The Shasta courier., 1872-09-28

his eyes fell upon q miniature. 1t was Q
portrait of his divinity herself, and it was
set in costly gems. These he neither no.
ticed or cared for. All he saw was the
sweet face. He stool ed over it be ex.
amined it; he took it in his hand.
at is herself p he said at is wonder
fulw
And [ think he would have kissed it,
but at that moment he heard little scream
aud savage growl
He turned. The scream came from
MdIle. La c., the growl from gent e.
man who accompanied her, and on the
instant two hands came down on Fer
nandes shoulders, and the miniature wns
| wrested from him.
"How careless of Auguste," cried the
lady. "to leave the door open for thieves to
enter BY"
The gentleman Justify cried for help.
Fern; Dde said norhiDg Conscious Of
his terrible position, be passing through
the chrnging scenes of dream, 'that Re
knew himself to be arrested auJ c4st into
prison.
The priu,a donna appeared agaibst h nj
when the proper time came She hat
found this man in her room He ha
valuable ornament in his hand She
believed that he intended To cal It, She
had never seen him before Oh no, never.
:; AT this the young man feh that il would
be we'll to be dead She had never seen
him before! Then she hid not smiled
upon him when he threw her that buquet
of Provence roses 1t was al la, cy. He
had not caught her eyes. She had never
noticed him.
The gentlnman who had been with mada-
moiselle gave his evidence, only he was
fercer, aud called the hapiess Fernando
thief, brigahd aud rascal when he
alluded to him; aud Fe' nande could only
say he was not guilty He would not even
give his calling ard bring his responsibility
forward BY way Of defence.
81 am named Fernando, and have
lived twenty three years, aud am nothing
and nobody
This be said when called upon to ac-
count for himself and nothing more, and
be was written down vagrant, and condemn
ed to six months hard lxbor as thief.
Mdle. La c. went home pouting aud
declared that she hated to 20 to such
dreadful places" She ate a delightful
little lunch. and afterwards finding packet
upon her table, opened it and read Fer
nande's little anonymous nots, at which
she laughed aud hummed over the song,
pronouncine "very pretty" A. few days
after che practic, it, aud on being encored
ote night. bethought her to sing it.
Poor Fernando if he could have be d
there to have seen how the women wept
over bis pretty little lay OF love aud death,
and to have heard how the applause rang.
After that the manager besought
madamoiselle to ST. x Loves Dying Dream
(every mighty and the lady obeyed bis
request
Amateur singers went mad over it, and
it was published. Having the name Of no
composer upon It it was called Mdile. La
C-'s song, and by many was believed to
be her own, and it sold as never song sold
before.
One day, with party, she visited the
prison where Fernando was confined.
She stood amid her little circle Of caval-
iers, and said to one in authority of the
place:
What do they like, these people
Shall sing little love song 2"
GAS msdemciselle pleases," said the man.
"Every one understands that theme"
And madamoiselle smiled, and tried her
voice with little trill, and began poor
Fernande's song, "Love's Dying Dream"
Oh, the eager glitteripg eyes that watch
ed her
Oh, the flushed cheek-the hurried
breath !? Oh. the mad throbbin1s of the
heart of number twenty-four as be whisper
ed to himself:
ut is my song! 1t is my song p'
"What is the matter?" whispered
number twen y-three to number twenty.
four 81 say, mon ami, speak"
"What is the niatter?" ask ed the singer
Of the superintendent as the last notes of
her cong died upon her lips. There seems
to be some commotion."
q. here is little" said the supcrintend-
snt, calmly: Number twenty-four has
caused it,"
"Has he escaped" cried the lady, look
ing as though she had he ri tha, tiger
had broken loose.
"After manner, madanisele." said
the superintendent He is dead
"These people never b We any sense of
propriety," said madamosele How
dreadful"
?hey buried Fernando in whatever spot
Of gr und is given to paupe, prisoners.
And Mdlle La c. sang on until she sang
herself into the heart of s0ne man with a
title; but so long as she sipye at all, she
will sometimes sing Loves Dying Dream"
1t is so pretty, so sweet; then it was the
work of an unknown adhircr Il is the
favoritc with NADINE aud always has been.
No one now remembers Numter twenty
four named Fernando, who was so impolite
as to die while Mdlle. La. c. was sing.
ing.