Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-08

victimized by you too. Put the child
downi There's just time for one song be-
fore dinner"
She laughed Rerrily. handed the little
pet to Ruth, and went Obediently to the
piano.
After a few chords she began quaint
little LOrely. The voice was rich and
true and wonderfully sweet-her moth
er's voice with purer tone in its express
sion.
There was a pathetic usefulness in the
blue eyes when she ceased and glanced
quickly towards McRhea; but, finding his
eyes fixed upon her, the hot blood rushed
in a wave from neck to brow, and she
turned quickly, taking seat by me.
That same afternoon, while the mothers
were engaged with their darlings. and
the rooms below stairs were given up to
unbroken silence, the piano gave forth
soft, low music, and | knew that Liska
was dreaming according to her old-time
ways.
"WilI you sing the song overheard you
sing in st. Petersburg last winterY' Nc
Rhea said; and her hands fell in a sudden
discordant crash on the keyboard.
Il thought you were out" she said,
neryOusly.
"Tve been standing behind the window
curtain all the time. Will you sing that
song for me? l don't think | ever before
told you that / heard it then. The music
must have been your own. The words are
Schiller's. l cannot tell you what the song
was; only remember these words:
8" Das Herr ist gestorben,
Die Welt LIST leer;
Und Weiter gibt sic
Dem Wunsche NIGHTS mehr.'"
.'Yes, yes; 1 know" she said, hurriedly.
sit was a fancy Of mine. How did you
hear itE'
Il was in the salon-in a window. An
every day visitor becomes so common
that servants are apt to neglect them, you
know; so | was not announced" laughing
softly. "YOu came into the salon TO give
the Prince Sartowsh your final, positive
answer to his suit. After he left you
seated yourself before the open piano and
played softly for a while. l thought l
could begin to catch a glimpse of the hid
den treasure of your soul as l listened.
Finally you sang that little wild Lament.
VIII you sing it now, Liska?"
Without a word she struck the keys
softly; and. with a voice trembling, l
could not tell whether with tears or mere
ly in sympathy with the pathetic poem,
she sang Schiller's ''Maiden's LAMENT
Strong and wild grew the sOrrOwful
music full of passionate pain, and the
ceaseless regret OF a lifetime; and finally,
as grief found comfort in its OutpOuring,
=
Of a recOnciled soul:
sDas suszeste Gluck fur die trauernde Brust.
Mach die schooner liebe verschwundener Lust,
Sind der Lebe SchmerZen und klagen."
'Who taught you the pain and repin-
ing little Liska p Ne said, tenderly; and
l knew he had taken her hands IN his.
"YOu are young yet, child. Who could
| have dared to Cypress your heart with
such sorrowful knoWledgeT
l smiled grimly as l listened; and l
thought: "Verily, McRhea's blindness is
| astonishing"
His voice broke the silence once more.
"Wiu you not trust me, little Liska
| Will you not tell me who it was that
! taught you your answer to SartOwsk?'
Curiosity fastened its hold upon me,
and led me to the slight opening in the
/ fOlding-dOOrs.
She had covered her face with her
| hands, and was leaning forward upon the
/ music-r3ck.
! Suddenly some impulse, or some fortu-
nate intuition perhaps, seized McRhea.
! A bright light-a smile almost-leaped
/ into his face.
! "You will not answer me? Then /
/ must try to find my answer in your eyes,"
He tore away her hands, and raised the
/ blushing, tear-stained face to his.
"NOw / am answered. he cried, trI-
I uIllDndHLlN.
| self. ''And / did catch a glimmer Of the
! treasure that day. But you were so
! young and beautiful and courtcd, and /
| was so old, dear-actually growing gray,
/ YOU know-that l would not suffer myself
! to believe what | saw. And it was | who
| had come between you and Sartowski
! Tell me, little Liska, that you had begun
| to love me then?'
81 think you have always been my
! f-Io rnt1 faTs,
| "But don't want to be your hero" he
! began.
| "Oh, well!'
And then she hid her face again, as he
broke into a peal of joyous laughter.
1--WE don't want heroes in this life, little
| Liska. We want real flesh and blood
| people, and true, true hearts. So we
haven't quite changed places after allW
| he continued.
Even in this moment of supreme JOY he
could not quite resist teasing her.
began to understand how it was that
in younger years he had welded such a
mighty fascination. The blue eyes were
| blazing, and his voice, always so singu-
larly sweet, was absolutely thrilling in its
tenderness.
''And so all last winter when / thought
you were growing cold and form-incrust-
ed like all the other beauties in Philistia,
shall always love to think of those days,
my darling! What proud little queen
you areW
"YOu were cold and courtly to me-" she
| answered, simply, ''and | thought you
were thinking, Just see how this child of
Bohemia is reigning in the Philistine
halls"
"And so was, little Liska!" laughing.
"And rejoicing at the same time that you
I
your talents and your beauty"
''Oh, dear me-" she cried, laughing mer-
rily; and then, before he could make an
effort to retain her, she fled from his en-
brace.
He laughed at his own discontinue, and
then turned towards the library.
LET me congratulate you'll" l said. as
he opened the door.
Upon my soul, Max, you have the most
All his youth seemed to be restored to
him.
Yes. heard every word. The next
thing is to notify the old Duke, is it?'
Eyes. 1 shall do so at once.''
''And be married in Russia ?" l asked,
somewhat nervously.
L hated to think of giving Liska up for
good and all.
''If the old fellow insists upon it. yes.
But | think | cam make him consent to
marriage here, with Temarriage ac-
cOrding to the Greek form when we reach
Russia. You know under the circum-
stances it wouldn't be good form for Liska
to return with me without a chaperone.0
Il see,'' l said, laughing. GAS for your
self, you'd as soon wait as not, Ell? You
are hopelessly given over to self-decep-
ton, Olin."
In due time the Dukes answer reached
US.
''Was very glad to hear such good
news" he wrote. kiss little Liska,
and let her have his blessing by proxy.
Marry whenever they pleased; only re-
member that the Greek form must be duly
sOlemniZed hereafter. Rejoced too to
hear of MOntani'S death. Would send
Liska an engagement token by outgoing
steamer"
That came also in due time. heavy
gold casket with the Carevna crest blaZ-
ing on the lid; and in the inside on it's
crimson velvet bed tiara that a Queen
might envy.
The winter days passed rapidly. The
soft Southern spring time, magnolias and
roses, and its balmly breath crept upon
us almost unawares.
One glorious April day, when thewaves
far out from the beach lay laughing in the
sunlight, and the mocking-birds were
chirping together busily over their nest
building in the water-Oaks, all of US
Conways and Heywards, Maxwells. Craigs |
and WprnprG-Wnrn acEambIad in 4bo |