The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-06-19

| neck and arms were of perfect shape and
as white as marble, excepting a single
| flush of red upon each cheek. But her
| foremost charm-the one wherein she sur
passed all other women-lay in her deep,
| black eyes. They were entirely, absolute
| ly black; not the kind of eyes which are
commonly, by polite fiction so termed;
| but there was no trace of any other color
in them or about them save the great milk
| white pearls which served as their setting.
| Her lashes, too were long and dusky,
and when she wished it, completely
yelled the wonderful eyes which had
so powerfully impressed me. Though
she was somewhat taller than
shapeliness was in no way detracted from
| by her height. Somehow, every thing
| about her strangely moved and affected
her. There was supple, cat-like litheness
which marked her every movement, and
| felt that she was the occult and tangible
center of an atmosphere of weird and in
tangible mystery. One moment would
almost fear her and the next moment |
would find myself regretting that must
ever go away and leave her. Her glances
thrilled and bewildered me like some resist
less and overpowering emotion, and at the
lightest touch of her hand, or the most in
significant rustic of her garments every
sense tingled and every nerve quivered.
The secret of her strange power over me
was beyond my guessing, but that it was
SuIHclenG 10 overcome any resistance
| might attempt | was fully convinced.
Every trick of Juggler, snake-charmer and
mesmerist l knew as well as l knew the
history of my own life; but she employed
no such method. | was in no sense dulled
or stupefied; on the contrary my mental
| perceptions were more than ordinarily
| keen. Thought was in no way hindered or
impeded, and l was not only fully conscious
of the phenomena by which she was con-
| trolling me, but was studying and ana
| lying it as coolly as if it was, even then,
| a matter of the past instead of the present.
| | knew, too, that she was exercising just
enough of her subtle force to hold me sub
| Servient to her will and not whit more.
! She, manifestly, only sought to enchain
me sufficiently to prevent my resisting her,
but at the same time, it was her aim to
| leave me- as far as possible, in a normal
condition. | was of the opinion that she
had something to communicate to me con-
corning her demon tormentor which she
feared might be unwilling to listen to.
There was much in her present manner
which so impressed me, and many little
circumstances connected with the departure
of the jewellers now came flashing through
my mind, satisfying me that | had con-
jectured rightly The more reflected upon
the strange events of the night the more
mysterious and wonderful the woman
seemed to me. Every time that she had
spoken to me she had addressed me in
French, my native language. To the rev.
elerS she had spoken in Italian. Since we
were in Italy, and there was nothing in my
personality to indicate that was French
man, how had she SO accurately guessed
my nationality? Had she already guessed
it when l came to her rescue, or, even be-
fore, while l was still floating under her
balcony listening to her songl
For a brief time these and similar
thoughts made me even more uncomfort-
able than my recollections of the ghoul,
or goblin, with whom l found her wrestling
when first entered her rooms.
Was she sorceress! No! | could swear,
standing there as | was gazing down into
her pure face, that she was an angel My
faith in her was complete, and could
neither have been shaken nor intensified.
My face must have betrayed my mental
processes, for l saw all at once that she
knew my thoughts and was satisfied. She
had entirely released me from the brief
condition of restlessness or thraldom in
which, for few seconds she had held me;
and was now left the supreme master of
my own will Her beauty, however, was
more potent than the other spell by which
she had controlled me, and | suddenly felt
that my whole heart was hers forever.
a deep crimson flush all at once
spread over her face, neck and
shoulders. | was more than ever charmed
by this evidence of her maidenly modesty,
and impetuously extended my hands
toward her. For an instant only she hes
itated, then she placed both her hands in
mine.
"Shall you stay and test my wine2" she
whispered, confusedly.
81 will" l cried. You know could not
do otherwise if 1 would. To look into your
eyes, though, and to hear your voice is
more to me than the rarest wine in the
world When l heard you singing tonight
your music was so perfect that | forgot
Italy, and thought that l. was once more in
my own fair France. But l am glad to
have so sweet an awakening to my dream.
Yes,'' | repeated, kissing her hands; Il will
stay and drink your wine; will stay until
you send me away
Her color deepened, and she bowed her
head.
"And that" she said, twill be when you
| are tired of me.''
| She called for wine, but we scarcely
| tasted it, though we sat together in the
| moonlight until long after the hour of mid
| night was struck from the clock towers
| Times unnumbered a shadow came upon
her face, and saw that she was about dis
closing something which panied her, and
| so each time | diverted her from her
purpose, and in the end went away with
out knowing what she would have said.
| When Ihad stayed until feared that the
lateness of the hour might distress her,
| reluctantly arose to go. 1t was then that
| my ardent 1mpetuoSlty overcame me al
! together, and begged leave to come to her
balcony every night.
DO not deny me-" pleaded, 'for l love
you and want to win you for my own
From this night l shall have no separate
existence-my whole being is merged into
yours, and the hours l spend apart from
you henceforth can never again be called
| life.n
Emotion after emotion thrilled her as I
spoke until she seemed to have felt every
thing that the heart can feel. She made
me no answer, but pale and trembling,
stood helplessly with her hands in mine.
Twill you not speakF" l murmured,
bending over her
Speak !'' she cried, show can II There
is more to say than you, in your widest
imaginings, can ever dream. You should
have heard me before you said so much.
| Now you have silenced me, and the
wretched words which should come from
my lips would choke me if l tried to say
them.
s'Then leave them unsaid.n
"Justice to you demands that l should
speak"
'tJustice to me demands nothing which
can distress you" interposed.
You do not know how much l have to
| say about
0Stopl' cried. ''There are two things
l wish to know. If you will tell me them,
all is done"
"Speak! What are they"
Are you wife"
"No."
SIS any living man the possessor of youI
heartw
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