The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-17
A MOONBEAM.


never known her TO act Ike that before;
she was usually cool self possession Per
sonifed-
Frau Hortense, what Is the matter
with yous''
She was herself again. ssOh, nothingl
By the way, do you ike Beethoven"
Beethoven? Oh, yes; pretty well -
Her hands wandered over the keys, and
long, soft tones crept from under her I'm
gers He was more puzzled than ever
What could possess her to act SO strangeIy2
He simply could not understand her. Two
minutes earlier she was the woman whom
he knew, as she had always been, merry
and full OF fun, but altogether free from
Ehims, whereas row
He did not dare to interrupt the music,
and his bewOnderment went on steadily
increasing. Ofenbach's, Lecoque's and
Strauss was the kind of music he had
heard her play before, and he had thought
that such was the reflection of her own
self; that she knew no other. He had
never dreamed of her playing Beethoven,
least Of all that mag Eincent, soulful adagiO
movement. And how perfectly she was
rendering it She put her heart and soul
into it But therel To think of earth and
soul in connection with her was too fool
ish Like everything size did her render
ing of Beethoven was, he tried to persuade
himself, tricke-y. She was a clever actress
that was all-in music as in everything
her beauty her y1Yaclty, and now she was
using music merely for the purpose Of en-
claiming him more thoroughly, if that
were possible, ard it was all done to graf
ify her love OF pow er. It was cool calcula-
tion arI nothing more, for she had no
heart. The very idea was ridiculous. She
was only a dangerous siren
Still he listened with bateG breath, and
as the twilight deepeued into darkness the
spell grew more and more powerful.
Would he ever see her again9 Not likely.
But-but even II it should happen he
would never allow any declaration Of love
to pass his lips; not if his heart should
burst, for if he should so far lose control
over himself she would be sure to laugh at
him, as she laughed at every thing and ev-
cry body serious He had come TO bid her
yoodby, and ne had to confess to himself
that he had softened almost to the point Of
declaring his love. But just at that mo
ncnt she had laughed at him and had
looked 1nockingly at him with her beauti-
full gray eyes
Really, are you going to leave me? Are
you sure that is no mere speech for effect?
How nice it will be for you, won t it?''
At which he had rcgained mastery over
himself, and then they had laughed to-
gether as they always did when he called
They had never exchanged a serious word.
Sac joked and he jOked, and by the time
that he was stroIling along the bouleyards
in Paris she would have almost forgotten
him. while to him she would be only a re
mbrance-a beautiful remembrance, as
Otto BisInorck cZcelleutly says-bu1 still
only remembrance
And still the room was filed with the
soft, sweet tones which welled from the
piano. It had grown dark. Nothing could
be seen except the white keys with her
hands floating over them and the head o.
the J uno il the corner
wondered why he was so moved. Was it
really she2 How rcOtionless she sat therel
What music her fingers madei No, it was
net the woman he had known. i trans
formation had taken place
Suddenly 1t occurred TO him that he had
perhaps been misjudging her. It was at
least possible. even If difficult to imagine
Supposing that her light. fiippant gayety
was only mask under which the real
woman was disguised He himself had
worn a mask Like her, he seemed to be
what he wos not Ee had pretended to be
a scofer, for modern society demands that
all real feeling and emotion be concealed.
Ii ones real self is seen, it is in danger of
being ridiculcd- II might be that she had
only mirrored him. 1t might be that she,
too, had serious thoughts which she feared
to expose to ridicule. Why should she
treat him, q scoffer, earnestly2 And still his
heart was chilled and his lips were closed
by the fear of her scornfuI laugh. Her
laugh How Inaddeningly Inocking 1t wasI
And 4 recollection flashed across his
mind. He had made her acquaintance in
the isle OF Wight during the previous sum
Iner. One day they were standing before
the emerald green st. Catherine From
the summit OF the hill the ruins looked
down upon them All around was holy
quiet 1t seemed as if nature were hiding
her deepest, purcst thoughts IN the rich
stiffness A. usual she began joking and
scofing. Suddenly from the hilltop came
the echo of her laugh It sounded sacri-
legious, and she shrank back startled
And again he wondered II he could have
been mistaken in his judgment of her
Dared he tell her what his heart prompted9
What was the truth about the woman.
The last sounds of the adagio melted
away into silence, and the room was still b
Suddenly she LETT the piano and stood be-
fore him.
surely you haven t been asleep. Now.
confess. really believe you were dozing."
Ecr voice sounded just as usual, and
that brought him to himself once more.
He quite disiIIusionized now What
had he been fOolishly dreaming? No, she
had rot altered at all. She was Just the
same as ever Her seriousness was only
one Of her many moods and was entirely
superficial
Sleeping I wish I could have slept
myself away into nothingness.
''Wouldn t you rather have dreamed?''
''No, L would rather sleep the ireanIess 4
sleep. 1 shall never sec you again Tozl
know we shall not meet after tonight, and
what viii my life be without your laughs''
She did not reply, nor did she laugh
The edge Of the thick, dark cloud was
beginning to take a silver tinge. The
moon had risen He had taken his hat,
and as he grasped her hand he said
''And now, goOtlby-'
It was his last hope As he could not
see her face, ne trusted that her hand
might tremble. But no, she was as self
possessed as ever. Once more he said very
gently, ''Goodby.''