The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-06-23

family up with musical murmur like the
flow Of far off waters. The solitude at last
became intolerable-he wanted to hear
voices--gay music-and hastily changing
his dress, he went out into the thronged
streets of that brilliant Partisan world.
Oscars, is it possibleP Why, my dear
boy thought you had become a regular
case of mysterious disappearance"
William was standing in one of the stalls
of the italian Opera, where he had strayed
for want Of amusement, and turned with
quick gayety to answer his friend. In a
moment his thoughts had fled-the prima
donna burst into flood of song, giving
him an excuse for silence, but the melody
was equally unheeded. A thrill passed
like magnetic shock through his frame,
and by its revelation he knew that some
event of Importance was at hand for fool
ish as it may sound, there are natures so
susceptible to those mysterious influences
which find source in some unknown law
of our being, that they are thus affected
by the approach of those who are to ex-
ercise a control over their destiny, whether
for good or ill.,
Sears glanced across the house-his eyes
rested upon box nearly opposite-he be-
held the face which he had twice seen,
like prophetic vision. Often had it risen
in fancy before him, sometimes as palpable
as now, and for an instant he could have
believed that it was only the work of his
excited imagination.
"Do you see that woman in white yon-
der ?' whispered his friend.
Sears was breathless beneath the startled
bound which his heart gave. "There, in
that box-you must know her-you re-
member my powers of magnetsm-T tell
you that she is akin to you! One of your
countrywomen-you have read her books
the first was published anonymously
Ingola."
1t was the romance William had so low
ed, with which he had always connected
that woman's memory!
"Who is she?" he asked, in tone
which sounded Indifferent and cold.
Mrs. Grant-Catharin too--isn't she
like one Of Shakspeare's heroines stepped
into the real world ? She interests me
strangely, as she does every one who comes
near her. Such eyesl one might think
she were constantly awaiting some one
who never came, the sound of voice
which would never reach her ear''
"True, true, for it never comes" NUT
tered William, never ~
:" Let me present you, know her very
well-now, that's lie, for she is ice to
everybody At all events we exchange bows
and polite, frozen sPeeches-I want you to
know her."
Another time" said Sears, hastily f;
"not now.'
Sears turned again toward the box where
he had been gazing. There it was still,
that face, in its spiritual quiet, beyond any
mere beauty that he had ever beheld. Her
eyes were fixed upon the stage, but Sears
remarked the expression of which Duval
had spoken. She did look like one who had
awaited for years the coming of footsteps
and the sound of voice-awaited them in
passive wretchedness, with no power to
arouse herself from the engrossing de-
sire.
How his heart went back to that lonely
evening ride of the long ago, when the
sight Of that face first sent glow to his
heart like the transitory breaking of sun
light over dark waters. Every painful
memory of his past life welled up on the
troubled tide-every unquiet aspiration,
every restless dream-then he looked again
upon that broad forehead, where the bands
of hair lay like waving light, and the tu-
multi in his breast was stlled as if by mag
ic power.
Duval turned toward him at the conclu-
sion of the aria, and wondered at the
change in his face.
"What has come over you? - you
look"
How do ] look ?''
"I can't describe-I am no poet, only a
painter You look as if You had found
new hope"
Gay, new hope" murmured William,
and the whisper thrilled like music across
his heart, ga new hope"
l say, William, what has happened p
tell me, what is it? Are you only dream
ing pa poetic fancy perhaps"
Perhaps" faltered William, and the
light faded from his eyes, the glow from
his cheek-there had come the Thought
If it should prove only dream, delusion
like the rest.
Stranoa lint aven In that yoo,oa,t coo..