Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-07-04

likely, has he. 1t is from the young that
eVil Is most likely to come toyou, though
you are lovely enough To tempt any
one"
She ways lying upon the ground, with
OF her bare feet still in the pool The
gnarled and sloping roots of tree,
robbed by some tempest of their cover
ing of earth, furnished pillow for her
head and shoulders.
She had thrust one of her bare arms
through the wreath, and it lay against
her round throat like some talisnan given
by protecting god.
There was smile ON her lips and in
her eyes. Lost in some childish dream
she had already forgotten the old mans
warning words and the momentary pain
she had felt at the vague evil they seemed
to portend.
! Watching her, he sighed again. Then,
drawing some pencils and simple album
made of sheets of common paper, from a
| pouch at his side, he began making
sketch of her 1.-the, slender, but exquisite
| figure.
The soldier, who had drawn quite near
unperceIved, was watching them both
with cynical smile.
"Ah, my beauty" he muttered, "but
Tor this cursed war Id win your love,
or-carry you off without your love;
whichever was easiest, | will wait until
That sketch is done. May be the old fool
VIII sell 1t to me- If he refuses I'll have
1t anyway, and kiss the maid besides r.
And then, to avoid discovery before he
was ready to be seen, he concealed him
self behind some vines.
she had stripped some of the leaves in
her wreath from the same vines.
Still she unused, and still the old man
sketched. The picture was done before
she was aroused from her reverie.
See, Nlnette," he said, Il have
sketched you, imperfectly, true enough,
but still it is II tolerabIy fair likeness"
She sprang to her feet and hastened to
his side.
The picture was as faithful rs art could
be to such beauty as hers, and he placed
1t IN her hands with pardonable pride
Eagerly she scanned it, and with vary
ing color. A glow of excitement came
INTO her eyes. Some powerful emotion,
too deep for his ken, moved her.
''fruly, Father Antonio, am | like that?
Is 1t really picture of me- she asked,
almost breathlessly, as her cheeks red
uehed ana her large eyes darkened.
~ on are better, far better than that"
he answered reverently. 1T is quite like
you, but still 1t is beyond the skill of any
artist to catch the strange subtleness one
sees in you, an Undesirable something
which doubt if any other woman has"
The excitement in her face was dis
placed by wondcrment, and that in turn
by contentment. Then the dreamy look
came INTO her eyes again, and a single
tear rolled down each of her cheeks.
The old man laid by his hat and bowed
his gray head before the rare young crea-
ture he had just transferred to his album.
His pencils fell from his fingers and lay
between his feet, unnoticed
sit is very beautiful picture" she
murmured, softly
"lou are very beautiful woman" he
answered, in the same tone.
A woman A beautiful woman! The
words sent a strange thrill through her
She had never been called woman be-
fore. The old mans picture and his
words had opened new world to her
suddenly, and strangely, her childhood
seemed dead to her. The old life was
rolled up, like scroll, and put away for
ever. She Was possessed of something
which were mingled joy and regret.
Never again could she be as she had been
before; she was woman, now, Instinct,
rather than reason, told her what the
word meant, but instinct never tells one
half enough, and she was all unarmed
for the the truth winch had suddenly
thrust upon her. unarmed and unready
to meet what it might require. A child
one instant and a woman the next! Such
development is dangerous.
She glanced down at her bare feet with
sense of shame she had never known
before. Her cheeks burned and her
lashes dropped as the thought came that
her arms and bosom were no better pro-
tected than her feet.
The Old man saw her confusion, under |
stood and respected it.
You must be careful about the sol |
diers, he said softly.
Il will be very careful, Father Anto- |
MIC, she answered TREMENDOUSLY.
STILL she but half understood. To her |
pure mind the only womanly shame in |
the word was the shame of nakedness, |
An almost sitting sense of pain came to |
the old man because of the dangers which, |
sooner or later, she must meet and do |
battle against; dangers of which she was |
pitifully ignorant.
Would God guard her, he wondered or
would the Dark One destroy her. as he
had SO many innocents before her?
TO be Continued