The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-10

NDAy, JULY ~, 1915
jealousy, sne turned deadly white, and, SOD
bling, she cast herself on the couch, where,
grasping the satin cushion in her hands in
passion of grief or disappointment
"Oh, can't, can't, | can'ti" she cried, in
heartbroken voice
The room was half in darkness, and PEI
cival by no means understood the true cause
of her agitation He came to her side, and
kneeling, took her in his arms without a
word. She felt his embrace winding about
her, SO full of strength! She was nothing in
his arms! In her wretchedness she felt thank
full that he had taken her so. 1t was not her
doingi She was too frail to resist him. And
so he drew her gently up until their eyes met
again.
Let me tell You a secret, reader Some
men and women-not many-are born in this
world who are honest by mature Earth
sprung honesty ! should call theirs, to dis
tinguish it from that which is the result of
sound teaching and example. These people
are never 50 awkward as when they are
doing anything mean or underhand; and for
the rest of their lives their honesty is pro-
claimed in their aspect Such was Percival
Brent He was simple, straightforward
man, true by instinct, and the idea Of having
been seriously false to Sophin-or that he
could have been suspected of such an of
fense-had never crossed his mind And
now, as he looked down into her troubled
eyes, his own, which were dark brown, and
very speaking in their way, beamed out
steadfast rays of love and truth There was
preston; but the clear, strong gaze could
never have come from any but a true man.
Sophia felt it. Before he opened his lips she
knew she had misiudged him. Already she
was beginning to hate herself for her doubts
moment longer he gazed at her, not, as it
would SEEM wishing To hurry her kiss; and
she grew 50 impatient to expiate her fault
that she was going to kiss him first He
gently held her back
Sophia, he said, do you remember the
day we said Sond-by at the Eesobes:'
She nodded her head III answer She could
not spcal Her eyes were running over
Il could not say good-by was too broken
far 20 b. oken'
SHE ,l,.,sel his hand 10 tell him how well
she rem, nlhg,ed alt
but" he continued in ms quiet voice,
"while held YOU TO my heart vowed a VOW
that when | took my lips away from yours
would never touch woman, liz, agair until
oruS met once more"
He stopped
Il understand Sophia said to herself, with
a sudden flash of new interest in his words.
"He is gong to confess to me about Mrs
Lanigan! daresay he only fimted with her
a bit; and he must have been very lonely in
Australia, and no doubt she was very for
ward like an actress"
All this ran through her mind not only
faster than it runs from my pen, but faster
far, reader, than your eye travels along the
line of words Without pause Percival
went on:
And ! have kept that vow, Sophia. |
wanted to tell you before | kissed YOU You
can take your goOd-by kiss back again, for
the lips have been all your own since then
oh, wait-wait one moment she cried
She wished to collect herself FOR the com
Ing 10Y Besides. ought size Ia Kiss him with
her ewes wet with tears SO she made ready
Then she turned her waIm ami melting lirS
upward and, as she drank his long kiss. she
sighed sigh of rapture too deep Tor words,
almost too deep Tor thought. 4 am his, and
be is mine Oh, how that pure embrace re
waried her, in one great spell of bliss, for all
her waiting AMI her pain She forgot every
thing hat her deep happiness. She was III =
trance OF JOY. and all beside joy faded ont
of her consciousness. There was neither
past nor present., neither hope nor fear,
neither wish nor rogret-ail was merged in
the tull and blessed now
declare | viii not have my lovers paeped
at for the next few minutes And ] shall
tell YOU nothing at all, hut let your fancy
paint what passed on that sofa.
Glance back over ycur own lives. Have
vou ever had such a moment Of love after
years Of pain; Just recall your own sen-a-
tons, and leave Pcrcival and Sophia to enjoy
theirs undisturhed as happy lovers should.
Even when their first transports are over
there they sit, exchanging AT slow intervals
one low spoken sentence for another
So at full tide ON some quiet coast a wave
breaks with a low plash of music on the
shore, and then there is silence, and then
another wave answers in the same murmur-
ing note, as IN its turn II Laws Its had on the
golden bach Or SO, deep i'll the woods at
summer noon. when all beside Is rest and
stiffness one singing bird trills out a few
deep notes Of passion. and then the golden
stiffness reC1lI7s. until the mate answers from
another tree in notes As laden with music
and tenderness. Break. shining sea wave
after wave of JOY, Sing birds of love- and
let the voice of vour passion go to and fro
from breast to Hrcasti And Won two pure
and faithful hearts, touch each other ut last,
and tell in what language You please that
earthly tsn1tls.a IL h,ss1a within