St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-12-16

noramus of the most hopeless kind. Il
| details of the war, however, I was quit,
au fait I daily read every word which
came from his brilliant pen, and in thi
way hoped to improve my acquaintance
not only with life, but with my sutton
of whom, perhaps, but for the opposition
of my parent, | might never have thought
again. Thus does the heat Of paterna
ire often expand into blossom the i'm
mature shoots Of love which might other
wise know no development.
One morningsas usual, opened tho
paper and at once commenced reading
| the columns headed ''From Our Special
| Correspondent. The account WAS more
| exciting than usuai-thcre was descrip
ton of Turkish artillery, O. march
| under trying circumstances without food
or water, and many other adventures,
| graphically told. | forget them now,
for what | next read ciIacvd the immcdi
ate past from my memory forever
Under the head Of especial tclegramsA
was one line:
'Lieut. Blount, our special cores
pondent, died yesterday Of cnteric
fever"
To very young person the word
death is but a sound--a thing associated
with old age or intirmity if considered at
all. | had never known any one who
had died, and confess to have been
utterly unmindful of such Il possibility,
when my lover started for the wars.
The ominous line therefore conveyed no
meaning to he, more especially as, in an
adjacent column, the special corrcspon-
dents vigorous manhood displayed itself
in every word. For all that the room
seemed misty as if envelopcd in fog,
through which could not penetrate.
Twas seated thus when some one
my father, think-camo in and snatchcd
the paper from my hand. | had read it
through. he was welcome to it.
| made no effort to regain it. lie
smoothCd out the sheet several times,
but read not word. fer great tears were
rolling down his scanned Old face.
Then he opened his arms and took me
into them, and whispered many endear-
ing terms, some of which had not heard
since babyhood.
What was the matter? Did he, too,
think Leslie Blount was dead?
l pointed to the brilliantly written
columns and smiled
THAT letter was sent by post days and
days ago." lie said in broken voice,
whose emotion | could scarcely under
stand. Then light began to dawn, or
was it darkness? Yes, q chaotic black
ness that preceded the earthquake which
buried oil the innocence and hope of my
jocund youth in oblivion.
=
For whole month lay occasionally
frenzicd, occasionally deSpairln-, weep
ing and praying God would have pity on
me, and save my taking up the thread Of
life again. But my prayers remained
Then | arose, as We all
must, to face the drcary future. had |
had no experience of lovers Joys in the
past, | would have none in the years to |
come. Art should be my only lover,
work my only soacc now
A dreury little ii ure clad in black,
trudyed daily to the South kcnsington
Schools, and i'll one month produced bet
ter work than others did in six. Then a !
letter came. 1t WAS from the seat of war.
written 10y Red Cross doctor. who offered .
to deliver up to me some relics Of him |
who Was no more. From IL" ) 'hoOl of |
Art I wrote, "CUnlc," and waited. v hen !
the camraiTu WAS over, he came.
The corridor was full Of girls chatting
and gi9g'ing and preparing to leave for
the luncheon hour. The swing door fac
ing me opened and an awful sight pre-.
scnted itself. 1t WAS the figure Of a man.
Such a figure. Hercules come down to /
earth, all bronzed and glorious from the
eastern sun.
Though there we're twenty girls about
he extends d q hand 10 me-, with a look Of .
two honest blue eyes as clear
IS the sky looked Gown upon me with
reassur.ng smile. | took III" hand and
10 LEVIED Linn out of the building into
the museum heynn1.
Then lie drew rom his breast pocket n
small parcel and handed it. | knew what
its contents must be. A lock Of ny hair,
some io-get ne rots and certain photo
graphs of my extreme Youth, uHd an
,thcr more recent one taken p cviuus to
Lcslie's departure, in all the pride OF my
,ixteon summers and a long gown.
moved them one by one with li>tlcss
ingerS, scarcely reco- nizing them.
"Cne would ina ,ine the sight Of
hose would make me wcep,' | said with
drealy smile, "but l cannot-cvcry
ear was exhausted long AGO"
80 I sce," he replied bluntly. "You
must be cautious LIST your sight be If
ectcd Drawing all dry with weak eyes
annot he conducive to comfort"
1t was pathetic to know that the miscr-
BILE condition Of the orhs of which had
hitherto been SO proud was Obvious even
o stranger.
Tel me Of him. murmured, chang
ng the subject
lie did. lie gave very few details in
series of jerks, dwelling as little as
possible on the sadlcst feature of it all
he end. was scarcely conscious of his
'rescnce, but was dreaming of that far
way tent, sweltering in the morning
un, with the enemy within a few miles,
nd death-the greatest enemy of all
taring my lover in the face.
He died clasping my hand, and
linking of you,' he added almost in a
'hisper, lifting the hand next me with a
light gesture.
On the impulse of the moment caught
in both my own and raised it to my
ps.
Crimson as poppy grew his checks,
e remembered we were in a public place,
had forgotten all but that his hand had !
ouched my lover last! Fortunately our
Orner of the museum was deserted.
Ibid you know he loved me?" | CUES I