The Portland daily press., 1895-06-05
gave sigh of relief as he closed the door

alSeady assembled. Only one came later
than 1. 1t was the handsome young Eng
lishman 1 had seen in the hotel corridor.
Dinner was served in large room that
opened out with bow windows on a terrace.
The night was warm and the easements
were flung wide to admit the breeze from
the cool, dark garden. About two courses
had been served when
Across the terrace, lighted by the pure
rays of the fall moon, the figure of a WON.
an dressed in a robe Of gauze confined
about the body by a heavy jeweled girdle.
We who sat opposite the window turned
tnstinctively to our host for an explanation
of the lovely vision, but the face of the
man at the end of the table wore an ex.
preston of perplexed surprise. Before we
had time to comment the figure reappeared.
% 1t is Egypta, the eastern dancer" ex.
claimed some one.
Without on the marble terrace stood the
graceful dancer, light as butterfly just
poised. Within the brilliantly lit room
was startled, bewildered company. Some
of the men had risen from their CHAIRS;
some were leaning forward on the table;
our host had walked few PAGES toward
the window. We looked at each Other
questioningly, and suddenly the true ma
ture of the vision flashed upon u.s. An in
describable sensation convinced us that the
woman on the terrace was not flesh and
blood. A few muttered exclamations were
heard; then there was absolute silence, and
the eyes of all were fixed upon the garden
with painful intensity. The dancer stood
still but for moment. Bowling to the
pale, attentive group within the room she
commenced to move her limbs and body
with peculiar swaying motion, thor
oughly eastern in character
She held in one hand champagne glass
of Venetian ware and to drink some liquid
from 1t seemed to be the motive of her
dramatic dance. With quick, tripping
step she whirled round and round, drink
ing apparently with the gayest intoxica
tion. Her gauze skirts flew about her 1.-THE
form, the jewels at her waist and on her
sandals sparkled, her arms cleaned white
ly, and the quickness of her motion blew
a confusion of dark hair across her face
and breast The climax of the dance was
the drinking of the liquid, and as she
raised the glass to her lips her eyes flashed
at us a sudden glance, SO direct and sig
nificant that several of the men caught
their breath and started involuntarily.
She threw her head back and seemed tc
drain the glass of the last drop. Then
still with graceful, rhythmic movements,
she went through an awful pantomime
clutching her throat and swaying to and
fro as though convulsed with the death
agony. The horrible play lasted only
minute. Changing again abruptly, the
dancer threw herself into merry whirl
and with disdainful, mocking fling and
a wave of the hand retreated from the ter
race into the shadows of the garden. A
white figure was still family visible, and it
seemed to me she beckoned My limbs
were cold and stiff, but with kind OF
clumsy plunge I stumbled out on to the
terrace and across the grass. The gleam
ing wrath melted away. Before my eyes
all was darkness. I thought heard the
words:
All is not over" And through the all
came swiftly champagne glass. 1t broke
into thousand pieces as It touched the
ground, and the quantity twisted stem was
all that remained. 1 picked it up and
went back to the terrace, where host and
guests were all standing, with the excep-
ton of one man-the young man whom ]
had seen in the hotel. He was still sitting
by the table, leaning back in his chair, his
arms hanging beside him, his terrified eyes
fixed upon the window He looked at me
as entered, and without any conscious
thought or purpose walked up to him and
laid in his hand the bit of glass.
1t has gone hard with you,' said some
one to him, giving him some brandy.
We were all terribly shaken. Some lin.
gered by the windows, some walked rest
lessly about the room. Gradually compo-
sure returned. We seated ourselves at the
tables. and the business of dinner recon-
menced, enliyened by a disjointed, nervous
conversation. In a quarter of an hour
young cousin Of our host dropped in. He
had just come from the Imperial Music
hall and could think of nothing but a
scene he had witnessed there.
"Uncommonly sad,' he said, pausing
for greetings. "By Jove, feel all broken
up. | went down to see Egypta, you
know at the name the eyes of all pres
ent turned quickly to the speaker-''a
pretty girl, and, by Jove, dancer" He
poured out some wine and went on, look
ing at our host. "She brought out new
dance this evening" champagne dance
whirled around drinking the stuff with all
sorts of pretty filings and turns. Set the
house just wild, applause laundering, you
know. She danced again for the encore
and just at the end she was taken with
convulsions-heart failure, the doctors
said She died. Most shocking thing. BY
Jove it was sad. So sudden, you know
One of the guests groaned, and, rising
staggered from the room. Whether the
eastern woman who loved him tortured
him further do not know. He died
within few weeks. think it was poison
she drank that evening, whirling about in
mock gayety. She was dancing conscious
ly wild dance with death. She had
threatened that she could go and could re-
turn, and I believe she knew that after
death she would be able to reappear on
earth. She was conscious that she pos
sessed the power of making the elements
serve the spirit.
"And why cannot all possess that pow
err" murmured the dark eyed girl, and
thowing her shawls impatiently aside she
walked to the edge of the deck and gazed
into the black, fathomless water.-Argo-
naut.