Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-08-01
THE QUESYION.I

BOulOsne, Wnltnef Il nau come 10 ENJOY
alone and uninterrupted a lovely October
afternoon. The gray transparency vf the
Partisan atmosphere lent a wonderful
glamour to the autumn hues, like flrny
gauze over the face Of some rich eastern
beauty, aud the seductive harmony Of the
colors acted like magic music ON the spirit.
In the distance the bare trees looked like
vague blue smoke against the pale sky,
and near at hand the fallen leaves, damp
IN shadowed places or dry and crisp in the
sun, showed all the shades from purple and
rich copper to gray and gold.
My gaze was fastened upon the horizon,
and was completely wrapped in that pc
culiar sadness which exquisite harmony OF
any kind IL apt to produce. Suddenly
heard close to my ear voice Of full, sweet
quality:
"Est-ee que ton ceur remplit la promesse
de ties yeux"-"Does your heart fulfill the
promise of your eyesi"
turned and beheld sitting on the bench
beside me young man who was regarding
my face with strange and intense inter
est.
He was evidently Frenchman. should
have known that, even II / had not noticed
his beautiful, musical pronunciation. His
eyes were almond shaped and very bril-
liant, owing to the blush color OF the
whites and the profound black Of the pu-
pills, his complexion rich olive, his fea-
lures straight and chiseled, and above his
sweet, almost childishly innocent mouth a
soft dark down was visible.
"Does your heart fulfill the promise of
your eyesi" he repeated gravely, and as
though the answer were of great impor-
tance.
s.xuk.& a.. H. ..~ox..t.o - .x.,, .u..sy n
asked, interested and losing all sense of the
strangeness of his question.
"a promise sublime and tender" he said,
and continuing after few moments pause:
"Your eyes promise to render some one per-
fectly happy; to remove for him who
passes his life at your side all trouble and
care They promise to give him pure, eter-
nal Joy, unmarried by sadness, to make for
him heavenly paradise upon this weary
earth. Swear to me that this promise will
be kept"
"But, really, monsieur" / answered
frankly, IL think it will not. Such vow
is not possible-r'-
"It Is just as feared" he interrupted
me, with deep sigh. "Well, then, there
is but one thing left for me to do Unjust
close your eyes forever"
"But whyf"
because they deceive"
"But that Is not my fault"
"No, it Is not your fault, poor child, but
all the same l must extinguish that false
promise forever. must kill you"
He drew from his pocket a small knife of
fine eastern workmanship, with a shining
curved blade and ivory handle
looked about us. We were entirely
alone and in such a secluded part of the
park that 1t was not likely that any one
was even In hearing distance The situa-
tion was becoming serious. 1t was neces-
sary to make an effort.
Monsieur" commenced timidly, I-
Twill empty my eyes of that promise"
impossible"
~ will try-try to fulfill It,"
"That is the first falsehood you have
spoken" he replied severely. you know
that you cannot fulfill It,"
~ will close my eyes myself forever"
"Your eyes are stronger than you. Moth
ing but death can control them"
"And do you really wish to kill mef"
asked, temporizing, while / looked about
anxiously for some chance of escape.
He grasped my hand and held it firmly.
turning his face deliberately away from
mine while he answered resolutely, II
must"
"whyi" -
''To prevent you from killing many 9TH
ers. You are as child armed with sharp
sword. You will stab the hearts of many
men. 1t Is better that one die than many"
"But, monsieur, have done nothing"
His fingers clinched my wrist like iron;
his features were pitiless; he would not
look at me. The stiffness about US was
frightful
"You may not be guilty" he said gloom
lily, "but am appointed your executioner.
Between your heart and your eyes there
exists fearful lie. The one will not, can
not give what the others promise. 1t is
the duty Of every honest man to fight and
to put an end to lies. In the name of
truth"-here he raised his knife to his lips,
kissing the blade with a solemnity that
caused me to shiver violently-"I sacrifice
"Wait, wait. monsieur. one moment"
cried, lone last request"
"Only one" he assented, pausing as
though for just moment. his hand still
raised with a murderous gesture.
"You are going to kill me ON account Of
what you read In my eyes, are you notf"
1T Is for that that sacrifice you"
"Well, then, before-before you kill me,
allow me to look In yours.
"That is just" he murmured to himself,
and turning his head toward me his bril-
liant eyes, burning with a secret fire, met
mine.
With all my might I tried to read In
those mysterious orbs, endeavored to look
within those windows of the soul to dis
cover II possible the motives that inspired
my strange companion, to find clew to his
actions, something that would tell me how
to influence him. My eyes plunged and
lost themselves In those clear depths as In
a still lake shadowed by mountains. Deep
er and deeper sank my spirit In those trans
lucent wells Of darkness, searching, search
ing and not finding. Those brown waves
were endowed with Lethean potency.
forgot my danger, the world, myself, ev-
erything. was drowned In oblivion, seek
ing the source of those bottomless springs.
was aware Of nothing that was going
on around me. and 30 / did not notice the
change that must gradually have come
over the young Frenchman's face during
our long, mutual gaze. His brows con-
tracted, his features relaxed, his lips trem-
bled, and the hand that held the dagger fell
nerveless by his side.
saw nothing Of this and was In another
world until sudden, shrill cry from him
brought me back to consciousness.
1T is too late; cannot" and he dropped
my hand with a groan, bursting into tears
'It Is too late. wished to save others, but
have only lost myself I have gone too
near the flame"
II arose as in dream and walked slow