Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-19
harply outlined against the splendor of the

sharply outlined against the splendor of the sky.
 She had been silent for long time, and when she spoke it was half under hes. breath.
 "It is like my life" she said; "all the white things and the bright things have gone from me-"
 And then, before either of us were aware of 1t, the barriers of conventionality were down and she was telling me the story of her life.
 know not what words she used. Some times she spoke very rapidly, and again there were long pauses and breaks in her sentences, but l saw, as if she had painted her portrait, the young girl cruelty ignorant of life, with all the illusions and dreams of sensi- tive, imaginative nature, a creature so warm hearted and generous she clothed the world In rainbow colors and could not see beyond the veil her fancy wove, I saw her full of faith and hope and trust marrying putting her all on the throw of one great stake-and losing
 Yet he was not bad, this man. Of his wealth he gave her freely, and of such love as he had; but who is willing to take base metal in exchange for goldl And as for the rest, he did not understand In his narrow brain there was no echo of her boundless thoughts, his dull intellect could not flash back the lightning of her wit. could un- derstand all the miserable disappointments, the intending weariness "When I first realized" Mara was saying, in a still, level voice. more pathetic than any sob could have been, "when realized that all the compan- ionship of which had dreamed could never be, that the husband by my side in his dull sleep was more separated from me than if the grave had yawned between us; that all my life, be it long or short, I was tied to what I loathed, should have died if God had mercifully pitied my agony. There were weeks and weeks in which fought it out, prayed it out wept 1t out, this great relentless truth. Oh, do you believe we are ever punished for our sins as cruelty as we are for our mistakess I was so young and so ignorant. I remember that it was sum- mer and that jessamine vine climbed up to my window, and how its heavy perfume filled the room. Even yet that odor makes me feel as if dead hand was laid upon my heart"
 There was n long pause. The incoming tide beat heavily on the beach, the dusk fell and the wind moaned above us like an em- bodied echo of sorrow.
 Mara shuddered and l took in miie the hand that held, dead last night, and that was scarcely then less cold and white.
 Ut is so sad Q thing to be done with the Joy and light of life at twenty" she said. II suffered until at last respite came, not be- cause had ceased to care, but because there comes.a time when the tired nerves are numb and no longer throb and quiver, and at last, like many another woman, I suppose, grew indifferent and learned to interest myself in other things. Finally, when said to myself that could suffer no more, when I grew accustomed to even golden fetters"- her white hand buried itself in the loose sand -"when learned to wear out restlessness in constant excitement, there came another, and learned anew all that life might have held for me and all that had missed
 'I wonder if many women's lives are like mine," she cried passionately, eff they know what it is to be heart hungry, to be as alone in the midst of society as if they were the only beings in created space, to thirst and yearn for companionship Gley know must always be denied them. Oh, it is cruel cruel"
 After awhile she again began speaking: 1T said there was another and that the time came when I knew all that life might have been. tasted the rapture of perfect com panionship and sympathy and congeniality. saw my lightest fancy taken up and glorified and felt my heart and brain thrill and re- spond to subtler intellect than mine, as yon- der stars grow brighter by the interchange of their own mysterious light. Day and night it was like a glaanning star hafn,o ..,e, but where it led dared not follow. Per- haps, after all, one only hopes and believes in love once in a lifetime, and so put it from me. Perhaps had not courage to risk again the shattering of my idols"-
 She ceased speaking abruptly and rose to her feet, standing di1nly silhouetted against the dark sky, but the face she turned toward me was luminous as star. After a minute she turned and walked along the sands, Q ghostly figure in the night, with wind tossed hair and garments.
 The next morning was suddenly sum. moned to distant city, and I never saw Mara again until last night, when looked | upon her dead face
 We know not what lies beyond this world but for such as she 1t must mean peace and | rest, else death were crueler than life.- | Elizabeth M. Gilmer in New Orleans Plea l yune. ..t.