Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-01


ooh. nv son. how beautiful he is," she muir
INJURED. How very beautiful! How like your
father. Thank heaven for that But / must
have him III NY arms, dear Charles. / must
have him on my bosom.
The poet was but too willing to have his
mother lift tho babe from Its nest. for he felt
quite confident that when its glorious eyes SO
full of wonderment. were fixed upon the
countess dowacer little Roberts triumph
would be complete. And SO 1t happened. only
Count Charles. poet though ne was. forced
to admit that in is widest exuDerance his
fancy had not been able to ring together one
half as many pet names. poetic terms of en-
6earmeut and expressions of tenderness as
welIed up from that gCaadmother's heart. But
after an hour spent n tossing, cOddllng and
cosseting the hght-hearted listie being. which
reciprOcated the countess attentions with an
apparently inexhaustible supply of smiles and
gougous, the grandmother seemed suddenly to
come TO herself and. with few words of adieu
to her son. Withdrew from his apartments.
Scarcely had the door closed behind the
countess dowsger when female figure, clad in
. loose silk house robe, richly garn. tured with
lace. glided across the room, and, as II hardly
daring to ask for news o. the interview. passed
an arm in silence around The poets neck.
Just as | expected, my darling Irma," said
Count Charles. mother Is delighted with him.
How could il be otherwise. dearest? There
never was anything quite so beautiful as our
little Robert. By the way. lrma. I've DESTROYED
those verses which l made yesterday and am
going to try again. Ny art never seemed SO
helpless as II does now.
will your mother come again soon,
Charles! timidiy inquired the young woman
addressed as Irma.
''Oh, bless your heart, yes" cried Count
Charles, every other day for the present, and
when the weather is fair I've promised that
Robert shall be carried to see her now and
then. These grandmothers, Irma, are very
exacting and We must submit to their whIms. my
dearest. with as good a grace as possible"
troubled look overspread the strangely
beautiful face which was bent over Count
Charles, and the faulTlessly rounded arm still
encircllng his neck frightened convulsvely.
BE patient and trust i'll me, my darling
were the words which fell from his lips.
In spite OF the native dignity Of the young
woman and the rich and elegant gown which
she wore she seemed TO be out of place as she
stood there by the poets side. Grace she had
but it of wild and woodland quality and
her skin lacked the deIicacy OF the high bred
woman, and yet, there such a purity OF
outline about her face and figure and her
shapely head was poised SO exqusitely upon
her shoulders that she seemed, as Count Charles
was won't to say, like Greek goddess return
Ing sunburnt from q summers outing" Ger
talnly there was that about her which seemed
80 entitle her to the claim playful!y made in
her behalf by the poet that she was a
daughter OF the east and that one of
her ancestors was among the number
OF Greek coionlsts who settled at Map
settles IN the olden time. But in sober fact,
1rma Sale was OF the humbiest origin. being
daughter of poacher vino was still alive and
whose cottage stood on the edge of RambouIl-
let forest, where Trina had been reared and
where, barefooted, bareheaded and barearmed.
she had ranged IN shadow and sunshine and
acquired the Wild woodland grace and delicious
abandon OF the true child OF nature which had
served her well ii later life.
When scarcely arrived at wonanhood stories
OF her beauty had been borne 70 Paris BY stroll
ing artists and it was not long before old
Father Sale was moved BIZ visions OF a golden
harves. to send his daughter to the great city
OF the plain, where her exquisite Greek face
soon looked from the canvases of the eminen,
painters Of the day and was eagerly sough.
after by the visitors OF the various exhibitions
Irna was oppressed By her sudden fame; bu,
while IL awed her il fascinated her, and she
gave herself up 70 Its full enjoyment as if il
were as harmless as q mad chase through Ram.
bouIllet forest.
D'Athis' verses had more than once added
verve and Zest to Irma's bewitching personality
although her portrait had been his sole inspira
toD. Now, however, the hour Was drawing
near when their paths were to cross.
Upon leaving the tEeater one night he haC
fnterfered to save woman from insult, as he
thought, at the hands of two men, each Of whom
insisted that he was her chosen escort. D'Athii
had achieved greatness as o duelist even be
Tore he had acquired fame as . poet, and when
with the wisdom of solomon, he proposed Il
s0.aAe tAc dispute Dy oHerlnS himself as tnt
ledys escort and champion, all three accepted
this happy ending to what promised to degen
crate into q breach of the peace.
Thus lrma Sale entered the life OF Coun
Charles dAthis. He found her ignorant, will
fui and deeeitfuL he began by teaching heI
70 read and she ended by teaching him to Low,
her, although time and time again the in,petu
Gus child OF nature broke away from the gen
tier lessons OF affection and respect Yet .ucl
was she mold which d'Athis had upon her better
nature that she invariably returned TO him ant
at last returned TO stay
Count Charles happiness knew no boundi
when he saw that this fair garden which hal
80 lately threatened 20 run to noisome weed
and poisonous vines was now IN a fair vay I,
gladden. his heart and enhance his souI with IN
fragrance. lie had In his poets dreaming
pictured such a woman, and passages like n,
following seemed 20 long for the coming o
Irms:
Oh. TO be loved with love that ia warm
AZ the radiant isles Of Greece:
Oh. 20 be loved with love that is true
As the tide To the moons Increase.
One day just as little Roberts toilet had beer
completed for one OF his customary visits I,
the countess dowager the sun suddenly disap
peared aud the weather thickened so that