Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-25

is not its cause, love can at least be its
cure. Some sweet, dark.eyed Spanish
woman, with her soft spells and resist.
lees enchantments, can bring back the
old ring into your voice, restore the old
smile which used to play around your
mouth and dispel the black cloud which
now encompasses you. My son, must
find you wife,"
Casaban laughed, and merrily, too.
His mothers words had aroused and re-
stored him. He was more like his ma
tural self again than he had been before
since Lucette's eyes had pierced his
heart. Pride was vanquished at last
and love was again triumphant, as it al.
ways is in the end. His mother saw the
change come over him and smiled to
think how correct her surmise had been.
Bending over his mothers chair he
kissed her.
"lt has been my own stubborness
which has made me so morose, he said:
"but it is over now since your words
have shown me my foolish selfishness.
1t did indeed, need a sweet Spanish wo.
mems spells to make me as l should be,
and, behold, such a one has already
woven her soft web around me. You
have completely exercised my demon,
dearest mother, with your powerful en-
chantments, and | am quite myself
again, You need not seek out wife
for me now, for should not have time
to woe her. l am going abroad again
next week"
The color deepened in his face as he
finished speaking, and looking down he
| l. hnttnn hia anot
His mother watched him intently, her
eyes sparkling with silent amusement,
and she laughed quietly under her
breath. She was silent for few min.
utes, and the dreaminess in his eyes and
the warm glow on his cheeks told her
that he had entirely forgotten her pre-
sence, and that some other woman filled
his thoughts. When she spoke again
it was half jestingly.
81 have no doubt you will receive
much benefit from the Journey" she
said.
Instantly he raised his eyes and re-
| garded her curiously.
"What a peculiar stress you lay upon
| tourney p he exclaimed.
"Your ears are abnormally acute to.
day." she said with laugh, arising from
her chair. Then stepping forward and
kissing him, she continued: "Still, you
must not forget your high station,
wherever and whatever your journey
1 may lead you to-"
| He understood her and attempted no
further concealment.
"a princess would do no discredit to
the grandson of q king, would she p he
asked, putting his arms around her.
mo true woman would do him dis
credit" she answered, quietly.
For moment he was tempted to tell
her all, but something, he could scarce
| ly determine what, restrained him, and,
kissing here again, he led her back to
her chair and walked away.
The next week he left Spain. When
he reached France it was in the height OF
the vintage, and the whole country was
rich with the heavy odor of the ripened
grapes, and full of the songs and laugh
ter of the grape strippers.
The season had been good and the vim
tage was unusually rich; so everybody.
save the disgruntled few who always
complain, was quite content and happy.
The fun and good humor which greeted
Casaban everywhere was accepted by
him as an auspicious omen. How glad
he was that his mothers words had
broken his foolish pride and stirred him
into returning to France! His heart was
OVERLOOKING with rapturous joy and his
soul was full of ecstacy. He-Cssaban
whom all Spain adored and all the rest
of Europe revered and respected, was
about stalking everything upon the
daughter of a common French peasant.
Yet, lowly as was her origin, in her he
saw more womanly grandeur than he
had ever seen in woman before. She was
to him the high priestess of lost faith,
or the empress of some dead world,
come back again among mortals and,
Christ. like, among the humblest. His
whole life had been lived among royal
and noble surroundings, and through it
all he had never once been awed or EN-.
barrassed by the great. Andyet he was
now shaken and confused at the thought
of once more facing Lucette, the proud,
regal, bronze woman, and Offering him
self at her feet. He thought that this
new emotion was called into being by
what was to him Lucette's sublime great
ness. Perhaps it was this: perhaps it
was love.
For three days he hesitated, fearing to
meet the woman in whose hands, all un.
known to her, he had placed his fate
and future. He went daily to the vine
yard, where he knew she was toiling
with the other grape strippers; still he
avoided her.
One night when the moon was full,
and its mellow light softened all the
harsh gray landscape, Casaban, lost in
fantastic maze of tender and romantic
fancies, wandered by himself along lit.
tie river which ran past the home OF Lu-
cette. For time he walked among the
shadows cast by the thick green trees,
with only an occasional glimpse at the
moon, except where it was reflected up
into his eyes by the smooth surface OF
the sluggish river. Suddenly he ad-
vanced upon the edge of an opening-a
sort of natural amphitheater on the
banks of the stream among the trees. AT
this point the river widened into small,
shallow pond, hanked on each side by
cleaning yellow sand.
Casaban paused for moment, and as
he did so he saw a figure advancing into
the opening from the opposite side. 1t
took but single glance to tell the hand.
some Spaniard that what he saw was the
stately figure of Lucette. She walked
slowly into the amphitheater and stood
by the waters edge. She was barehead-
ed and her loosened hair hung in a great
black mass down her back. Her drapery
was mean and scanty, but royal raiment
could have scarcely emphasized her
strange, impressive beauty. Her arms
were bare from her shoulders and her
bosom was only half hidden by her
rough, loose jacket Her cold face was
upturned and her eyes were fixed upon
the moon. Had she hidden it pau e in
its course. and had it obeyed her, Casa
ban would have felt no surprise. 1t
seemed to him that such woman might
control the universe. For several min
utes she stood there, motionless, in the
yellow sand by the silent river in the