The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-17
The Story of a Skull.

The curtain rang down on the last
scene of the ''Hunchback' amid the
murmurs Of well bred applause, and the
/ beautiful young lady who had carried
off the glory as Julia, and her lover,
/ Clifford. came bowling before the cur
tain and were loaded with the floral of
ferings, applause and congratulations
Of friends for whose pleasure they
had been playing. Was it all play z
Ten minutes later Leila Everson
stood in the library to rest moment
before Joining the admiring throng who
4 listened with SO much delight to her
charming delineation Of the capricious
Juiia. Through the minds Of more
than one of the audience had fitted the
thought that young DR.. Philip Ray
/ threw a 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
queen? Leaning on the chimney piece
her jeweled hands rivaling In whltene,s
the marble they touched, with her
great dreamy brown eyes, that could
fash 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 failing
| from above, with the rich white silk
clinging about her in stately folds, she
| formed a picture which riveted for an
instant where he stood, in the doorway,
| the handsome young actor who few
minutes 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 lnvoiuntarlly gave
the slender waist he was permitted to
clasp in stage embrace. 1t was folly
to think those beautiful lips lost their
scorn when he spoke, or that the dreamy
eyes turned sometimes on him with a
look that thrilled his heart with great,
wild hope. 1t was acting, OF course, for
an instant after, did she not freeze him
with her Indifference? But now he
was powerless under the fascination of
her beauty, and before he knew it he
was at her side, and speaking words
that betrayed what he had sworn should
remain a secret Of his own heart.
My beautiful Leila can not you see
| was not acting? DO you think tha;
the day after, we coIld meet and part
the same; that the enchantment OF
your lovelin asS would not work my dc
struction? | tell you | was not acting
| love youl love you 1t has come
rushing like tidal wave upon me.
have struggled to escape it. but IN it.
seething, rolling, turbulent flood it has
overwhelmed me. aud thrown me al
your feet. VIII you not listen to me
May | not hope that in ali these month:
have gained one atom Of your atfec
ton? With YOU rs d nag str,
can mould the world ilkc cray fortune
must smile on me | will wrench it:
treasures from the world and lay then
at your feet My beautiful queen, vii
you not acc ept my homage? love ycu
love you !"
She still leaned against the marble i
her proud white beauty, with the hal
light streaming over her.
Have you quite finished?' she SAID
in the calm, the slow, the cruelty un
impassioued tone he knew so well, anC
every word cut like knife wound deer
n quivering flesh. Have you said al
ou have to say? Then" at his bowel
head, Eve will consider this scene en-
ded"
1t was his doom: he read it in he
face. Had she turned to marble, that
her face was - white and still? But a.
the door closed Oh Phillip Rly til,
F cold, proud beauty. who would no
even listen to his passionate wo.ls, lei
with a moan on the ru- n the flicker
Ing tire-iight, soLbin. Sitn canvu>iv,
sobs that shook her >len;cr form lik,
supple willows in winters "a L.
Phil ~ she ere l. Oh. N,
king! How could | send you from
me. Philip -Ph;.ip +! love you.
love YOU with my who { soul Z
e Philip Ray pau~el on he threshold
and as he did eau ut The sound of
, faint cry like the echo Of his own name
the closed door yelling 10 his touch
he heard her words. Another instan
and he was at her side, his arms wer,
around her, his lips pouring on hers
: wealth of passionate kisses, and he wa
murmuring in her ear his tender, burn
Ing speeches.
MY beautiful darling, say again tha
you love me! Call me again in hat tende
, way My Leila, | love you. low
you And he rained his kisses on he
! white forehead, on her eye lids, on he
, soft red lips
| 1t was but a moment that she lag VI
5 resisting III her lover ; EN- brace, anoth
er moment and she drew herself away
and as the hot flush died from her fac
she seemed frozen and the icineos ha
chained her tongue. Then all at one
it loOsened.
How dare YOU touch me? How dar
you kiss me in that way? Are you
madmaG. or do YOU think me mad
that you presume thus to ailress me
: Have | not already told you oar inter
d view Is ended p
As shc swept from the room the rus
Q tie Of her silken skirts sounie Ear,hi
in his ear. and the faint murmer {
T music, which crepJs up from the ha
5 below, seemed like the echo Of HEAVIER
5 iy music to the senses ot soul IN til
d tOrtures Of purgatory, an agonlzlng r.
n men, brance Of a lost Paradise As 1
: made his way through the glitterin!
It bejeweled throng below, from the ligh
: and music to the night without i
d blackness seemel light against I'll
e shadow lying in hi awn heart.
!. That morning a Lila f.verSon al
d her father rolled home from the seer
| of her dramatic liiumph, the handSou
[. Old gentleman, with he snowy halr al
g black SIM: ter evcS. bent forward ant
l. taking his daughters hand. said
her;