The Van Buren press., 1895-09-21
the vibrating strings Austin looked

VIC vierating scrlngA Austin looked
up in momentary surprise Then he
sat spellbound while she played the
weird Romance" Of Svendsen's, once
heard, never forgotten.
he had heard 1t played by more than
one finished musician; but this was
different rendering. 1t was like the
despairing cry of . lusty swimmer
falling close to shore, or the wall of q
lost soul striving to escape from the
sea OF torture and driven by host
OF fallen angels In those strains he
read her heart plainly, as though
speech had passed between them; he
knew the bitterness of her life; he
saw the vista gray and barren before
her; and when the last notes died
away he learnt In a brief glance from
lda's eyes all the strange discords had
not confessed,
1t was but for an instant. For. In
the next, overcome by the strong ex.
element she had just experienced, the
bow slid helplessly from her nerveless
fingers and she tainted.
Symptoms of little moment in an
ordinary person might in her. case prog
nosticate the worst, and any new phase,
however slight, was at once submitted
to medical opinion. In the present in.
stance, as she failed to respond readily
to the customary treatment, Austin
hastened for his father while she was
carried to her room. She had over-ex.
cited herself with her mseslc was the
general explanation Of the seizure, and
this was what the doctor was told
when he answered the hastv summons.
In brief space, however, she yielded
to his restoratives, and before he left
the house she had dropped into sleep
quiet and natural.
For some time father and son went
homeward in silence. Then the doctor
asked abruptly:
docs Ida know you are going
away?"s i9fsast ie'l# aaf aB
II told her this evening"" Austin an.
swered, and in some confusion as he re-
called the way she had received ahe
news. Father. do you know"
"Ah! That accounts for It," said the
old man, as though speaking to him.
self. "Yes Do know whatP" =
"Well--I think that is, I'm afraid
that Ida -' He stopped short, for
the confession was alike tender and
humiliating. But his father, who had
feared such contingency well-nigh
from the first, understood what had
been left unsaid. Fa.a slz- q
~ know, Austin, know. But what
is to be doneP The friendship that you
have felt for her-that she believes she
has felt for you-has been the one
bright spot In her life. Seventeen
years old-and seventeen years Of per-
petual martyrdom. DO you know how
long ! give her to live?"
Il suppose that when she is twenty
one" Austin began, but the doctor
cut him short. ee sNg iHa#i..R
'Tf she lives TO see the spring." he
said, gravely, Il shall be surprised"
The young man was startled, even
shocked. There was silence between
them for few moments. Then the
doctor said, with hesitation:
"Austin, suppose you would not
think of putting off your visit to the
Harrisons? know Marian expects
you but think il she knew the pleas
urc you would be giving that poor
child whose days are numbered, she
would be the first to bid you stay. In
case like this there can be no ques-
tion Of disloyalty to her. And, Austin,
if you cantor Heavens sake let her
still believe that she has found the af.
fection she has craved all her life. The
deception won't be very long, and it
will comfort her more in her last
struggles than I-or the entire college
of physicians-could hope to do with
all the science that the world has ever
knowni"
Five weeks later, in Ida's bedroom q
thin ribbon of spring sunshine had
struggled through crevice of the
window blind and lay bright streak
across the floor. Outside, the garden
was cheerful with the song Of birds
and the rustling of leaves. Inside, sat
the little cripple propped up with pill
lows, her pitiful vitality burning itself
slowly away. -sfs.s.a.
She knew she was dying, but tho
knowledge brought her no fear. Per-
haps she believed that if eternity held
for her worse torture than she had yet
endured she had served on earth an
apprenticeship to pain long enough to
ri <o- - DorIo nc Arcfin Mar.
shalls companionship and sympathy
during the last few weeks were making
the end comparatively easy. At any
rate, when the door was opened quiet
ly and he looked in, violin in hand, she
gree ted him with grateful smile.
Like to have some music9' he
asked, cheerfully, though he was
panied to mark each day how her hold
on life was weakening. "What shall l
play?" =.
"Give me mine," she said, suddenly,
.'and we'll play together.
The violin lay, as usual, on the table
close by, but Austin hesitated.
"lf YOU really feel equal to the ex-
ertion," he began, and then, answer
ing the command in her eyes, he
passed it to her without another word.
With tremulous fingers she drew
her bow across the strings, and, recog-
nizing in the opening notes her favor
ite Lied" by Schubert, Austin softly
followed, and in moment was SO ab-
sorbed he scarce noticed how her bow
ing became gradually weaker, until it
faltered and stopped just before the
concluding bars. He looked up In sud
den apprehension. Surely her face had
not worn that strange gray shadow
just before?
"Ida. @lr ft