The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1893-10-28

mented with punches Of poppy
flowers. The milk white throat. the
bare rounded arms were circled
with diamonds. Diamonds lay upon
the dark hair, a diamond cross shone
on the white breast. Artistic as
was the dress, the delicate imperial
loveliuess of the girls face attracted
all of Vance's attention, he was
dazed, beWildered by her beauty as
hundreds of men have been before
him. Coral he said, breaking the
silence that had fallen over them
after their first greeting was over.
| have come to bid you a long fare
well. She looked at him with
frightened eyes and parted lips, are
you going away Vance? The sweet
voice sank into a whisper. Yes,
Coral he answered, I am going
away to morrow. And two days
after will be my wedding day. Oh,
Coral, I must tell you how | love
you before I go, though I am in
honor bound to marry the girl I
promised to marry before / ever met
you my bonny love. She loves me
truly and | thought that | loved her
but now | know that ] did not, but
her fortune between me and ruin
She is a wealthy heiress and I am
bankrupt. Give me one of the
poppy flowers that you year dear to
keep as a memory of the happy days
gone forever, you look like q beau-
tiful poppy flower yourself in your
queenly loreliness. When | see you
with those crimson poppy flowers IN
your hair, | always think of the
verse:
Long DAYS of desire, and brief dreams
OF delight,
They are mine when poppy land cometh
i'll sight"
Slowly she disengaged a fower from
her dress aud gave il to him. Take
it Vance the white lips mnrmnred.
They were rec my fowers OF
dreams, but now they are my flowers
of death. | ought TO hate you for
winning my heart when yon intended
to marry another, bnt | believe |
love 0 as no woman on earth ever
did or could love a man. When |
!, shall have said good bye to you this
evening | shall have nothing left in
life. Coral he said gently I must
leave you-see the u is setting.
! The sun of my life has gone down in
, gloom and chill, kiss me Coral kiss
me goodbye. With a passionate
! sob she raised her face TO his and he
drew her to lis breast: How am | to
!, say farewell TO you? Words will not
help or enable me, Coral how am
: to lose you | love yon SO? Vance
; listen, beloved, / shall love yon all
, my life, | shall never marry, | snail
! think Of you. watch your career
pray for you and then.-What my
darling, he asked in a broken voice
what then? Then she whispered
: with a rain of tears-heaveu is good
I'VE may he together hereafter
Say good bye to me Vance, oh. ml
!, love, my dear last love good bye
he pressed his trembling lips te
, hers. Dear love good bye. he said
! Then he n~nclaspcd her loving arms
and passed out of them. He would
: not turn once to look at her. he hear1
= low cry, he dared not stop bul
hurried away. Coral sank down 9
! maddening sense of pain at her
: heart, eyes blinded and lips dnmb
, Ii her agony she could have cried
/. out great heavens let me die, since
life holds such horrible pain! Cora
, went to her room that evening before
! nine. at eight on the morning
= following she sat in the same chair
; Those long hours of the night hae
: gone while she vas trying TO re
! alize what had happened to her
8 She bathed her white face in fresh
J cold water but the lovely bloom hat
gone from it. | look like a fowel
8 that has been cut in the frost ant
the cold all night, she said TO her
5 self. How can | live without Vance
9 I think of the song I used to sins
! when | was happy:
The time is weary. the year ia old.
And the light Of the poppy burns close t.
~ f. a nnnlh.