St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-05-15

That was not strange, she an
swered, looking up at him, Il spoke
them
"Did you?" he asked, with some
confusion All this seemed to have
| been said and done aforetime, and to
have led to some unhappininess which
now again threatened from the near
future. Everybody has experienced
that curious sensation.
What was your dream?'
| ''Oh, my dream.' he answered. cit
was nothing. | dreamed | was at the
play, and l saw Rosaiind upon the
stage
She looked at him swiftly, with hint
of fear and half a hint of resolution IN
her face: He struck out with a trans
parent pretence of being perfectly at
his ease. and cut down a nettle with
his walking-cane.
"Your voice reminded me- he said
after little pause. ''of the most beau
tiful voice | had ever heard till then. |
even thought l recognized it. and |
walked down to meet you. and found
that had made a blunder.'
In meeting me?' she asked
| He laughed again, and their eyes
met In hers there was a tender tri-
umph and gayety which answered her
| own question fairly we'll, even without
the aid Of his, which beamed with adj
| miration.
NO ne answered, ''but in dream
| ing that that lovely voice had ever
sounded from the stage he went on
at ease. And yet the fancy haunted
me all day She was looking on the
ground once more. and with the point
of her parasol was turning a little
pebble over and over. She stopped so
| that her face was hidden from him by
the wide brimmed summer hat she
wore. If this were coquetry, the
fashion of the dav favored it, for at the
dropping edge of the width of plated
straw was fringe of fine black lace
some two or three inches deep, and he
would have had to fall upon his knees
to see her face Could he have seen it
! he could not have failed to notice how
| flushed she was, and what a look of fear
and shame was in her eyes.
"Who was the lady she asked,
whose voice so resembled mine:?'
"a Miss Churchill" said Tregarthen.
"A delightful actress. The most
charming actress [ ever saw" 1t
seemed necessary to make as much
as might reasonably be made of
Miss Churchill's projections to excuse
any comparison, however trivial, be-
tween her and the woman of his heart,
who not only was not an actress and
| was a gentlewoman, but was also and
of course, beyond comparison with
anybody. Il saw her play Rosalind,' -
he hurried on. land since the first
words | heard you speak were the first
words | heard her speak, the resem-
blance of the voices was accidentally
heightened "
Ibid you wish very much to see Miss
Churchill" asked the young lady.
"Were you very much interested in
herp''
Not at ALL cried Tregarthen,
eagerly. II had forgotten her-until |
heard the voice.
Were you disappointed when you
found that it was only-me?'
.Only your said the lover, and
simple but sufficient disclaimer, except
BY possessing himself first of her hand
and then of her waist. For awhile she
bent her head and refused to allow him
to steal the merest glance at her face.
but by and by she turned upon him
gently and gazed full in his eyes for
moment, while ner figure yielded itself
more freely to his embrace, and no
longer repulsed him by its rigidity.
IF [ had turned out to be Miss
Churchill" she asked him, '.should
you She paused, but the very
silence was eloquent
Have loved your" said Tregarthen.
mo could not have fallen in love
with an actress" 1t seemed to him
that there might be touch of jealousy
in the appeal, and he was in the mood
to be tender to all loves fancies how
ever shadowy and unreal they might
be-
..Why not?' she asked. There are
many good women who are actresses,
surely"
mo doubt" he answered. lightly.
MANY. But you rub the bloom from
the peach if you handle it ever so gent
". An actress gains something more
than most women hope for or care for,
but she must be content to lose some
thing-a delicacy-a fineness which is
not SO. easy to describe. but means
much to man with any refinement of
mind.
He was far from being actually dis
honest in saying this, and yet he was
precisely honest. Left to himself and |
his own Judgment he would not have
thought these thoughts, at all, but the
fancy that his betrothed had that vision
airy jealousy of the actress moved him
to make the jealousy impossible.