American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-27


Mr.. Brent asked Eleanor if she would not
accompany him to the eastern side of the
| mountain To see the moon rise. While
she hesitated, uncertain what to say,
Clare's voice spoke quietly at her side.
Miss Melbourne has an engagement with
me-" he said. Il fear you must defer the
pleasure of admiring the moon in her
society for a little while, Mr.. Brent"
Then to Eleanor, "Shall we go now?"
She assented, and they walked away.
Eleanor said, You should not have
spoken 50 CURLY 10 Mr. Brent
''If | can avoid it, shall never speak to
him again." Clare answered. "DOn't let
us talk of him. did not bring you away
to discuss anybody we have left behind
or anything of which we have talked be
fore. We are to be like immortals-to
forget the past and live only in the
present"
"W here are we going?" she asked.
'Round to point from whence we can
overlook ClaremOnt."
She said rothing more, and he led her
to the eastern side of the mountain,
where, near the verge of an almost pre-
cipitous descent, they sat down together
under the shadow of a great gray rock.
After they had been silent for some time,
Clare turned and looked at his compan-
ion. How beautiful you are!' he said
abruptly. 81 wish | had picture of you
as you sit there now. 1t would be worth
everything else in the world to me. But
perhaps, after all, the best pictures are
those which are taken on the heart"
"You have forgotten" said Eleanor,
trying to smile, that we are going to eat
the lotos in order to efface all pictures
Nay" said he. Il thought it was to
enable us to forget everything but the
present, and this is the present"
But it will be the past in little
WHILE" said she, "and we must forget it,
like all the rest. Victor, we must forget.
They say that all things are possible to
resolution: let us resolve to do that
Glare said, with something like a grOan,
would to God l could die here and now,
or else that there aoas some spell by
which one could make memory a blank !"
Let us try the lotos," said Eleanor.
"See, l brought it as you told me''
From her pocket she drew a paper
which, being opened, proved to contain
the dried petals of IA flower, evidently an
aquatic plant. Yellow and lifeless as it
was, Eleanor looked at it with wistful rev.
erence. at came from Egypt" she said ::
then she added, where you are going"
I'VE will see if there is any magic in
it," said Glare.
So, together they took the dried petals
and began to eat them, smiling little
sadly at each other as they did so.
at is not disaereeable," said Eleanor.
But fear we shall not find the effect
for which we have hoped. 1t is of the
lotos fruit that Homer and Tennyson
have written"
"And the lotos flower of mythology is
an East Indian, not an Egyptian, aquatic :;
but since we desire to link our fancy with
the flower of the Nile, we will ignore the
poets and the Brahmins. Eleanor, what
if we should indeed resolve to leave the
past behind us from this hour, and face
our future together?"
He looked at her imploringly and pas
sionately, but instead of replying she put
her hand to her head. "lIow strangely
dizzy l amr she said "Can lido you
think it can be the lotos?"
dizzy" he repeated. Then l must
take you from the edge of this precipice
Perhaps it is that which affects you. 1t
could not have been the lotos, or l should
feel it too. Come, let me lead you round
the rock"
But when he attempted to rise he found
that to him, too, a sudden strange diZZi-
ness came. A construction seemed gath
ering about his heart, a mist seemed ris-
ing before his eyes. Before he had half
risen he sank back against the rock.
"Do you feel it too?' she asked quickly
yes" he said slowly, putting his hand
also to his head. What can it mean?
Could there have been anything wrong in
that plant? The lotos itself is harmless,
either flower or fruit. Eleanor, my dar-
lingn' he cried with sudden alarm. "Good
heavensi what is the matter. How pale
you lookr'
IL do not think it could have been
the lotos- 1t must have been some pois-
onous plant" said she family This
pit1JippSS apJ nun, hDpSS increases Then
she held out her hands TREMENDOUSLY.
"told me-" she said "The earth seems
slipping away from me. Oh, Victor, what
if 1t should be fatal?"
"Do not imagine such thing" he said
at is impossibel The plant has probably
some narcotic property which affects you
temporarily. Lean on me until it is over
My God! how mad was to have suffered
you to eat it!''
"Do not blame yourself" she said
clinging to him, her fair head dropping
heavily on his breast. at was l who
spoke of it-who sent for it"
She stopped, gasping little, and press
ing her hand to her heart, where an iron
clutch seemed arresting the circulation.
\ glance at her face filled Glare with ter
ror which he had not felt before. Partly
this, partly his own sensations, told him
that the poison of the plant which they
had shared between them acas fatal-one
of the swift and terrible agents OF
death which abound in the East
With every pulse-beat he felt the awful
reeling numbness increase. How much
longer he could retain his consciousness
he could not tell. He saw plainly that
Eleanor was losing hers.
"My darling" he said, striving vainly
to unclasp the arms that clung to him.
Il must go-I must call assistance; this
may be more serious than l thought
Try to rouse yourself, Eleanor, L must
90"
Alas! it was easy to say-it was awfully
impossible to do. Even when Eleanor re-
Taxed her already half-unconscious en-
brace, and he strove to rise, he found that
not even desperation could give the requi-
site power. He literally could not gain
his feet. Every effort failed; he sank
back hopelessly.
Eleanor" he said, " it is hopeless. If
this as poison we must die! Oh, my dar-
ling, can you forgive me? o my God,
send us help! Eleanor, can you hear me !?
Eleanor, will you not speak to me.'
For Il minute all was silence. Then the
fair head raised itself, and the lids slowly
and heavily lifted from the blue, flower
like eyes. The moon, which had now
risen high in the cloudless July heaven,
shone full on her face us she said, Kiss
me-"
Fer the first time their lips met: when
they parted both were cold.
Still clinging together, they were found.
AT their feet lay fragment of the deadly
poisonous Egyptian river-plant which
Marston Brent had ignorantly plucked for
Christian Reid, IN Ltppincott for
September.
AN Epuli rpSiIiu in ono IF the