St. Paul daily globe., 1889-03-16

on his shoes. His rapier ihas jeweled
hiit. and through it is drawn an en-
broldered handkerchief. He stands
near the top of the room, and is evil
IDENTITY guest of Importance, for the
host pauses now and again to smile and
say a few words, which the young man
answers carelessly in thin, bored
voice.. His partner is much more in
teresting study. She is very young mot
more than seventeen-and has a deli
cate, fragile look. Her hair is piled
loosely on the top of her head, and a
blue ribbon runs throught it. 1t is the
only bit Of color about her. Her white
silk sacque falls in full, graceful folds
from her shoulders; she holds droop-
ing cluster of white roses in her hands,
which nervously arrange and rearrange
| the flowers; her face is very colorleSs,
and her deep blue eyes have strained,
nervous look. The two do not seem at
ease III each others company; from
time to time the gentleman pays the
lady yapid compliment, to which she
| responds family or not at all.
Now there is q general move toward
the top of the room, and tine musicians
cease. The company gathers around q
square oak table; on it are pens, ink
and several large sheets of paper. A
man III plain black garments, evidently
AStoi toAVo oCQls dtlltl anu SUI
stand near each other, and on the far
ther side the young couple who have so
interested me: then l see the likeness
between the girl and the two men oppo-
site, and 1t flashes across my mind that
am assisting at that betrothal scene |
had heard of few days before. The
notary begins to read; the document
tells OF the dover of the bride and the
settlements made by the bridegroom,
calling forth many eXclamations of
wonder and sighs of envy from tue
son listen with stern satisfaction;
the bridegroom pretends to pay
no attention; the bride, DOOR lit
tie thing, gets paler and more
nervous. Now the reading has come to
an end, and amidst the buzz of conver
Satlon the host rises and signs the pa
pers. The witnesses on his side follow,
then the bridegroom and his witnesses.
The notary turns to the bride, and
smiling, offers her the pen. With trem-
bling fingers she takes it, then hesitates.
Her great sad eyes are lifted appealingly
to her brother, and seeing no hope there
she looks at her father, and a piteous
murmur that is half a sob breaks from
her; ''Father!" But no softness comes
over the stern face. sit is your turn to
sign, my daughter." is all the response
She gets. Despairingly she bends over
the table. and her name is added to the
rest.
The business being over, the ladies
crowd round her with congratulations
on the splendid match, and surrounded
by them she moves away. Presently
she begs them to leave her by the win
dow. She feels little faint, she says,
but few moments quiet will soon put
her right, and they leave her in the
deep embrasure. Once alone she rises,
and, watching her opportunity. slips
out into the night. |, too, step through
my window, and see her fit across the
terrace in the moonlight. AT the foot
OF the steps man starts out of the
shadow, with low: cat last, sweet
hearth and catches the slender figure
in his arms for moment. Wrapping a
large dark cloak over her white
garments, he draws her arm through
his and leads her few steps,
when he is stopped by hand placed
suddenly on his shoulder. Turning,
he sees the dark face of his Iady's
brother. With cry the girl starts
from him, and filings herself between the
two men. Her brother thrusts her aside.
''Stand back! [ have to deal with him,
not YOU" But she clingS to him sob-
blng. and. sinking OH her knees, prom
iSeS anything if he will only let her
lover go safe. He shakes himself free, ?
and in another moment the clash of
swords brings a wondering crowd to the
windows. No one interfereS or attempts
to go to the poor child holding the back
Of a seat to keep herself upright. Pres
emily heavy fall and a shrek from the
girl tells what the end is, The white
figure flies to the PROSTATE man, and
the little hands try to lift the heavy
fhna a..ft
murs the dying man; 81 wish [ could
have saved yOu;" and then all is STILL
For few minutes no one moves. The
lovers lie as if Doth, instead of one, were
dead; the guests gaze at them with
pale, scared faces, and midway between
the two groups, half way up the steps,
father and son speak in a low whisper.
The moon sheds her calm, silyery light
over all, as she would were the scene
she illumined happy instead of most
tragic one. Suddenly | see the girl lift
her head; noiselessly she rises to her
knees, then to her feet. The two men
on the steps notice nothing, so deep are
they in their whispered conference.
With swift, Stealthy movement she
glIdeS down to the waters edge, and
before her father and brother, warned by
a cry from their guests, can stop her, she
has stepped into light pleasure boat
mO0fed tnere, ana has pushed Oft into
the lake. In vain are the cries to her to
return. She floats slowly away in the
moonlight, and as a solemn hush comes
over the spectators, the sound of low
crooned song comes across the water.
Then it stops and the white figure rises
so its feet, SObbing cry reaches us,
and, with lifted arms and upturned face,
1T SinkS-SlnkS-and disappears. A
scream bursts from some one in the
crowd-and the figures vanish.
l was sitting alone among the roses,
the old house stood silent and deserted
behind me. the crazy boat was quietly
moored at the little landing stage, but
the moon had disappeared and an owl
in the trees near by was sending forth
his melancholy cry on the still night air.