Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-12
A LAKESIDE MUSING
Why George Died While Passing the
Loftiest Point in LIES
Pathway.
[Chicago Tribune.l

DO you love me truly, Harold:"
Lufllne Neversink was even more beautiful
than usual as She stood in the soft, mellow
light that streaEed from the chandelier over
head, and, looking down foHily upon her,
George w. Simpson felt that to wreck for
ever the happiness of her young life, to plunge
her soul into the turbid depths of despair and
hold it there by the heels, were crime than
which none would be more black. He knew
that this girl, whose weird, passionate nature
made her heart lutte for every passing
JOY or grief to play upon, had given to
him the one best love of woman's life
her first. 1t was something to be tenderly
'oud of, this love-something not to be
'orn lightly on the sleeve where all might
see it, but tucked carefully away in the
woodshed OF mans soul, secure alike from
carping criticism or cruel jest. And yet as
George w. Simpson gazed tenderly into the
dark, lustrous eyes that were aglow with
hopeful expectancy, he felt that the mael-
strom of passionate alteration into which
Lurline Neversink had allowed herself to be
drawn would one day cast her young heart
bleeding and torn upon the jagged rocks of
his refusal. It was Q terrible, maddening
thought, and it came with awful force to
George as he stood in that palatial mansion,
his feet sinking into the velvet carpet until
he was in danger of becoming cock -ankled,
and heard the words with which this chapter
opens.
Bending tenderly over the girl, George
kisses her in a chasue, New Haven, Conn,
manner, but does not trust himself to an
swer in words the fateful question she has
asked. And then they pass into the music
room, which is separated from the hall by a
portiere Of navy blue velvet. The windows
Of the room are shaded by curtains Of the
same rich color, and the walls between them
are covered with paintings Statues Of Mo-
Fart, Beethoven, and Guido filed inches,
while over the low manteI hung full length
portrait of Maud S. No word was spoken
until Lurline had seated herself at the piano,
and then it was simply a request that he
hand her certain piece of music. As he
stopped forward to comply the outlines Of
his face were brought into strong relief
against the rudy background Of his left ear,
and Lurline gazed at him intently. His was
such q c0uEtenance as one sees in old Italian
portraits, in some Vandykes, showing power
strangely blended with passion. His mouth,
beautiful as woman's, with its smile gen
erous and rare as a split goldfish was tightly
compressed and as bloodless as marble. His
eyebrows dark, straight, and finely penciled,
met over his dark gray eyes, and il the lat
ter there was fixed, resolute expression that
BODIED no good to Q square meal if he should
happen to meet one.
At last the music was found and Lurline
began to sing. Carried away by the inspiga-
ton Of the moment, she sang on and on until
at last she paused from sheer exhaustion.
And then, seeing that George was not at her
side, she turned to the fauteuil at her left.
There he lay-dead IL all the proud grandeur
Oh MS glorious manhood when on his fore
head fell the golden dawning of a grander
day" He had died at the moment when he
was passing the stone that marks the Hottest
point on LIES highway-died where man
hoods morning almost touches it, and while
the shadows were falling toward the west.
The mellow light from the chandelier stole
into the hushed chamber of death and wan
dered over his stately form that lay power
less and stricken, over his noble handsome
face, telling, even in death, of the deathless
love he bore her.
He had forgotten to plug up his ears
From ''The Siren and the Sucker, by Murat
Halsted.