Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-10-24

swifter and more voluptrous emttson
into the vortex of the dancers. sYOu
tried to be cold, but I knew I could
make you love me; yes, love me pas
s~ionately, and / was right" Then,
with an outburst of triumphant van
ity, she added, II believe you would
die for me-"
l bent over her more closely. My
hot, quick breath moved the 1eathery
gold of her hair.
II have died for you" l said; II
have killed my old self for your
sake"
Dancing still, encircled by my arms,
and gliding along like q sea nyEiph on
moonlit foam, she sighed r~sstlessly.
Tell me what you mean, amor MO-
she asked in the tenderest tone in the
world.
All. God! that tender, seductive C
dence of her voice, how well | knew 1t.
how often had IT lWred away my
strength, as the tabled SIRENS song
had been wont to wreck the listening
mariner.
II mean that YOU have changed me.
SWEETEST l whispered in fierce, hur-
ried accents. 81 have seemed old: for
you tonight | will De young again; for
you my chilled blood shall again be
hot and quick as lava; for you my
bng-buried past shall arise in all its
pristine vigor; for you / will be a
lover. such as perhaps no woman ever
had or ever will have again"
She heard and nestled closer to me
in the dance. My words pleased her.
Next TO the worship Of wealth her de-
light was to orIs the passions OF
men. She was very panther-like in
her nature; her first tendency was to
devour, her next to gambol with any
animal she met though her sleek,
swift ~playfulneSS might mean death.
She was by nc means exceptional in
this: there are many women like her.
As the music of the waltz grew
slower and slower, dropping down to
a sweet and persuasive conclusion,
led my wife to her fauteUil and re-
signed her to the are of a dlstin-
guished Roman prince who was her
next partner. Then, unObserved, j
slipped out to make inquiries concern
ing yincenzo. He had gone; one Of
the walters at the hotel, a friend of
his, had accompanied him and seen
him into the train for AvellinO. He
had looked in at the BAH Don before
leaving. and had watched me stand
up to dance with my wife, then with
tears in his eyes," so said the viva,
cious little waiter who had just re-
turned from the station, he started
without daring TO wish me good-by.
| heard this information OF course
-ys4h nm M rDp+ly lfnII,- inIffFnr
ence. but in my heart | felt a sudden
vacanr-, a drear, strange loneliness,
With my faithful servant near me |
had felt conscious of the presence Of
n friend, for friend he was in his own
humble, unobtrusive fashion; but now
l was alone; alone in a loneliness be-
yOnd all conceivable compariS0n; alone
TO do my work without prevention or
detection. / felt, as ii were. isolated
from humanity, set apart with my vic
tim Oh some dim point of time. from
which the rest OF the world recedcd.
where the searching eye of the Crea-
tor alone could behold me. Only she
and | and God-theSe three were all
that existed for me in the universe;
between these three must justice be
fulfilled.
MUsingiy, with doWncaSt eyes, ! re-
turned to the ball room. At the door
a young girl faced me; she was the
only daughter OF q great Neapolitan
house. Dressed in pure white, as all
such maidens are, with a crown of
snowdrOps on her dusky hair, and her
dimpled face ALT with laughter, she
looked the very embodiment Of early
spring. She addressed me somewhat
timidly, yet with all a child's frank
ness.
us not this delightful? I feel as II
I were in fairyland. Do you know this
is my first ball?'
/ smiled YEARLY.
AYE, truly? And you are happy?"
"Oh, happiness is not the word-it is
ecstacy. How / wish it could last for
ever, And-is 1T not strange?-I did
not know l was beautiful till tonight"
She said this with perfect simplicity,
and a pleased smile irradiated her fair