People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-12-20

ward. She was still standing there a
slim, dark figure against the patch OF
sky.
"0h, my love, God bless you," he
whispered.
And through her ears kept ringing
non Ii ScOrdar dt mel"
Five years later. The curtain at
the Grand opera house in Paris rose
on as fire an audience as had ever as
sembled within its walls. In one Of
the boxes on the grand tier sat three
gentlemen. One, tall bronzed, SOL
dierly man, noticing many glasses
being leveled at an opposite box,
lifted his lorgnette and looked across
the stage.
A lady with little coterle of ad-
mirers had just entered. She wore
some soft, silken dress, all aqua
marine and silver. There were water
lilies in the golden hair and emeralds
on the white neck. A childish face
for all its pride, and that peculiar
poise of the head A face with lumin-
GUS blue eyes, a snowy, stately throat
and cheeks just dashed with rose.
WHO is she?" Max Marsden cues
toned breathlessly.
C"Ma foil" cried a vivacious little
Frenchman, you do not know? She
is a compatriot of yours-la belle
Americana. Her name is Lester
Mademoiselle Lester"
"Ah." And then, after a pause,
"Who is that ge ntleman leaning over
her chair?"
"Ah, that is Savagneau, answered
a member Of the American legation.
THE comte de Savagneau. He is
heir to half dozen princely estates,
and is mademoiselle's devoted slave.
But she will have none of him. She
is beauty and an heiress, and half
Paris is mad about her. But one
might as well adore a statue. No
marble is colder than She"
Max Marsden, the celebrated Jour.
nalist, the literary lion of the day,
looked with keen eyes across to that
dainty vision with water lilies in her
hair. Dreamily he murmured a few
lines of Meredith's:
She was there, and was here,
And the glitterins horseshoe curved be.
tween
What the deuce are you mumbling,
Marsden?" demanded the attache.
Never mind" CURLY.
He was thinking of that other
night when together they heard
81 Trovatore. 1t was the same
opera tonight, but how differently
she listened now, languidly, almost
inattAntively, leaning back in that
graceful way of hers.
During the last act she arose and
gathered her rich wrap around her
All the pretty bloom had faded from
her cheek.
Half an hour later Max Marsden
stood in her hotel
When Mile. Lester arrives say
that an old friend Graves a moments
audience"
Mademoiselle, trailing her sheeny
silks and laces along the corridor.
paused in amazement at the message.
Then she bowed YEARLY and passed
on to the grand saloon.
Max" she cried Max"
Her face was TRANSPORTED. She
held our both hands in her old frank.
fearless way.
He caught them tightly in his own.
All his soul was in his eyes as he
looked on the lovely lifted face. Just
one glance. And over brow and cheek
and white throat famed rich color.
Cora" still holding her little
hands in his own and speaking hoarse-
ly tonight has recalled the other
night-when | left you for your own
sake-because dared not stay. Per-
baps the music has made me mad, for
am daring, oh, my love, to bring
you now the tribute l could not offer
five years ago"
For one moment she was silent.
Then she lifted those truthful eyes of
hers.
Max, l think that night my soul
awoie; for since then"-ah, me, the
womanly shyneSs that crimsoned her
cheeks-''for since then | have been
waiting"