The Portland daily press., 1895-06-05
EGYPTi'S DANCE.

social group of strangers whom the voyage
had united in seeming intimacy. Their
knowledge of each other had begun on the
day of sailing and would probably end Oh
the day of arrival, but in the meantime
hazard forced upon them a superficial
port and port.
1t was night on the ocean, and perhaps
it was the immensity of the round, uncon-
tested province of darkness and the mo
notonous sound of the heavy waves that in
spired the minds of the little company
with a sense of mystery and caused thei,
thoughts to wander forth into the obscure
realm of the supernatural. Some one had
just told ghost story.
81 love to have my blood run cold, don't
your" said very young girl confidential
ly to her neighbor ut is so nice and
creepy to listen to such things"
"Oh, they are well enough" he replied,
"but nobody believes them. y
''It is a thankless task, telling ghost
Stories" said the raconteur. laughing.
Zone never gets anything but scorE and
suspicion for ones pains. 1t is the only
kind of literary effort in which imagina
ton is forbidden. Now, cannot swear
that my tale is true, but I insist that it is
just as good as if it were"
81 would never tell story of that kind
unless it were true" said pale, dark
eyed girl from the depths of manifold
wraps and cushions
"Nor ], said man, turning with quick
interest toward the girl. but would you
tell it if it were truef"
Perhaps" she answered thoughtfully.
The conversation driftcd on, and the
man returned to his silent meditation, ap
parently unconscious that the girls eyes
were regarding him with longing curl.
osity.
II might tell you all a story" he said
suddenly, waking up from his absorption,
"only have never told it before and am
not sure that you will find it interesting
1t is true; but, like most true stories, it is
only a fragment and there are gaps in it
which must be filed by guesswork.' -
tHe is an old hand" whispered one OF
the party.
The very young girl declared delightful
ly to her boy companion that she was GO.
ing to make herself believe every word OF
it, and all settled down to silence. The
man pulled his rug up and his cap down,
and, looking out upon the mighty dark.
ness that surrounded the tossing, vibrant
ship, began:
One evening" toward the end of the Lon
don season, was dressing for dinner in
my room at the Metropole I was some
what hurried and preoccupied, but soon
became aware that an animated converse
tion was going on in the adjoining ROOM
The words did not reach me, but there was
something in the voice of the speakers that
gave me an uncomfortable sense of assist
ing at a painful crisis.
Some ones mauvais quart d'heure,
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 woInan's contralto was mu
sical and changeful, while the mans heavy
bass an inf1eXible unframed instrument
When he spoke, it was in short, abrupt
sentences. He seemed to have little to an
swer to her eager discourse, now gently
persuasive, now in a tone of stern menace
Her voice was low, never raised in vulgar
emphasis, but it was singularly expressive
of her emotions 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 calmly and so slowly
that heard even her pretty foreign accent:
"You do not mean that You are a boy
All is not over with you.''
What came next 1 did not hear She
went on more rapidly, from time to time
eliciting from her companion a gruff, d..
termined phrase. After awhile the 6iia
logue again 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. 1 have other senses,
other knowledge. 1 belong to a nation that
lives near to the sun. I know the secret
of life; I can go and can return. You are
too daring; you would best beware"
ooh, drop all that" he said, with a
slightly scornful, but not i'll natured laugh.
sit won't work with me. Upon my soul,
you arc a nice little thing, and would
keep you if 1 could, but don't you see''-
And his voice sank into an argumentative
strain.
She made no answer, but heard her
say, as though speaking to herself: "How
did it ever happen that should fall ID
love with such a stupid Englishman-
blunt. dull, blind, deaf. 1t is inconceiva'
BILE. Un etre inferieur, and yet-a god. p"
She paced the room with quick steps.
The conversation, when resumed, was
carried on in low tones. For time did
not distinguish the words.
AT last the man said, with unmistaka
BILE affection:
,'Aren'tyo going to say goodby to mef'
"Of course, if you wish, - she replied!
II forgot you do not expect to see me
again"
AS stepped out into the hall the doc.
next mine opened, and a young man came
out. He was between 81 and rs years of
age, a tall, straight featured Saxon. He