The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-17

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 1t was
| sufficient to overcome any resistance l
might attempt l 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 | 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 1t 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 a whit more.
| She, manifestly, only sought to enchaln
Inc sufficiently to prevent my resisting her,
| but at the same time, it was her aim to
| leave me- as far as possible, in normal
condition. | was Of the opinion that she
! had something to communicate to me con-
cerning her demon tormentoT 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 revelers now came flashing through
nv mind, satisfying me that l had con-
! j. ctured rightly. The more | reflected upon
the strange events of the night the mUre
| 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 III 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
| ii when | came to her rescue, or, even be-
| fore, while | was still floating under her
balcony, listening to her song.
For a brief time these and similar
| thoughts made me even more uncOmfoTt-
able Jnan my recollectiOns of the ghOul,
or goblin. with whom | found her wrestling
when | first entered her rooms.
Was she a sOrceress: No. 1 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 | saw all at once that she
knew my thoughts and was satisfied. She
had entirely released me from the brief
cOnulLiOn Oh GeSLIoSSLtSS OF In
which, for a 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 l suddenly felt
that my whole heart was hers forever.
She too, seemed to realize this, for
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 wine!" she
whispered, cOnfusedy.
81 WI: - | cried. You know | could not
do othei wise if | would. To look into your
eyes, though, and to hear your voice is
more to me than the rarest wine in the
world. When heard you singing tonight
your music was 50 perfect that l forgot
Italy, and thought thaJ | was once more il
my own fair France. But | am glad to
have so sweet an awakening to my dream.
Yes, repeated, kissing her hands: Il will
stay and drink your wine; l will stay until
you send me away"
Her color deepened, and she bowed her
head.
And that" she said, will 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 shadow came upon
her face, and | saw that she was about dis
closing something which panied her, and
SO each time l diverted her from her
purpose, and in the end went away with
out knowing what she would have said.
When had stayed until feared that the
lateness of the hour might distress her,
reluctantly arose to IL WAS than that
my ardent impetuOSlty Overcame me al
together, and [ begged leave to come TO her
balcony every night.
DO not deny Inc" l pleaded, ''for love
you and want to win you for my own.
From this night 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"
Emotion after emotion thrilled her as l
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.
Will you not speak," l murmured,
bending over her.
Speak ~ she cried, ''how can /! There
is more to say than you, IN your widest
imaginngs 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 | tried to say
them.
Then leave them unsaid."
Justice to you demands that 1 should
speak"
Justice to me demands nothing which
can distress you" interposed.
You do not know how much l have to
say about
Stop" l cried. There are two things
l wish to know. If you will tell me them,
all is done"
Speak! What are theym
Are you wife,
rs any living man the possessor of your
heart"
Again the rich crimson tide swept over
her face neck and shoulders. She placed
one of her trembling, burning hands upon
mine, glanced shyly up into my eyes, and
then looked down.
why do you not answer!n l asked
fearing that my fondest hopes were vain.
do you not know!" she cried; ''can YOU
not See-are you really so blind!'
| feared to look at her. 1t seemed to me-
then, that had been beguiled to her rooms
merely to furnish her sport. l had forgot
ten the danger / had rescued her from,
and only remembered that l loved her to
be made, as l believed, the object of her
mirth and caprice.
Il see,' l said, turning away. Il ammo
so blind as you think. 1 am nothing to
you, because you already love-
She seized me by the shoulder and turned
me around. Then she threw herself into
my arms.
Il love YOU" she murmured.
1t was the first, the only happiness Of
my life, and l felt that all the sorrow and
misery of the old dead days but made this
moment the sweeter. / lifted up her
beautiful blushing face, bent my head, and
then, for the first time in my life, my lips
touched the lips of woman. Earth never
knew a purer kiss.
When the hour came for me to go she
twined her white arms about my neck and
her eyes filed with tears.
Partings-continual partings," she said.
That is all life seems to hold! Why must
we partr'