The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-03-17
The Story of a Skull.

= the cnaracLerS VINO inquire IN IL Were
known TO many San Franciscans.l
a The lights flashed from many
{ windows on the storm raging in the
night without, and all the gay world
I of San Francisco had collected IL
this elegant Mob Hill mansion to
amuse itself and forget that the
8 world held care. The curtain
rang down on the last scene of the
: "Hnnchback' amid the murmurs
of well-bred applause, and the beau
tiful young lady who had carried
off the glory as Julia, and her lover,
Clifford, came bowing before the
curtain and were loaded with the
floral offerings, applause aud con-
gratulations of the friends for
whose pleasure they had been play
ing. Was it all play?
Ten minutes later Leila Everson
stood in the library to rest q mo-
ment before joining the admiring
Il. ..ng who listed with so much de-
light to her charming delineation
OF the capricious Julia. Through
the minds of more than one of the
audience had fitted the thought
that young DR.. Phillip Ray threw
shade of tenderness into the part of
Clifford that was not all stage effect;
and who. looking at the woman.
could wonder if he acknowledged
her a queen9 Leaning on the
chimney piece, her jeweled hands
rivsling in whiteness the marble
they touched, with her great dreamy
brown eyes, that could flash with
wit, half filled with tears; with her
brown hair drawn away from her
broad, smooth brow, catching in its
waves the CLINT of the dim light
falling from above, with the rich
silk clinging about her in stately
folds, she formed a picture which
rivetted for an instant where he
stood, in the doorway, the hand
some young actor wfo few min
utes since had held her in his arms
and called her wife. 1t was acting,
of course, and it was folly for him
to dream that there had been a
shade of yielding to the pressure he
inv0luntarily gave the slender waist
he was permitted to clasp in a
stage embrace. II was folly to
think those beautiful lips lost their
scorn when he spoke, or that the
dresmy eyes tuyned sometimes on
him with a look that thrilled his
heart with a great, wild hope. 1t
YVES acting, of course, tor an instant
alter did she not freeze him with
her indifference? But now he was
puWerless under the fascination OF
her beauty and before he knew 1t
he was at her side, and speaking
words that betrayed what he had
sworn would remain a secret of his
own heart.
"My beautiful Leila, can not you
see / was not acting? DO you
think that the day after we could
meet and part the same; that the
enclaEtment of your loveliness
would rot work my destruction? l
tell you | was not acting. l love
you! 1 love youl 1t has come
rushing like tidal wave upon me
1 have struggled to escape it, but
in its seething, rolling. turbulent
flood it has overwhelmed me, and
thrown me at your feet. Will you
not listen to me2 May Inot hope
that in all these months l have
gained one atom of your affection
With you as a guiding star, will
mould the world like clay; fortune
must smile ON me; will wrench its
treasures from the world and lay
them at your feet. My beautiful
queen, will you not accept my hon.
sge2 / love you"
She still leaned against the mar
BILE in her proud white beauty, with
the half light streaming over her.
"Have you quite finished2'' she
said, in the calm, slow way the
cruel unimpassioned tone he knew
so well, and every word cut like q
knife wound deep in quiv vering
flesh. Have you said all you have
to ssy2 "Then." at his bowed
head, "we will consider this scene
ended" "--
1t was his doom; he read it in
|
BILE that her face was so white and
still? But as the door closed on
Phillip Ray, the cold, proud beauty,
WHO would not even listen to his
passionate words, fell with moan
on the rug in the tiickering fire.
light. sobbing with convulsive sobs
that shock her slender form like
supple willows in a winters gale.
"PhIlipp' she cried. "Oh, my
king! How could 1 send you from
me. Philip-Philip-I love you!
l love you with my whole soui!'
Philip Ray paused on the thresh
hold, and as he did so caught the
sound of faint cry like the echo OF
his own name; the closed door
yielding to his touch, he heard her
words. Another instant he was at
her side, his arms were around her,
his lips pouring on hers wealth OF
passionate kisses, and he was muir
muring in her ear his tender, burn
ing speeches.
my beautiful darling, say again
that you love me- Call me again
in that tender wayi Ny Leila, l
love you! 1 love you!" And he
rained his kisses on her eyelids, on
her hair, on her soft red lips.
Ii was but q moment that she
lay unresisting in her lovers EN-
brace, another moment and she
drew herself away, and as the hot
flush died from her face she seemed
frozen, and the iciness had chained
hex tongue. Then all at once II
loosened:
How q ere you touch me2 How
dare you kiss me in chat way2 Are
you a madman, or do you think me
mad, that you presume thus TO ad-
dress me? Have l not already told
you our interview is endedr'
i As she SWEPT from The room the
rustic of her silken skirts sounded
harshly in his ear, and the faint
murmur of music, which crept up
from the hall below, seemed like
the echo oi heavenly music to the
senses of sou a totnres of purga
| tory annE roen Ia ~f