The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-05-16
From Lippincon's Magazine. |
THE PRICE OF A DREAM.
CONCLUDED

1t was not large party; as Dolores look
ed about the library where the people were
collected, she saw that she knew everybody
there.
She was first tonight, also, because the
sympathies of the whole party were up in
arms. She ought to be set free; she was
dying; but what could be done no one
would have decided, if Miss Raleigh had
not fortunately been practical as we'll as en-
thusiastic. She had laid her own plans, and
intended to carry them out; and they were
sensible, as was usually the case with her
judgments.
For time, Dolores was almost as white
as her dress, and she sat very quiet near
the Abbess, who was talking learnedly to
some heavy man about mineralogy; but she
looked SO different from anybody else that
it was impossible to keep ones eyes off
her.
She was dressed as any girl might have
been, but somehow there was fairly regal
look to the scarlet scarf she had flung over
her shoulders, and an odd ornament that
she wore in her hair completed the toilette.
1t was psssion-fower of the most delicate
enamel studded with gems-just the sort of
striking thing one can so seldom lay hands
on; and it seemed fairly type of the girl.
Pretty soon, Guy Raleigh came and stood
by her and began to talk, and then she
blossomed into beauty again, and the pas
sion-fower trembled ominously on its deli
cate stem with the quick motions of her lit
tie head.
Guy noticed it, having an artists eye for
color and beauty.
cit is certainly very appropriate" he
said.
'.It was what my father called me, re-
piled Dolores, $50 he gave me this
"Passion-fower, said Guy, and he
thought that truly she looked like it,
She was an interesting psychological study
to him; then, too, she had strange, name
less charm for him which any man would
have felt-which would have given her a
dangerous power could sho have lived in the
world and become conscious of that mag
netic influence.
SO they talked for a few moments; then
the last guest arrived, and dinner was an
nounced. Guy had to go and offer his arm
to the great lady of the occasion-some
foreign ambassadors wife, who had strayed
into that pretty spot for q week, along with
her friends, all of whom were as much out
Of place as camelias in a wood
:, She was what irreverent young mon of
the present generation term 'heavy bird, :"
the jeweled ambassadress, and spoke several
languages with an outlandish accent and
lumbled them all together in n perplexing
fashion; SO that as Guy took his seat at the
table, he looked rather enviously toward the
place where Dolores sat with very agree
able man at her side.
AS for her, it was enough that she could
see him, could feel his eyes often turned
toward her. Her beautiful dream went on
without break.
1t was after dinner, and Miss Raleigh had
at length an opportunity of opening to
Dolores her scheme Of having her come to
live with her and teach her Spanish.
The doors had unclosed; this was the
change she had felt to be near at hand
They talked for some time, and matters
were easily carried SO far that it was decided
Dolores should come rs soon as the Abbess
could provide herself with another 60.
verness.
''She has been kind to me. and I must be
honest" Dolores said. quantity.
"Oh, of course, you darling! You don't
mind my laughing when you say things in
such an earnest way?"
''No, indeed; it does me good to laugh
and to hear you laugh"
"And you say such funny things!' cried