The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-10

w ~ S@SssS tA Ivy
About an hour passed, perhaps morr.
Suddenly the cadences of a singing voice
struck nay ear. I listened, and heard q
strange melody, now slow and sad, now
rapid and lively. The sounds seemed TO
fall from the sky. looked up, and on the
roof of the cabin l saw a young girl in a
straight dress, with disheyeIed hair, Ike
a naiad.
/ looked again toward the singer, but
she had disappeared 4 moment after she
passed rapidly before me, singing another
song and swapping her fingers. She went
to the old woman and said something 70
her. The old woman seemed annoyed. The
young girl burst into laugh. Then, with
a bound, she came close TO me, suddenly
stopped and looked at me fixedly. as though
surprised TO see me. Then, turning away
with an air of Indifference, she walked
quietly toward the shore.
All the rest Of the day saw her at short
intervals, always singing and dancing.
| had never seen such woman before.
She could scarcely be called beautiful, but
l have my own ideas on the subject of
beauty. There was d thoroughbred look
about her, and with women, as with horses,
there is nothing like breed.
What charmed me in her was the extra
ordinary suppleness of her figure, the sin
gular movements of her head and her long,
fair hair hang ing down in waves of gold on
her neck, and Ter nose, which was perfectly
formed. and in her sidelong glance there
was something dark and wild.
nd tho oUanin0 7 Gtorpa1 NV "a
dine at the door of the hut and said to her:
Tell me, my pretty one, what were you
doing today on the roof"
Il was seeing in what direction the wind
blew"
How did that concern you?"
'Whence blows the winds, thence comes
happiness"
And your singing was to bring you
good foruune,"
''Where singing is heard there is joy"
''But what should you say if your sing
ing caused unhappiness."
IF unhappiness arrives itmust be borne,
and from grief to joy the distance is not
great"
''Who taught you those songs?"
'sNo one; / dream and I sing; those who
understand me listen me, and those who
do not listen to me cannot understand
me-"
What is your name?"
"Ask those who baptized me-"
"And who baptized you?"
81 do not know"
"Ah! you are very mysterious, but /
know something about you"
There was no sign of emotion on her
face; her lips did not move.
Last night" / continued, "you were on
the seashore" Then l told her the scene l
had witnessed. l thought this would have
caused her to evince some symptom Of anX-
iety, b it had no such effect.
You assisted at curious interview"
she said to me with a laugh; 'Fbut you do
not know much, and what you do know
you had better keep under lock and key,
as you would keep some precious treas
ure."
But if" continued with grave and
almost menacing air, 81 were to relate
what | saw TO the conmandant?"
At these words she darted away singing
and disappeared like frightened bird
The night came. / told nay Cossack to
prepare the tea urn, lighted a wax candle
and sat down at the table, smoking my
long pipe. [ was drinking my tea, when
the door opened and heard the rustling OF
a dress. l rose hastily and recognized my
siren.
She sat down silently beside me and fixeJ
me with look which made me trembIe;
one of those magical looks which had
troubled my life in earlier days. Her
counteBance was pale as death. In its pale
ness | thought could see the agitation OF
her heart. Her fingers struck mechan-
ically on the table; her body seemed to
her bosom rose violently and the
afterward seemed depressed.
This species of comedy tired me at last,
and | was about to bring it to an end in the
most prosaic manner by offering my fair
visitor cup of tea, when suddenly she
rose and taking my head in her hands gazed
at me with all the appearance of passion
ate tenderness.
\ cloud covered my eyes, and wished in
my turn to kiss her. but she escaped, like
a snake, murnuring as she did so, TO
night, when everything is quiet, meet me
on the shore" Then she disappeared, up
setting as she did so my tea urn and my
solitary light.
''She is the very mischief" cried my Cos
sack. who had been looking out for his
share of the tea.
He then lay down on the beach and
gradually my agitation subsidized.
Listen" said TO him. IF you hear
pistol shot hurry down as fast as you can
to the shore"
He rubbed his eyes and replied mechan-
ically, YES, sir"
placed my pistol in my belt and went
out. The siren was waiting for me at the
top of the path leading down to the sea
lightly clad in a stuff which chung to hen
waist like scarf
Follow me-" she said, taking me by the
hand.
We walked down the rocky path in such
a manner that cannot understand how
failed to break my neck. Then we turned
sharply to the right, as the blind boy had
done the night before. The moon was not
yet up. Two little stars, like the fires of
lighthouses, relieved the darkness. The
agitated waves lifted and let fall in regular
cadence a solitary boat close to the shore.
"Get i'm she said | hesitated, for |
confess that have not the least taste for
excursions on the sea But it
was impossible to refuse. She leaped into
the bark, followed her, and off we went,
What does all this meanf' l said, get
ting angry.
1t means" she replied, making me sit
down on bench and putting her arms
around my waist, 1T means that l love
YOU" Her burning cheek was close 20
mine and felt her hot breath in my face.
Suddenly heard something fall into the
water. Instinctively my hand went 70 my
belt. The pistol was no longer there.
\ horrible suspicion seized me. The
blood rushed to my brain. looked at her
We were far from shore and | could not