The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-03-17
THE FACE UNDER THE SNOW.

THE FACE UNDER THE SNOW.
Winnie Fay had never played so well.
She always won admiration for her light,
airy poise that was art in itself; her
clinging white wool draperies always
brought into relief the harmonious lines
and curves of well developed youth; but,
to-day, it was the music created by the
new soul within her, and drawn with
skillful fingers from her violin that
eclipsed all else; that transfgured the
face and charmed tie eye. She saw be-
yond the world of reality. She was wan
dering out into the enchanted plains of
romance. Love sang through all the
notes in jubilant glee-now soft as a
zephyr cooling with moonlit waves; now
rising till the clarion notes of victory
over hosts rang out their stirring peons.
Marie Jean, coming up from the beach
with long coveted treasure in banda
copy of Evangeline-was gayly singing:
How often, o. how often.
had wished that the ebbing tide
Would bear me away on its bosom
" CT Ile ocean VIII anu Wlut!
Her heart was too happy to harmonize
melody with words. To her, the ocean
wild and wide reached no farther than
Boston, the home of Perley Moreland.
Three days without his bright smile
and tender ways! And now she was
home again. She caught the tones of the
violin in the distance, wondered, and
hurried on, the song blithely dying on
her lips. At the foot of a balcony she
stopped to listen, a smile wreathing
about the fine mouth, a flush on the dark
cheeks, warm glow in the depths of the
lnstrous large black eyes.
''Marie," said coarse voice behind
her, ''your artist chap has turned de-
serter while you're gone. For all your
fine ways, and posin' and study, you'll
not be long remembered. A new girl
has come"
"Silence, Estelle Beauchamp," Marie
flashed, with wrath in her eyes. 81 do
not aspire to heaven on earth. Better
let Marie Jean alone, warn you"
Yet, with the glow and color all gone
from her face, she crept noiselessly upon
the balcony and peeped in. She forgot
the music at the sight of the musician.
Involuntarily her eyes sought Perley
Moreland. He seemed the worry incarna-
ton of brightness. His light, closely
cropped curls, the dark hazel eye, the
poise of the head, the gently tapping
finger, one and all radiated new glory.
Clutching her heart with the firm hand
of self control, Marie watched the two.
The company were spell-bound as the
lovely strains poured forth; but one, only
one, knew the magic wand that inspired
them; only one could respond to the
spirits call. Winnes dreamy eyes
glanced at Perley and the souls melody
chimed on.
Marie beheld and understood. And yet
once, when the day was soft and the air
sweet scented and her strong arms had
lightly welded the oars, as they glided
over the favOrite legends by haunt of
Glooscap, had not her hero looked as he
looked now? As he sketched and laugh
ed and praised her skill and courage? A
faint hope sprung up in her heart. Per
enveloping him with cloud OF rose
color, as it had then enveloped herself.
Another long glance and the struggling
jet of faith died suddenly like the last
Pickering ember on the hearth.
At last the violin was silent. Winnie,
with the soul dreams still lingering in
her eyes, and the carmine deepening on
her cheeks, gracefully received the obs
and abs of the company; neatly turning
the compliments, and wondering the
while if she could ever again make the
chords so responsive to her mood. Per
ley Moreland listened and blessed the
spell of moonlight, the music of the
waves the night before that had lent him
the inspiration of their glamour to make
her his own; and that made him deter
mined to be worthy of her.
Marie closed her lips tightly and turned
away to think. No one should see her
pain. One after another stole out into
the exhiliarating November air, with the
haze of Indian summer softening it.
''What beauty! Who is that hand
some girl on the farther balcony?" Win
ME inquired, as later she and Perley
were leaving the steps for a stroll. The
white dress had been put off for a blue
one, for the wind was rising and the sun
hiding behind mass of dark clouds. No
one thought of it except that it was a