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

down IN the pretty. plying face.
He had NJ overcoat; but there was q
little. well-iil,ed pocket-book in Cora
Testers desk. the contents of which had
not come from the sale OF PLAQUES.
They passed into McVicker's, a blaze
of light. rs 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, n bent, bright,
listening head. Many u blaSa theatre
goer turned to look at her-at the
lissome, girlish figure leaning slightly
forward, at the little clasprd hands, at
the flushed cheeks and scarle, lips and
brilliant eyes.
Like Pvgmalion's statue thrilled into
life. she sat there startled and intoxicat.
cd by the witchery Of music.
The night wore on. Fans fluttered,
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 n hand blindly. 'Oh, MAXI she
painted.
Almost home she turned to him quiet.
ly with q sort of awe in her sweet face.
81 did 10 know before how dearly i
loved Verdi. | shall never hear a bar OF
his music without recalling my first
opera, Max, without remembering
you"
"You will not forget mep am glad
Of that. l am going to test your promise
sooner than you think, dear. lam going
away tonight"
"Going away?"
The young voice was sharp with a
quick, constrained pain new to it.
Eyes. l have obtained on trial the
position / went to New York to procure.
l sail for England on Tuesday. And
now, here is a piece of good news to
counteract tho other. l WENT to see your
uncle to-day and had a long tall with
him. He is not such a 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 go and be to
him as his own children. Seeing him as
l do. with unprejudiced eyes, 1 think he
regrets his past hesrtless conduct"
"But, Max"
'.AIy child, 1 know all yoT&ould say;
but Cedric is not strong enough to work,
and I cannot go 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 a claim. Believe me,
1t Is for the best"
He came into the house and shook
hands with Cedric. Then he stopped to
Cora and reverently touched her fore
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, n slim,
dark figure against that patch of light.
"Oh, my love, God bless your he
whispered.
And through her ears kept ringing,
'tNon ii scordar di mer'
Five years later.
And the curtain of TIE Grand Opera
House at Paris rose on as fine an audi
ence rs had ever assembled within it:
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 rs well as so
cial. In one of the boxes on the grand
tier sat three gentlemen. One a tall,
bronzed, soldierly man, noticing many
glasses being levelled at an opposite
box, lifted his lorgnette and looked
across the stage.
A lady, with a little coterie of admir-.
ers. had Just entered. She wore some
soft, silken dress all aqua-marine and
silver. There were watcrlilies in the
golden hair, and emeralds on the white
bosom.
A childish face for all its, pride, anC
that peculiar naughty poise of the head
A face with eyes humorous rs blue dia'
monds. q snowy stately throat, ant
cheeks just dashed with rose.
"Who is shee' Ma -Marsden cues,
toned b~reathlessly.
MA fair cried a vivacious little
Frenchman, '.you do not knowP She i:
a compatriot Of yours-la belle Ameri
camel Her name is Lester-Mademoi
sclle Lester!"
"Ahr' And then after a pause: ''Wht
is that gentleman leaning over he'
chair"
'Ah, that is Savageaur' answered
~nnbn. ~ tIa A,,arinor apratInn sfhf
Comte de Savageau. He is heir to hal
q dozen princely estates. and is Made
moiselle's devoted slave. But she will
have nome of him. She is q beauty ant
an heiress, and half Paris is mad abou
her. But one might as well adore
statue. No marble is colder than sher
Max Marsden, the celebrated journal
ist, the literary lion of the day. looke'
with his keen, hawk eyes across tn
bright expanse to that dainty visiol
with the water-lilies in her golden hair
Dreamily he murmured a few lines O
Merideth's:
"She was there, and l was there.
And the glittering horseshoe curved between
between"
"What the deuce are you mumbling
Marsden" demanded the attache.
Never mindr' CURLY.
He was thinking of that other nigh
when together they had heard 81
Trovatore."
1t was the same opera tonight, bu
| how differently she listened now, Ian
guidly, almost inattentively, leanin
back in that graceful, queenly way G
. hers.
He thought of the words she had the
!, spoken. 81 shall never again hear
bar of Verdi's music without r~ecallin
my first opera, without rememberin
you, MAXI
During the last act she rose and gath
cred her rich wrap round her. All th
pretty bloom had faded from her check
Half an hour later Man Marsden stoo
In her hotel.
.When Mademoiselle Lester arrive
say that an old friend Graves q me
ment's audience"
( Mademoiselle, trailing her sheen
silks and laces along the marble corridor
paused in amazement at the message
i. Then she bowed q little YEARLY ar
passed on to the grand salon.
"Maxr' she cried, 'Max!"
Her face was TRANSPORTED. She hel
4 out both hands in her old frank, fearles
way. He caught them tightly in hi
own.
{ All his soul was in his eyes as b
t looked down on the lovely lifted face.
just one glance! :.
And over brow and cheek and mill
Q white throat famed a color and a ligh'
d The blue eyes dropped before thu
gaze.
s Coral" still holding her little kidde
4 hands in his own, and speaking hoarst
". breathlessly, ''to-night has recalle
9 that other night when-when | left yO