The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-31

his arms and regarded her with Il tender
solicitudc, and as be did so Il light leaped
into his eyes which WAS reflected by IL
wonderfully responsive light in her eyes.
And the ocean with its ever restless surg
ing, the sun, the moon, the stars, tho
clouds, the universe, seemed to disap-
pear in Il glorious harmony of sounds,
vague, vibrating sounds.
Her arms crcpt around his neck, her
eyes flashed tho lightnings Of feminine
nature, and his answered with the thun-
derous force of manhood.
And then again he said with fretful
voice: FONDA, let us have the fourth
notch. Iwoary of all this active scenery.
1t is too nervous, too exciting. L yearn
for the calm again.
"No." And this time Fonda S answer
was firm with that strength which is
sometimes given to women when they
realize that they are being wronged.
mo, Waldorf. We have wandered
thus far, and now if you arc not satisfied
even after having discovered tho gran
deur of all nature, you never will be- If
you are not possessed of the love you
have sworn, and if you have simply
been amusing yourself by tasting the
different priceless wines of life, with no
idea of choice, except q shiftless desire
to SEQ everything and be nothing, tho
fourth notch | Will not burn with You,
nor shall you burn it either until You
learn contentment, consideration and IL
! few other things. And then with IA
sweet but heartbrollen smile she closed
the i'd of the golden box and left him
fHhn fio.-L. aud Il
years rolled by. At first he could not
find himself ut fault. 1t WAS all Fonda
! who was erroneous. Sho was foolish,
| willful child woman. She had chattcred
too much. She had displeasod him III
every way. He hated her. He could not
understand why ho had ever cared FOR
her at all.
And Fonda, while realizing how rest
less he had been with her through all
the scenes of their young life, romem-
bercd how his discomfort had made her
also discontinued, how his extreme
harshness or his extreme tenderness had
always been spasmodic and how cruel
his anxiety for now scenes, new things,
his cagerness for the world, his small
interest in her-all these she rcmem-
bercd, and so put aside with aching
thoughts her love for him. and tried to
welcome hate instead.
But after four years had passed away
Waldorf could stand the separation no
longer He returned to her Inundated,
softened, gentle and calm. He told her
that he could not 1.-Two without her, that
she must forgive his past harshness and
burn the fourth notch with him; not
that he desired to hurn it for fippancy's
sake, but that he thought that this time
1T might bind them nero closely to-
gether.
Waldorf, she said, the womanly
sweetness of her character banishing all
hatred and illumining her face with Il
soul light, "loyc, we have burned the
first notch. Did you realize what it
was?'
yes Fonda, it was our friendship, &"
he replied softly.
( and the second notch, Waldorf-do
You not remember how you said it would
be impossible to return to it, how you
hastened to leave it?' And she paused
for his answer, with tears in her eyes.
"Ycs, darling, our first love-" And
his hands clasped hers with firm,
strong pressure.
And the third, Waldorf-tho won
dcrful, seething, restless third?'
Yes, Fonda, the passion Of tho uni
verso was in that third
And still, Waldorf, you woro not
satisfied You left mo when l was
frightened at the roar of the ocean, yon
Were not there long to support my fears,
and so how would you he if | trusted
you and burned tho fourth notch?"
To this he made no reply but snatch
ing match from the little, gold casket
that she had placed near by on u table
he lit it,
Come" he said firmly and gently.
"Lookr'
Before them splashed fountains of all
colors, above them the ccstatic, harmo-
NOUS melody of :; thousand fluteliko bird
notes thrilled the air again. The trees
still murmured, the grasses still wills
perad, the butterflies still fluttered, the
flowers still doomed with gorgeous col
ors, tho ground bugs still hulnmed, lit
tic lambs gamboled around their moth
ers, III the distance the roar of the ocean
numbered against q beach, and near by
silYercd lake gIittored its tapping wa
tiers with a soothing sound. And above
and around and through all this there
came to the ears of these two the vital.
subtle, vast chords Of natures rhythmic
lifo melody-thc realization of happi-
ness complete the memories of the past,
! the content of the present.
Are you happy?" asked Waldorf
with exquisite tenderness of voice.
"Ah, yes, so much sol" she respond
ed. And you, Waldorf"
"1:' no said, hinging his head back
and strengthening his strong, young