The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-06-23
= Confederate States.

6. - NJ fi--------------<s- s-<-------i ~.
~ Fron, Bidck,rood's Magazine. 7
n I'M LIFE AND DEATH.
A long. old-fashioned, magnificent
room, growing dim and shadowy in the
twilight; q room ct to be haunted, lined
with shelves full Of hundreds ofrEuld
books; q room that seemed really TO be
haunted, as the white busts cleaned out
Far-stretching, silent, and solitary; 80
large, that the one living figure in il was
almost lost and swallowed up in space;
80 dreary in its vastness, that it was won
derful any living creature could endure
to stay there. 2 .s''uil ls,. -e..
-Four great windows, side by side,
looked out on q, terrace, where foun-
tain played, and cold white nymphs
stood as, if turned to. stone, while they
danced. The terrace was SOLITARY, like
the irorHth opened on it; only at one
of the windows, leaning, against the
frame, and keeping o stendy watch
through the glass, was man. The light
was SO dim even there that his figure was
but just plainly discernible; but It could
be seen that he was not old-not, per-
haps, quite young, but under middle
age-slender, pale, worn. His profile
against the window, looked almost too
delicate for a man; and This hand was
painfully thin: That. was all that could
be seen-even that only now and then
when he held mp his watch to catch the
light on its face. a.,
Suddenly, soft, almost stealthyJ foot
came along the gravel. A woman,
wrapped in large cloak, with hood
drawn over her head, came on to the ter
race; the ibrary-window swung open,
and she stepped ip.r y ~
"It is really yohI Helen, atlengthl'
"Am I late? I could not come soon
"Not very late-but you come 80 sel-
dom now. [ suppose am impatient"
She let him take. OFF her cloak, and
stood quite passive while he looked at
her for moment, and then bent down
and kissed her. She was in very sim
pie evening toilette; little woman, but
finely and fully proportioned; old enough
and beautiful enough to have suited q
much richer style of dress than the plain
white she wore; and with a kind of steady
calm about her, even while she met her
lover, r.,l,-.,' ,,.r.
.'Close the window, please" lshe
added, in her composed musical voice;
81 want to have a long tai X with you,
Phillip" .iA
He obeyed gladly. 81 have scarcely
seen you for week, he answered, "and
I have good news tonight"
sYou see me three times every day
is that not enough?" ~.
"Ifyou call that seeing. Are there to
be no more lessons, Helen2"
'I nm afraid not. I did not make
much progress last winter. My aunt
noticed it," ...i
His face glowed. "Last winter? No.
But it was not altogether my fault. How
often did you miss coming?'
"Several times, certainly. And, Phil
lip, you know my reason" t.
'Lord Daintry was here, and you were
often occupied"
"Other people as we'll as Lord Daintry
were here, and did not wish onr secret
to be discovered. You would Certainly
have ruined yourself, if I had not been
cautious for both"
Perhaps you are right. But, Helen,
it is hard to see SO little of you hs do
now"
She was silent for moment. She had
stood near the window, and he, standing
opposite to her, leaned against the pro-
jecting side of the recess, and kept his
eye, constantly on her face.
''Iistenp she said, looking up at him
with faint color fickering over her calm
features "Don't you think that this
constant dissimulation has lasted long
enough? Don't you think this secret
keeping ought to be put an end to?"
"Do you consent, then?" he cried, ea-
gerly. "Will you risk oil at last, and let
me speak?"
"Hush! hush! You misunderstood
-"
"For three years, he won't on, quick
ly, "we have been living lie; better the