In a dray bid nasty world, Henery
Oh, has ] dot booful eyes, dolllng Pat
tywatty7 Yes. l hast has do
pretty eyes!" His voice rose to al
unbearably piercing climax. "Oh, wha
prettiest eyes dot! Me and Herbi'
Atwaterl Oh. my booful eyesl oh
my booful-"
4 But even as he reached this apex
the head, shoulders and arms of Her
bert Atwater rose momentarily allow
the fence across the alley, behind tn
tormentor. Herbert's expression wa
implacably resentful, and so was tn
gesture with which he hurled an OBJ
ject at the comedian pre-oecupied witt
the opposite fence. This object upoi
reaching its goal, as 1t did with NOR
a splash than a thud, was revealed a
tomato. presumably in a useles