The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-04-23
A HUMAN FIRE OPAL.
BY MAUD amulet ANDREWS.


It was told me in a queer ricSe;y little
lodging downtown in New YORK. This
Iodgin.; house was in the artists part of
the city.
Mine was a sky parlor-an airy apart
ment, very roomy. in fact, rs It's furm-
ture was light and scanty. II was rather
q CHEEKY little place. though, for | made
the walls bright with studies brought home
every day from the league. But il is not OF
myself ! would tell you. My story con-
Germs the woman who, at the time l recall,
occupied The room next my own.
She was a great artist, and had made =
name tor herself Her room was furnished
in the oldest kind Of way had never seen
anything like il before, and it reminded me
OF the descriptions OF rooms in harems.
The room WAS an artistic oasis IN
d sert of broken-les tables and broken
back chairs and rough, bare floors.
Why, Zelda viii not cali her the name
size was known 10y in the city-chose to
live there was u mystery.
She was beautiful beyond all power of
description or analysis.
She was dark woman, with waving
dusty hair which fell below her knees. she
WAS tail ana hssom, vet eN0ulsttely curved
and rounded. Her arms and limbs were
long, slender ana tapcyiug, and her tt>at
and hands were small and dimpled as
chiyds.
She was always lying down when not
bueeljng at her easel. and as she lay iuil
length upon divan she impressed me most
strangely. Though every limb was appa-
reutly motionless. her Whole body seemed
to be vibrating as II strung upon electric
threads. | have watched her for hours with
fascinated eyes as she lay thus at full
length with her rose-ieaf oycHds closed upon
her pansy eyes, and her soft little hands
cIasped above her graceful head.
t,f, ,.,.tt ! and
the muscles about the exquisite mouth
drew themselves into passionate lines of
pain. ] could feel that every drop of blood
in her whole body was surging through her
veins ia response to some maddening mem
DRY, and l faucied if l touched her, that
ner soul would be revealed TO mine like
tho physical conveying OF electricity.
one night, as she lay this way, she lifted
her lids. and her eyes shone softly upon
me.
Come. here, child" she said.
went and sat on the floor beside her.
She took my face between her velyety, mag
netic hands, and kissed me tenderly upon
the eyciids.
what makes you SO sorry for me?'' she
asked
H.... ..,.,.t l,-,a.,--I .t,-r-=t ,erce-..' at.
..uled. iupc tuoueIy. "Eou suffer so, ]
want 10 help You; and yet YOU can't be
helped. I feel it that you can't be Helped
some way
She turned her head silently away, and
her body quivered rs though 1 HAD struck
her terrible blow:
u oulht not TO be sorry for YOU" I went
On. The idea of q poor little struggling
artist being sorry for a beautiful woman
who has fame and name is absurd"
The words seemed to sting her She arose
anu began To pace the floor swiftly
Frame ana uame.' she cried, casting the
words from her scornful lips and hineiug
them away with Il passionate gesture. lis
fame and name what happiness means to
you? All. you have not lived long"
Il am not much younger than yourself"
suffering, ana not years, tells the length
o. ones days
something unknown to mo. and she seemed
TO have Forgotten my presence. She arose
as if in trance, and commenced pacing
tie floor with that quick noiseless tread
a tread that you tait instead of heard. Her
eyes looked straight before her, steadfasr
brilliant, Ike tropical stars.
L watched her, strangely enchanted.
wondered that the very pictures did not vi
bratc 10 her electrical movements. ! won
dered WHO ANA what she was, and where
she came from, this strange, beautiful, tor
tGred creature.
4id not know that night, for in a few
moments she turned upon nae and babe nae
depart, and ] could not gainsay her COM
rn5ud.
A month passed and the beautiful
creature seemed to grow more restless e-er,
6,v felt that some pain was burning her
life 10 ashes and that The end soon v.arid
como + watched her. win, t4,,,l4r ANXIETY
INT dared NOT Question OR sz-nDatJ,iza. she
had forbidden.
one fish.-I shall not FORGET it to nv dv-
iu- GaE-tLe snow had shrouded the world
as Law in my bed listening to the strange
tread If the woman in the next room. The
MOONLIGHT. creeplne. through nav Httle win
.IoO.s. made ghostIike figures in the dark
ness saw weird faces in tie corners.
and looLs whore world fancied y white
band pointiua toward the room whence
ca,,o ~. .,Iirlr ,,,isatin,r rraads
f,tt ,.,-,i ~, -, M ~ ,,,,, coll,
49, ~ Va ~
anu uei'i','DS WIN terror as oP5ileu my
dooF ana c''agu ~ ho,7eI.'-SIy peh'ld me.
/ crept - Aeil@ $ door ana knocked sort
". NO answer CAME h"ocheo again
loudly TINS 'lIue.
who's thatE' she cried.
once more / knocked without replying. !
felt some way, that if / answered She
would command me to 80 and leave her
could not return in the darkness to that
pointing hand. I must see this woman.
felt that some strange power within me