The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-12-22
And his ewes of tender brown SIN

down on the pretty. plying face.
He had no overcoat; but there was n
little. well-iil,ed pocket-book in Cora
Testers desk, the contents of which had
not come from the sale of placques.
They passed into McVicker's, blaze
of light. as into Fairyland.
But Max Marsden did not look at the
stage or the house. He did not listen to
the music. He saw only one radiant,
dazzling, girlish face, one bent, bright,
listening head. Many II blasa theatre
goer turned to look at her-at the
lissome. girlisL figure leaning slightly
forward, at the little claspcd hands, at
the flushed cheeks and scarlet lips and
brilliant eyes.
Like Pygmali0n's statue thrilled into
life. she sat there startled and intoxicat-
cd by the wtchery of music.
The night wore on. Fans nuttered,
jewels sparkled. kidded hands patted
applause as 1.-THE voice rang out from
the dungeon tower"
1t was over. The curtain had fallen.
The people were leaving. The child put
out one hand blindly. .'Oh, MAXI she
painted.
Almost home she turned to him quiet
ly with a sort of awe in her sweet face.
II did not know before how dearly |
loved Verdi. shall never hear bar of
his music without recalling my first
opera, Max, without remembering
YOU"
"You will not forget mep l am glad
OF that. l am going to test your promise
sooner than you think, dear. 1 am going
away tonight"
''Going away?'
The young voice was sharp with
quick, constrained pain new to it.
Eyes. / have obtained on trial the
position went to New York to procure.
l sail for England on Tuesday. And
now, here is piece of good news to
counteract tho other. went to see your
uncle to-day and had long tall with
him. He is not such grim, hard man
as they say. Your feelings and Cedric's
towards him had been misrepresented
to him. He is very lonely, and old and
childish. He promises all luxury, all
kindness, if you will both 60 and be to
him as his own children. Seeing him as
do, with unprejudiced eyes, think he
regrets his past heartless conduct"
"But, Max"
"My child, know all yoTwould say;
but Cedric is not strong enough to work,
and cannot 60 away leaving you so
lonely and helpless. Besides, it is not
wholly dependence. In his hands are
some monies of your fathers on which
you have morally claim. Believe me,
1t Is for the best"
He came into the house and shook
hands with Cedric. Then he stopped to
L (Ars ond vaynranf1u fn,,ohad har fora
head with grave. bearded lips. A mo-
ment more and the great shabby figure
had burst out of the room, down the
stairs, and was striding rapidly away
under the blue, star-studded sky.
She stood and watched him out of
sight, with eyes grown strangely dim.
Once he paused and looked back.
She was still standing there, slim,
dark figure against that patch of light.
"Oh, my love, God bless your he
whispered.
And through her ears kept ringing,
"Non ii scordar di me!'
Five years later.
And The curtain of TIE Grand Opera
House ut Paris rose on as fine an audi
ence rs had ever assembled within its
painted, sculptured walls. The world
of fashion was there. Fair women and
brave men," noblemen of England and
Germany, diplomats with ribbons and
orders at their buttonholes, and ladies
who, listening languidly in their per-
fumed laces, still could sway with
gesture destinies political as well as So
cial. In one of the boxes on the grand
tier sat three gentlemen. Onc tall,
bronzed, soldierly man, noticing many
glasses being levelled at an opposite
box, lifted his lorgnette and looked
across the stage.
A lady, with little coterie OF admir-
ers, had just entered. She wore some
soft, silken dress all aqua-marine and
silver. There were watcrliies in the
golden hair, and emeralds on the white
bosom.
A childish face for all its, pride, and
that peculiar naughty poise of the head.
A face with eyes humorous as blue dia-
monds. snowy stately throat, and
cheeks just dashed with rose.
"Who is shep" MAJ Marsden cues
toned breathlessly.
ma fair cried vivacious little
Frenchman, "you do not know? She is
a compatriot of yours-la belle Ameri-
caine! Her name is Observation-Disclosures
sclle Lesterr'
"Ahm And then after pause: "Who
is that gentleman leaning over her
chair?''
"Ah, that is Savageaur' answered a
member of the American Legation. 1.-THE
Comte dc Savageau. He is heir to half
q dozen princely estates. and is Made
moiselle's devoted slave. But she will
have none of him. She is q beauty and
an heiress, and half Paris is mad about
her. But one might as well adore
statue. No marble is colder than sher'
Max Marsden, the celebrated journal
list, the literary lion of the day. looked
with his keen, hawk eyes across the
bright expanse to that dainty vision
with the water-lilies in her golden hair.
Dreamily he murmured few lines of
Merideth's:
| "Sho was there, and was there.
And the giittering horseshoe curved between
between"
what the deuce are you mumbling,
MarsdenP" demanded the attache.
"Never mindp' CURLY.
He was thinking of that other night
when together they had heard '.Il
Trovatore."
1t was the same opera tonight, but
how differently she listened now, Ian
guidly, almost inattentively, leaning
back in that graceful, queenly way OF
hers.
He thought of the words she had then
spoken. 81 shall never again hear a
bar of Verdrs music without recalling
my first opera, without remembering
you, MAXI
During the last act she rose and gath
cred her rich wrap round her. All the
pretty bloom had faded from her check.
Half an hour later Max Marsden stood
In her hotel
when Mademoiselle Lester arrives
say that an old friend Graves mo-
ment's audience"
Mademoiselle, trailing her sheeny
silks and laces along the marble corridor,
paused in amazement at the message.
Then she bowed little YEARLY and
passed on to the grand salon.
''Maxr' she cried, ''Max?'
Her face was TRANSPORTED. She held
out both hands in her old frank, fearless
way. He caught them tightly in his
own.
All his soul was in his eyes as he
looked down on the lovely lifted face.
just one glance!
And over brow and cheek and milk
white throat famed color and light.
The blue eyes dropped before that
gaze.
"Corar' still holding her little kidded
hands in his own, and speaking hoarse-
ly. breathlessly, '.to-night has recalled
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