Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-25
CHAPTER "

After the Wandsrer had left her, Unorna con.
tinued to Hold in her hand the book she had
again taken up, following the printed lines
mechanically from left to right, from the top
Of the page to the foot. Having reached that
point, however, she did ot turn over the leaf.
She was vaguely aware that she had not under.
stood the sense of the words. and she returned
to the place at which she had begun. trying to
concentrate her attention upon the matter,
moving her fresh lips to form the syllables, and
bending her brows in the effort of understand
ing, so that short, straight furrow appeared,
like sharp, vertical cut, extending from be-
tween the eyes to the midst of the broad fore.
head. One, two and three sentences she
grasped and comprehended; then her thoughts
wandered again. and the groups of letters
passed meaningless before her sight. She was
accustomed TO directing her intelligence with
out any perceptible effort, and she was annoyed
at thus being led away from her occupation
against her will and in spite of her determine
tion. A third attempt showed her that it was
useless TO force herself any longer, and with a
gesture and look of irritation she once more
laid the volume upon the table at her side
During few minutes she sat motiorless in
her chair, her chm supported upon the back of
her half-closed hand. of which the heavy per-
feet fingers were turned inward, dropping In
classic curves toward the lace about her throat
Her strangely mismatched eyes stared vacantly
toward an imaginary horizon, not bounded by
banks OF flowers, nor obscured by the fantastic
foliage of exotic trees.
Presently she held up her head, her white
hand dropped upon her knee, she hesitated an
instant. and then rose to her feet swiftly as
though she had made a resolution and was
about to act upon 1t. She made q step forward
and then paused again. while half-scornfui
smile passed like shadow over her face. Very
slowly, she began to pace the marble floor up
and down IN the open space before her chair,
turning and turning again. the soft folds of her
white gown following her across the smooth
pavement with a gentle, sweeping souud such
as the breeze makes among flowers in spring.
rs it he?" she asked aloud in a voice ringing
with the Joy and the fear of a passion that has
waited long and is at last approaching the full
hllment of satisfaction.
No answer came to her from among the thick
foliage nor in the scented breath of the violets
and the lilies. The murmuring song OF the lit
tie fountain alone disturbed the Stiffness and
the rustic of her own garments as she moved
rs it he? Is it he? Is it he?" she repeated
again and again, in varying tones, Ginning the
changes of hope and fear, of certainty and
vacillauon, of sadness and of gladness, of eager
passion and OF chilling doubt.
She stood STILL staring at the pavement, her
fingers clasped together, the palms of her hands
turned downward. her arms relaxed. She did
not see the dark red squares OF marble, alter
mating with the white and the gray, but as she
looked face and form rose before her, in the
contemplation of which all her senses and
faculties concentrated themselves. The pale
and noble head grew very distinct in her inner
sight, the dark, gray eyes Cazed sadly upon
her, the passionate features were fixed In the
expression Of a great sorrow.
Are you indeed he?" she asked, speaking
softly and doubtfullN and yet unconsciously
projecting her strong will upon the vision, as
she longed. 'r
And the answer came imposed by the effort
OF her Imagination upon the thing imagined.
The face suddenly became luminous. as with a
radiance within itself, the shadows Of grief