Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-10
4 STAGE UNDINE.
ccnncmcn's Msgazinal
CHAPTER I.

,hoa,-e was crowded, though the
- rlav was by no means either very
pe% ",;c or very brilliant, or in truth, very
"ajy moral Possibly in that latter de-
tHe Nv mart Of its attractiveness mover
- Gorgeous coioring, clever II not
'n"oSrl dancing, bright music, and q
..'~ DISPLAY Of round and supple limbs
~ lent their quota to the desired result
- niece was o success. The audience
- N Good temper and applauded every
,b,,r the poorest Jokes made 1T laugh,
Che 8imsiest sentiment was greeted with
.gnson. and the dancing created quite
JVrOy. -. ~.
I, privato box near the stage there
.ot however. nan whose delicate, sen
,,,,vc face and largo, intellcciuallook-
TO- head seemed to denote nature
tbst would make more ideal demands
I'D have more iastidious tastes, yet his
DARK. dreamy ewes rested on the perform
.nce as If eGtranced. lie sat back ut
lie in the box. and was partly bldden by
the shadow OF n curtain, but had any one
cd TO watch him they could have seen
that me never shared either N the mirtn
orin the cheap emotion that was around
him. Watching him still more closely.
- might have been noticed, too, that ms
ewes followed one figure alone IN every
scene. o,..
80 wonder The girl was supremacy
beautiful. She could not 0e more than
.oynnfecn. probably not 20 much, ana
her beauty had not reached It's zenith.
vel IN that dawn OF still uniuliilled
,o'epIor there WIS only more piquant
Ine creature seemed young with a
~,,th such as our WORKOUT generation
,I+om knows. 4 youth that had ell
a.. freshness and the buoyaucy OF a
1l.h. all ihe vOluptuous promise of
Gears Cleopatra.
~io seemed the very embodiment OF
,l.,scs l'e and health as yet nm
awakened into spiritual consciousness,
sv,t mistress. not servant, of the still
dormant soul Her eyes were bright
and clear and laughing, the mouth ripe
enIrcd and full, and the girl danced
with such abandon. such absolute en-
,oymcu-. that others infinitely more
tlilcd and trained had not half the
charm.
The play was nothing to Gilbert Bur
r,N. the physical representation OF his
ide,l of loneliness was everything. Half
poet and half sculptor, incomplete in
everything and conscious of his incom-
nleteness Gilbert was ut least wholly
devoted 70 beauty. 1t meant to him the
satisfaction OF every sense, the realization
uf ~ dream, the blossom Of time, the
promise of eternity.
There was in this worship an element
Of circumstances, a pitiful remem-
brancc always present that his own life
would ever be out Of harmony with his
,deal would ever be a discordant note
in the symphony OF nature.
llch enough to crafty every taste, SC
Jar as money could go, young enough
and sensuous enough TO thrill responsive
10 every sight and sound Of this beautiful
earth, had this mans soul not been
cmInped and confined in a ruined house
of clay, life might have been for him full
60 owe rliowing with rapture and success.
As II was, he never could move without q
sense of humiliation, never could see
liI- elf in the glass without a shiver oil
repugnance, never could meet the eyes
of a woman without, as he fancied, read
ing ia them q mute compassion that wat
infinitely worse TO bear than Indifference
would have been.
Great heaven could love never be
his-only ever, ever this cruel scorching
pity that made him unable for moment
10 forget his burden Fate had used
him harshly. A babe Of twelve months,
he had fallen from his careless nurse s
arms, and bent spine and IA shortened
limb were henceforth his heritage OF
pain.
He was weary OF the women OF his
own claes-the gentle souls that We're
gweetly gracious to him, that bore with
his petulance and forgot 30 resent it,
that put on no dainty airs of coquetry,
no sweet fattering, provoking reserve,
but treated him with a tender mother
illness of which he was quick enough tc
understand the meaning. lie was "out
Of toe question whore love was con.
cerned, therefore any amount OF kind
ness vas at his service. lie had learned
10 bate II
When the curtain fell for a moment
De still sat on, bat the light faded from
lis face. I'm the Joy of watching ALSO
lutte strength aud beauty he had almost
FORGOTTEN himself; now the old pain was
once more present. Slowly ho arose
and stood awhile hesItating as the house
thinned, then walked boldly behind the
stage. He was known there, aud i'll q
moment WAS among the nymphs and
fairies OF the ballet. They were tired
now, and mostof them looked jaded and
depressed, but instantly his eyes lighted
on the radiant creature he sought.
There WAS no WEAKNESS visible abOut
her even yet. and she stood laughingly
executing pas sal rs final flourish
when Gilbert entered Another moment
he was bowling before her as profoundly
as 10 duchess. Then he raised his
eyes TO meet hers with "a quick question
ing, dreading TO read in them pity OF
contempt OF the former he need not
have been afraid, for those shining orbs
had never vet been wet by sympathetic
tears, and for the latter the fair Celia
would never have dreamt of feeling it fOI
man that dressed so we'll and wore
such magnificent diamond as that
which sparkled on Gilberts finger. The
flash Of it had caught her glance the
moment he approached
For good or i'll, from that moment Gil
bert BurTells life was altered.
CHAPTER III.
Celia was not what the world calls bad
She was only beautiful unframed ami
NAL with soul--if she had one at all
of which she was entirely unconscious
as for being good or being wicked she