The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-18
HORSE CHESTNUT BLOOMS.

Lovingly the old tree sprinkled its
white snow of blooms over and around
her, and the summer air was fragrant
with flower incense.
So thought Bertha Figlia, as she
strained her pretty throat in vain effort
to echo the sparkling cascade of melody
with which provoking lark challenged
and Knocked her.
"Ah, yes. You may look at me side
ways if you !ike-you know | can't do
it; and although you perk your head so
innocently, every feather on your little
anatomy is ruffled with exultstion,"
said the girl.
Silence fell.
Only the rustling Of leaves aud the
distant lowing of cattle gave far COM
munion with the struggling sigh that
escaped envious Bertha's lips. Il will
go home," she said, "and drown my am
bition in wells of whey. / will put my
hope beneath the churn-dash, and time
my voice to calling stray pigs. IT'S
useless to think of anything else, when
even little meadow-lsrk eau set nv
heart throbbing with envy. BAH I'll
so home, and keep on cutting bread and
butter."
She turned hastily away, but child
ing root of the sheltering tree caught
one of her unwilling feet, and she fell
forward directly into the arms of a
gentleman, who, very properly, very
naturally aud very gracefully accepted
the situation.
"Oh-oh! Excuse me, sir. did no
know that any one was near-my foot
caught in that root" stammered Bertha,
alphabetically.
Eyes, see it did. was fortunate to
have saved you from an unpleasant fall
Chance is sometimes very gracious. |
was at that moment trying to invent
some apology by which to make my
presence known. The music attracted
me from the highway, and really could
not tear myself from the spot"
Thus, with easy grace, the gentleman
accounted for his opportune appearance;
and blushing Bertha went in search of
the strsying cows half hour after, less
impatient with her own vocal powers,
and weaving into her maiden dreams
the warp and wool of the fiattering
words and manly beauty of the dark
eyed stranger.
Weeks fed, and somehow, as Bertha
passed to and fro from the pastures, at
first by chance, at length by design, she
often met her accidental acquaintance
beneath the overarching branches of the
giant horse chestnut.
Sitting one day. with her barred white
foot idly patting the LAYING riplets of
cowslip-borde1ed creek, her great gray
eyes gazing musingly up at the shifting
pink-lined clouds, she thought over all
that the stranger had told her-of the
world lying beyond the long meadow
of the fortune lying in her wondrous
voice, in the curves of her rounded
limbs, in the witchery of her flower
face, in the waving glory of her yellow
hsir-of admiring and spplauding
thousands--of golden luxury and silk
attire-of books, music aud the power of
song.
1t was TO this last that her soul re-
sponded. To sing-to do nothing but
sing. To give expressions to all the
musical raptures that swelled within,
and hold mankind under the spell of her
magic voice
To live in an atmosphere where music
was the beall and end-al of existence.
All! this seemed to her artistic soul
Elysium.
The die was cast-sbe must go. The
tide of an dissatisfied longing flooded
her whole being with enthusiasm, and
even the heart-thrOb that went out to
her tender, over-worked mother gave
only mOmeDtary tug at the fixedness
of her purpose.
81 will come back to her." she said, AS
she twinkled shower of pearly drops
from off the tips of her pink toes. Il
will come back to her when / am rich
and famous. She will forget the pain !
gave her, and be proud even of my way
wardness. i will love her so that she
shall forget the pain
y
A round harvest moon hung full and
clear in the heavens, and the earth slept
wrapped III the sheeted pallors of its
pure beams.
Bertha Figlia looked piteous good
bye upon the sleeping mother-face she
dared not risk impressing with part
ing kiss and passed out into the humid
night.
A sigh OF satisfaction and relief es.
capped from the lips of him who waited
there in the gloom as the flying figure.
now clearly defined in patch of mel
low light through the night and halted
at his side.
III am COME" breathed she. "Wil
you keep your yrOmise?"
Faithfully. By the heavens above"
began the man.
Swear not at all, gravely interrupt
ed Bertha. "TO crafty my ambition, to
cultivate tho power God has given me,
have stolen away from the mother who
has loved and cherished me, like guilty
thing. have only your word on which
to pin my faith. If the truth be on
your lips, when | have won the fame |
covet, | shall bless you as the genius of
my success; but, if you deal traiorously
with me, then the curse of mothers
broken heart will follow you into eter-
nifty"