The Washington times., 1895-01-27
The Dance With D6afh.

The Dance With D0afh.
There had gathered on the deck an oddly
social group Of strangers whom the voyage
had united in seeming intimacy. Their
knowledge of each other had begun on the
/ day of sailing snd would probably end on
| the day of arrival; but in the meantime.
hazard forced upon them superficial friend
| ship, brief acquaintance between port and
! port.
| 1t was night on the ocean, and perhaps II
was the immensity OF the round, uneontested
province OF darkness and the monotonous
sound Of the heavy waves that inspired the
minds OF the little company with a sense of
mystery. and caused their thoughts TO wander
( forth into the obscure realm OF the super
natural. Some one had just told ghost
story.
II love to have my blood run cold. don't
! you?'' said very young girl eon1dentialIy
/ to her neighbor; ''it is so nice and creepy TO
| listen to such things"
"oh. they are we'll enough, - he replied; "but
| nobody believes them"
| 1T is a thankless task, telling ghost
/ stories, said the r3conteur. laughing; lone
I neye, gets anything but scorn and suspicion
for ones pains. 1t is the only kind of liter
airy effort in which imagination is forbidden.
Now, l cannot swear that my tale is true. bat
[ l insist that it is just as good as if it were
Il would never tell a story of that kind
( unless it were true" said pale. dark-eyel
1 girl from the depths Of manifold wraps and
/ cushions.
/ Nor IT, said a man, turning with quick
\ interest toward the girl; "but would you tell
/ it il itwere true?'
''Perhaps." sh. answered. thoughtfuIly.
The conversation drifted on. and the man
/ returned TO his silent meditation, apparently
4 unconscious that the girls eyes were regard
I ing him with a longing curiosity.
/ ''1miGht tell you all story" he said, sud-
denly, waking ID from his absorption; ''oniy
/ have never toldit before, and am not sure
that you will find it interesting. 1t is true,
but like most true stories, it is only a frag-
ment. and there are gaps in it which must be
/ filed by guess-Work."
He is an old hand whispered one of the
party.
The very young girl declared delfgntedly
| TO her boy companion that she was going to
make herself believe every word of it, and all
settled down TO science. The man pulled his
rug up aud his cap down, and, looking out
! upon the mighty darkness that surrounded
| the tossing, vibrant ship. began:
! One evening. toward the end OF ths Lon
don season. l was dressing for dinner in my
I room az the Metropolis. l was somewhat
4 hurried and preoccupied. but / soon became
aware that an animated conversation was
going on in the adjoining room. The words
did not reach me, but there was something
I in the voices Of the speakers thst gave me an
uncomfortable sense of assisting at painful
| crisis.
sSome ones mauvais quart d'heure." I
! said to myself lightly, feeling, however. a
kind of selfish resentment at the intrusion
upon my notice of the small portion of
| humanity's suffering. The voices OF both
| speakers were young, but formed an odd
| contrast. The woman's contralto was musi-
| cal and changeful, while the mans heavy
bass an infexible. unframed instrument.
! When he spoke it was in short. abrupt sen
| fences. He seemed TO have little to answer
! to her eager discourse now gently persua-
sive, now in q tone of stern menace. Her
voice was low, never raised in vulgar en-
phasis but it was sinGularly expressive of
/ her em otions. The first words that came to
my ear were his, in a tone OF sullen, dogged
| reSistance:
But tell you it is all over
She answered very camly and so slowly
that 1 heard even her pretty foreign accent:
''You do not mean that. You are boy.
| ALI is not over with word."
| What came next did not hear She went
on more rapidly, from time TO time, eliciting
from her companion gruf, determined
I
| became audible TO me:
! II wonder you are not afraid of me. You
do not even dream of my power. And yet
have told you hundred times that am not
/ like you; / have other senses. other knoYl-
| edge. l belong to nation that lives near TO
the sun. 1 know the secret of life; can go
and can return. You are too daring; YOU
would best beware"
"Oh, drop all that, he said, with slightly
scornful, but not nlnatured laugh. at
won't work with me. Upon my SOUL you are
a nice little thing, and | would keep you If
could; but don't you SEQ And his voice
sank into an arguGentative strain.
She made no answer. but 1 heard her say,
as though speaking to herself: "How did it
ever happen that L should fall in love with
such stupid Englishman-blunt, dull. blind.
deaf 1t is inconceiyable. Tn etre inferieur.
and yet-a god"
She paced the room with quick steps.
Tho conversation, when resumed was ear
ried on in low tones; for q time did not dis
tinguish the words.
At last the man said, with unmistakabIe af-
fection:
Aren't you going to say good-by to me?'
-"Of course, if you wish' she replied. "I
forgot you do not expect TO sea me again"
AS I-stepped out into the hall the door uext
mine opened, and young man came out.
He was between twenty-one and twenty-five
years OF age, a tall, straight-featured Saxon.
He gave sigh OF relief as he closed the door
behind him.
| / had been invited to dinner, and when l
arrived at my hosts the other men were al
ready assembled. Only one came later than
/; it was the handsome young EngIishman
had seen in the hotel corridor. Dinner was
served IN a large room that opened out with
bow windows on 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 full moon, there passed. with a gliding
movement, the figure OF woman, dressed in
robe of gauze confined about the body by a
heavy jeweled girdls. We EAo sat opposite