New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-21


vent such marriagesf
An hour later, as i approached the door Oh
the saloon. came face 10 race Win the hys-
FERROUS subject or my thoughts she was CON
ing out for - breath OF the evening ar, she
said, before c0nsigning herself to her comfort
able quarters for the night. | fancied she met
my glance less calmly as she broke intoa rapid
flow of words, fearing perhaps l should ask
some leading question.
Leaning over the railing. eancing now at the
gliding water, now at my conlpani0ns Yce'
about whose finely cut features the moons rays
fingered tenderlv, we grew more friendly. but
all my efforts, put WITH my greatest nnesse
and deleacy failed to draw FROM her any con
fdence regarding her name, her station, her
past. present, or fuJuIe.
She WAC dressed in mourning noticed, and
she wore On the third finger OF her LETT hand
heavy gypsy ring with single Stone ula-
mOnd of great beauty; otherwise her attire was
Jlan in the extreme. As it grew later, she
turned from gazing at the quiet rlver below us,
and, fixing her fearless eyes on mine, held out
her hand and said:
'Good-by, and thank you for a pleasant even
ing
the morning | have promised my selt the pleas
ure of waiting upon you in New Ork. see
ing you TO an hotel, or-or your home.
You are most kind she returned quickly
but ara quite provided for, and | shall require
no assistance. Then bowling, she Withdrew,
aud was left lamenting.
| did not see her again, though fingered
about the next morning, walked through the
saloon many times touched the notes OF the
piano nvitingly All to no purpose she would
not appear. To be sure, the elder OF the Jap,
anese horrors, the girl, came out ana played
uDon the floor With a Japanese doll so ieariully
like it's owner that | fairly shuddered. over
coming nav repugnance, approached ms small
specimen and asked nsinuatlDgiy Tor mamma.
The child squinted her sharp black eyes nc
me-, and began In her high, shrlll voice Voiu-
"a har ONE n
ing with her elin hands rs she cOnciuded; ouf,
though size gTInued and chartered, anu wlnked
her eyes. so ike those OF the doll she held,
could make nothing of what she SAID. Finally,
I4efs the brat wish no more accurate kno Wedge
of my mystery than | possessed when | hrst
saw her sitting amid the moons shadows.
My voyage home was a duh one. The ship
had few on Board, and among the few 10 SEN
sible man to make pleasant hand at cards no
pTetty girl To keep one up III scIenCluT Hutlng
Consequently my thoughts often dT eli tendery
upon La Mystere. "a l called her III my heart
and her strange, weird, ugly children
\ season spent III London, however, threw
her somewhat into the shades OF memory and
when did recall her, il was bur with a m0men-
tary interest coupled with sight teeIng OF
disgust for the small Japs. The deeper sentl-
ment she had excited III ME tancled dead, ana
though | often caught myself comparing Other
gIav eyes with hers, i was IN no way nara me,
and did not waste thought on the possibility
Of our meeting again
Life however Is stranger than fiction and SO
| found 1t.
I was again in the States. and again on my
hOmewud Journeys the Russia tbs time was
full "a OVERLOOKING bat as | had jolly com
uanion with ne in The person ri my Od college
chum, Arthur Hartford, telt above an chahce
accuain!ance We sailed Late III the day, ana
after dinner Hartford aud / sat smoking, COM
fpItably ut our ease II our deck chairs. As me
sun went down into the sea on one side aHG the
moon rose from il on the other, was reminded
OF that evening IN the past when, Under lusi
such q sky with just such moon above, nad
listened TO Beethoven, "a never before had II
been NV good fortune TO hear Inn rendered:
| felt communicative, so told tie story TO Har-
ford, adding rs finished;
/ would give a goOdish bit to see Ia Mystere
again. She vas pretty ana sue colIu piil jill =
how she could play Beethoven!
'Bahr said Hartford sententiously. l GU
have dincd TO your liking. You are always SEN
rmentaily Inclined Phi, after good dinner
have remarked it often. &c and talk TO thdt
slim girl over by The wheei-no1se sue may
like your rhapsOdes better than do.
You are heather, Arthur, pohlely re
marked Nevertheless did get up, and stO.e
in tie direction OF the lone ngars bending Cfei
She was envelopcd in loose wrap Of some
kind. uulled well up about her thrOa and ears,
and as she bent upon her crossed arms. view
OF her countenaGce was rather dlilculG 90 Oh
/ tam. With Invention born nt necessity thIeW
I
/ cigar INFO the gliding waves. Ii cleaned
( far an instant IN the shadows OF the
! keel ere it went out. but my OlJect vas ac-
c0mplished the sudden hish a. 10 pasSea
! before Ter eyes caused her TO start from her
! meditative posture. and throw back her mead.
! The dark dgapeIy dropped from ABOUT Der, aud'
| A. she turned tl!l upon ne, 1 Dcheid once more,
/ under the moonlight the finely cut lace anu
/ honest. earnest eyes or La MysJere
4 sudden thrill at my heart told me me meet
| iug was ANYTHING but unpleasant 90 me. as
/ she equally pleased slight flush spread
over her brow and lost lt5eiI iii ne waves Ol nsi
/ brown halr; then she held out her hand ~ thc
/ same ola fearless names, lifting her handsome
| eyes 70 nine. ... A..
History and life are forever repeating them
selves she said. is 1t not 50 y
took her outstretcbed hand, looked into
her happy eyes and IN that moment leH nope
Iessly. belOlessy unwihingly, but ettrnally III
love with the mother OF the two Japanese III
fants. ~, ~ 49,,
! minnie description. Anyone Will easily uhder
stand how dangerous ten days az sea passeI III
tine presence OF a pretty, fascinating, cult
waited. ipeomprehensible woman may prove.
| The evenings worked the most mischief; never
were such mOonlights, never such summer
| weather We three Tor Arthur succuinoeu a.
the glamOr-sat hour after hour ia TIE luIi
! hsauty of an almost tropical moon. Whlie she
| would sing TO us; FOR la Mystere Possessed
! yo.ae of such power and sweetness, toHt even
! her Incompatible playing faded into lnslgnln-
cauce before it, So she would charm US both
until even prosy, steady old Arthur lost hlf
head, and decl ired thar, but for me, ne would
| have placed his heart and fortune at tAe mcos-
You will scarcely believe me, yet, during al
| this time, neither Hartford nor had learned II
The wfre maid. wife, OF widow. There was the
Black dress, and the horrible little Japs, whom
in my presence she pad caresse ea ana NEON s be,
dressed as her little ones Tor plo9is o, Hei
v,e,owhood while on die other hand. her IN
nocant fearlessness, her absolute belief IN the
Good of this evil world, her almost childish
! trust, implied maiden's heart and nature m mo-
vet tried or moulded. Her name was SandNe i
we always addressed her as one enutied 10 tle
nreix OF Madame, and as she never corrected
~ we had. consequently, to believe her q