Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-09-19

Y
all! so very different from the love
stories of selfish humanity! The ex-
quisite poetic idyl Of birds life and
love. Is it not thing to put us inferior
creatures to shame? For are we ever
as true to our vows as the lark to his
mate? Are we as sincere In our
thanksgivings for the sunlight as the
merry robin who sings as blithely in
the winter SHOWS as in the flower-flled
mornings Of spring? Nay-not we!
Our existence is but one long. impo-
tent protest against God, combined
with an insatiate desire to get the bet
ter of one another i'll the struggle for
base coin!
Nina listened-and shivercd, draw
ing her light scarf more closely about
her shoulders.
II hate them!' she said pettishly;
"their noise is enough to pierce ones
ears. And he used to be so fond of
them; he used to sing-what was 1t
''Ti salute, Rosignuolo,
Mel tue duolo, it salute!
Sci PANAMA della rosa
Che morcndo 81 ia spOsa!'
Her rich voice rippled out in the air,
lkNSAhE VIC SoASsS VI IAS
themselves. She broke off with q
little laugh
Poor Fabio! there was always a
false note somewhere when he sang.
Come, Guidov'
And they paced on quietly, as though
their consciences We're clean-as
though no just retribution logged
their stcps-as though no shadow of a
terrible vengeance doomed in the
heaven Of their pilfered happiness!
watched them steadily as they dis
appeared in the distance-I stretched
my hand eagerly out from between
the dark boughs and gazed after their
retreating figures till the last glim-
mer of my wife's white robe had van
ished behind the thick foliage. They
We're gone-they would return no more
that night.
l sprang cut from my hiding place.
stood on the spot where they had
stood. 1 tried to bring home to myself
the actual truth of what had wit
messed. My brain whirled-circles of
light swan giddily before me in the
air-the moon looked blood-red. The
solid earth seemed unsteady beneath
my feet. Almost doubted whether
was indeed alive. or whether I was
not rather the wretched ghost Of my
past self, doomed to return from the
grave to look hopelessly upon the loss
and ruin of all the fair, cnce precious
things of bygone days. The splendid
universe around me seemed no more
upheld by the hand Of God, no more q
majestic marvel; it was to me an in
f0faH h111,h1o aF I,oyI
for devils to kick and spurn through
space! OF what avail these twinkling
stars. these stately leaf-laden trees,
these cups of fragrance we know as
flowers. this round wonder Of the eyes
called nature; of what avail was God
himself. l wildly unused, since even he
could not keep one woman true! She
whom l loved-she as delicate of form
as angel-like in face as the child
bride of Christ, St. Agnes-she, even
she was-what? A thing lower than
the beasts. 4 thing as vile as the yilest
wretch in female form that sells her.
self for n gold piece. a thing-great
heaven.-for all men to despise and
make light of-for the finger of scorn
to point out-for the foul Kissing
tongue of scandal to mock at! This
creature was my wife-the mother Of
my child! She had cast mud on her
soul by her own free will and choice
she had selected evil as her good-she
had crowned herself with shame
willingly, nay, joyfully; she had
preferred it to honor. What should be
done: l tortured myself increasingly
with this question. I stared blankly
on the ground; would some demon
spring from it and give me the answer
l sought? What should be done with
her? What should be done with him,
my treacherous friend, my smiling be-
trayer? Suddenly my eyes lighted on
the fallen rose leaves-those that had
dropped when Guides embrace had
crushed the flower she wore. There
they lay on the path, curled softly at
the edges like little crimson shells. I
stopped and picked them up; placed
them all in the hollow Of my hand
and looked at them. They had a
sweet odor; almost l kissed them; nay,
nay, could not; they had too recently
lain Cd the breast OF an embodied lie!
To Be CONTINUED