The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-07

MaGory bounded through the woods
that separated the house from the mead
tow; then, on the borders of the low land,
paused and looked about for Fred. She
could not see him, but she saw the prints
of his boots in the soft, waterv snow,
where he had bounded from hillock to
hillock across the meadow, and into the
cedar swamp beyond. xxx.
1t seemed to her that she had walked
days in the swamp, though it was no
more than three hours, when suddenly
she thought she heard faint halo,
sounding 'Ealf smothered by these heavy
hanging trees. ''
She rushed forward in the direction of
the sound, her clothes catching and tear
ing among the underbrush, her feet
splashing water upon her face. Size
shouted as she painted on:
"Pm comingl Which wayw
"Out herel Come quickp
1t was Fred's voice that she heard, and
there was the sound of struggle and pain
in it that somehow gave a tightened
gasp to the girP breath. 4
After a few minutes she broke through
tangle of horse-briars upon the banks
of little pond, ia whose dark. stagna1lt
waters she saw the boy for whom, she
had been sent. his head thrown back,
his hands holding fast to floating log
of half-decayed wood, that barely kept
him up. ~" ~,
Marjory stood for one moment recov-
ering her breath and trying to decide
upon what to do. Fred looked in silence
at her, an instinct telling him that she
would do the best thing. She clasped
her hands, and cried: ......
"I will get a long pole and reach it to
you," and turned to find it, while Fred
said, despondingIy: ..... ''
"You are not strong enough"
But the fraillooking arms were mus
culaH and seemed now endowed with
superhuman strength. With much
painful maneuvering on the part of
both, Fred had grasped the pole and was
dragged to the shore.
Overcome by exhaustion, the boy sank
down at her feet, and tears escaped his
eyes as she took his head upon her arm;
and he, felt an almost uncomfortable de-
sire to kiss her; but he restrained, feel
ing rather doubtful as to how she would
take it. u. .oa @ ,
Sooner than he would have liked, she
started up to 60 home. They plunged
on briskly for half an hour, the boys
wet clothes steaming with his exercise;
when suddenly, with very blank face,
he exclaimed:
"Marjory, I don't know where we
are! l AM lostW ..f
In the gray wintry dawn they came
out upon a highway five miles from
home, and plodded onward, until far
mcr took them up in his cart and car
ried them home to the distracted par
ents.
+ Fred. was sick month after that, and
with the fond tyranny Of affection in
sisted upon Marjory's waiting upon him
every minute, until his mother was half
jealous Of the little girl.
In the days Of his convalescence, when
he could sit by the kitchen fire, while
Marjory knit or sewed, he first diseov-
cred what a voice Of music his nurse
had. The boy, weakened by Illness
would lean back in the chair, and while
the wild melody Of her songs filled the
air, tears of exquisite delight would fill
his sunken eyes and roll down his
cheeks.
1t was upon one of these times, when
Marjory was singing fragments of an Ave
Maria she had picked up in some un-
known way, that the door behind them
opened softly. and the minister stoed,
with wondering face, listening with such
intensity and surprise that he did not
stir for a moment after the strain ceased.
He WAS an amateur in music, and the re-
suit of that moment was the arrange
ment that Marjory should receive sing
ing lessons from the lame German choir
leader. .."' = . a'.-'.l4-
From that moment new life had
opened for the girl, the vague longings
as her heart took form In the enthusi.
astic striving to grasp the best Of her
divine art. at ... ~
AS the weeks passed Fred grew almost
angry that all her devotion seemed Of
fered to her one love. She had no time
for him or anything save her music. So
the years began to glide, and the two
children grew from the fancies of child
hood to the deeper desires of wider life. .
4 Il tI
A prima donna was entraucing the
fashionable world. The gayest, the most
brilliant Of audiences was listening to
the exquisite "Sonnambula' CT Miss ST..
James. As the last strain parted her
lips in that living melody which 50
thrilled the hearts of hearers, the eyes of
the singer saw bending eagerly forward
the tawny, leonine head, the bright face,
the memory of which had never for a
moment left her. .l.,......,.+r
The cui tain fell between her and the
deep glance of those blue eyes, but she
heard not the tempest Of plaudits. o{
But holding her furs fast about her,
sae paused one moment at the carriage
steps, swift leap of her heart telling
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