The Portland daily press., 1894-08-09

|
ed chair--a chair SO old, SO broken, so tot
tering, it was miracle that it could hold
itself together with him astride it.
Jacques was always there astride of his
old chair trying to trace through the thin
partition the goings and comings of his
| pretty neighbor. As the blind by touch
alone gain an adequate knowledge of the
form of objects, the, young artist by the
| rustling OF Charlotte's dress against the
| furniture, by the distance and approach
| of her STEP by her silence even, had arriv-
ed at a sense of seeing her which was al
! most as good as visit with her face to
| face. NOW she is setting the table"
"She dimes. "She has finished now"
'She is sitting down" ''She sews."
Sometimes, always on horseback in his
| chair, his observatory as he called it,
he would shut his eyes and commence to
dream.
s'Of what does she Think Does she i'm
agine that am here? If she only knew
how love her''
He was tempted to make a noise, to call
attention to himself by some folly, but
the fear of her displeasure restrained him.
He preferred that no one should know
how he loved her rather than to know
himself that he had forever lost her.
He built romances also. sit is impos-
si1sle that she should not think sometimes
sf me. She knows that 1 exist; that I
live beside her. When she enters opposite
my door, which Is always partly open, she
must see that there is a light in my cham
Der. She must have some curiosity-all
women have She ought to ask what I
do-if I never go out? Perhaps she has
OWNED, notwithstanding my awkward
ness, that love her. Perhaps she is wait
ing for me to declare myself, and seeing
that dare not go forward perhaps it will
be she who will take the first step. Some
day she will leave her work, and crossing
the landing she will gently push open my
door, and entering here, as in her own
room, she will say: Why do you not come?
See, have had to come to you Yes,
but it may be long time before she
comes. What can do to hasten her?''
And Jacques, always ON horseback on
his chair sought for the best way in which
to lead Charlotte to declare herself He
might slip tiny message beneath her
door. For time he thought of that.
But would she read that tiny message?
And even if she would read it, at the first
burning word she might tear it up. Could
he not make her speak to him through
third person? But who? They had no
common friend. No, all these things were
impracticable, and the only resource for
poor Jacques was to wait. But how long
time should he wait?
He was late tonight-very late Char
lotte, in her chamber at the right, was
plying her needle. She had decided that
she must finish at once piece of work
commenced so late that it must occupy her
until after midnight, and to keep herself
awake while working she sang. Jacques,
at her left naturally kept awake also, al
ways in the same position, and mechan-
ically keeping time to the rhythm of the
songstress When the song was slow, all
went will, but when the cadence became
more animated Jacques excitement be-
came vertically dangerous, and the poor,
yacillating chair found itself subjected to
gymnastic performance beyond it's means
of resistance.
Most of the modern repertory of songs
were reviewed within the other room
Jacques heard Faust's
Oh, if he were thereI
"But he is here!' he was upon the point
OF calling, but he controlled himself He
also heard '.Rigoletto' and "Trovatore''
and 1.-The Barber of Seville"
AS the hours passed Jacques, who had
never enioved anything SO much, did not
for moment relax his attention to the
concert which was given him. Little by
little, however, Charlotte was becoming
fatigued. Her song was less vibrant. Each
note had less force. In place of grand airs
as at first, sung from the beginning to the
end, succeeded bits of interrupted verses,
and the clear brilliancy of the voice was re-
placed with more gentle modulations. Ro-
mances and dreams took the place of car
OILS and dances. 1t was no longer the en-
PERTAINING Carmen nor the coquettish Ro-
sine. 1t was saddened Mereille and mourn
ing Ophelie. Jacques, always upon his
chair, was growing drowsy also, and he
slept now, hearing nevertheless the music
in his sleep and continuing to beat time
gently to Charlotte S measures. The young
girl was drowsy but she worked coura-
geously on. She resolved to overcome by an
effort the fatigue which beset her. To
rouse herself she attacked suddenly the |
air of a lively waltz, 1.-The Waltz of the |
Roses by Oliver Mira, at the sound of |
which every one, whoever he may be, turns |
and puts his feet in motion. jacques was
dreaming now, and he dreamed that he |
was waltzing The old chair could not |
luck or bad luck it made some last turns
with its proprietor; then, breaking in the |
effort, it emitted sinister and frightful |
cracking, stretching upon the floor it's I'M
horsed cavalier. 1t was terrible encoun- |
ter and made the very floor tremble.
Charlotte, frightened, uttered a cry. |
Tho one who did not cry was Jacques. 1t |
would have been difficult for him to do |
SO, for he had cut his forehead and lay in, |
sensible, just as he had fallen.
When Jacques came to himself the next |
day, he was stretched upon his bed with a /
compress upon his head. A woman was |
sitting near him in firm and solid |
chair and was watching him.
How is this? You here mademoiselle?"
''Why, yes. Last evening, after the |
noise you made in falling, believed that
some accident had happened, SO rushed |
in here. found you on the floor uncon-
scious. But you are getting along well |
now. All has been done that is necessary,
and in a few days there will remain only
a slight scar on your forehead. But, tell
me, how did you happen to fall in this
singular fashion with your chair?''
.Iacu1as could NOT answer hut ha co,,l3