Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-07-23

eager voice seemed to stir her, ant
sho leaned forward and looked in
tent,y at bin. Then she said won
derinri-
WAY. lid on carer | did not
suppsc it wol,ld matter. did MOI
think you " lid even remember my
words.
Then half musingly, but still look.
ing at him with wondrous. shining
eyes, she added slowly:
How strange that you should
carel"
Strange, Madeline Strange, whom
your voice is the only one that / care
TO hear IN sll the world; your face
the one clone of all faces that care
TO ee-God, Madeline. Ilove youl-
with my soul and my life ] love you
did not know it till tonight, but it
Is SO, and it is forever 1t must al
ways have been there in my heart,
the love for you, but did not know
oh. Madelinel" and his voice rang
with passionate intensity as he sprang
forward and held out his arms to her,
his face filled with mingled emotions
Of pain and happiness.
But Madeline pressed back against
her cloak and put out her hands de-
fensively, as if to keep him from her.
Eor voice did not change as she said,
III low voice
And SO you have come to feel as
| felt once, for that il the way | loved
you oh. more orel Your love is
but an echo If that which once felt
oh, she cried out, closing her eye
lids, how ! loved you'll could have
suffered anything for you--pain, dis
grace, death-all. everything. l
would have given up ny life for
your lips upon mine my life, yes,
my very soul for loved you with
q love such as few women are called
to know. lived only to see you; to
hear your voice and touch your dear
hands
And it lasted so long. so cruelty
long, and SO fiercely ahl yes, too
fiercely, for now the fires in my heart
have burned themselves out, they
burned SO long with nothing to feed
them. So long, so long, and now
they have perished utterly; only the
cold ashes remain, so cold that moth.
ing in this world can ever revive
them. The last spark died tonight"
She paused with a little gasp, and
then went on:
Il hardly know myself, | who was
SO full Of feeling once, every fiber of
my being aching for the love of one
man-for you"
mo do not interrupt NE. 1t is of
no use now. You might plead to
me, and weep to me in an agony of
tears and it would not stir my heart
a single throb-oh, my heart beats
SO quietly now," and she smiled
gently and put icr Land up against
her slim silken corsage
II am a frozen woman. My life
so far as love is concerned is ended;
there is no more to come. Eight
weary years is a long time, cruel
eternity to those who suffer. 1t has
frozen up my heart ard do not care
now Hear me say it i d. not carer
She put up her hands again as
Parkman made an impetuOus gesture
to come to her.
"Only for my voice. my dear voice
and the applause of the people,
love that. Oh, how it came to me
tonight and solaced my poor worn
out heart!"
She leaned toward him suddenly
and said in voice so low that it was
almost a whisper:
II was going to look was going
to sing to you, but it was then, at
that moment when stepped upon
the stage, that the last spark died; it
dared up and went out like a candle,
and did not care-oh, the joy of not
caring"
And she sank back and closed her
eyes with little smile playing about
her wistful lips.
"Madeline!" Parkman cried, and
came and leaned over her chair, his
face bent down near hers.
Great God how much do you
think man can standl'
mot as much as a woman by
eight years, she answered, little |
scornful note qlivering through her
soft voice.
He did not heed her answer, but |
went on, his breath touching her
cheek.
"To think that You should have |
loved me like that, and now when ! |
give you my life and very heartbeats
you will not care. Oh, Madeline,
nave mercy"
She shook her head gently from
'ide to side, her eyes still closed.
II am willing to wait, dear life,"
10 pleaded, with tender pathos in
lis voice, ''years--as long as you
wish, only tell me that it will come
)ack-your lost love for me. | have