The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1898-05-20

said. 81 am sorry to give you so much
trouble, but if you could put me on the
track which leads TO Arnmore should
be infinitely obliged to you"
"Arnmore?" she said. 81 am going
there myself"
He smiled, embarrassed little.
"May l, be said, exchange my es-
cort for your guidance?"
Eyes, " she said. "Come with me.
We may as we'll keep each other COM
pany this lonely night"
And now an idea which had been
growing in his mind, vague idea of
recognition, became more clear and pre-
else. He had heard the voice before; he
was sure Of it. 1t seemed to him to
come from some time of the long ago
some time of which he had kept no
souvenir.
at seems a strange thing to say" he
said, "but l cannot help thinking we
must have met before. l am sure rec
ognize your voice."
Eyes, " she said, eve have met. You
would have recognized my face, too,
even in this mist, if l were not yelled.
l knew you at once. You are Charles
uarone."
"Will you not" he went on, sat
least put back your veil?. am sure l
should recognize you then and know
your name. Wherever we met before
it is strange enough that we should
meet again like this, at night on the
moor lost in the mist and you my
guide.
"Yes," she said, "it is strange. You
shall see my face, but not yet. Perhaps
you will remember without that. Tell
me. can you remember 20 years ago?"
Vaguely" he said. 81 was young
man then-a wild ass of the desert
But what have 20 years to do with it,
for unless my judgment is very wrong
you cannot remember 20 years ago?"
"Why not?" she said.
Because, he said, laughing, "you
cannot possibly be 20 years of age"
Never mind" she said. Twenty
years ago you did precisely what you
are doing now. You went away to
village to get some work DONE"
Every likely" he said. "That was
when L was up at Oxford. 1t is not i'm
possible, but l have no clear recollec-
tion of it..
She began to hum tune. The tune,
like the voice, came back to him.
81 remember now-an old mill, an
orchard behind it. was in the or
chard.
She raised gloved hand, in which
she carried some fast fading flowers.
'Smell these" she said, land they
also will help your memory"
Their scent was curious, harsh and
heavy; not sweet and refreshing
81 know" he cried "They grew
there all among the grass, those great
red poppies. Now 1 recall everything
and could even have sworn that you
were''-
"Who?" she asked softly.
Zone who 20 years ago had the grace
and the voice and the figure that you
have now.
Out of the gray mist came row of
low, white painted ratings.
''Let me rest little" she said.
She leaned against them. A stone,
dislodged by her foot, fell far down and
splashed in the water below.
"What was her name?" she asked.
GA strange name for an English
girl" he said sadly. "She was called
Antoinette. "
81 am Antoinette," said the woman
before him.
"But not the same" he said. "That
would be impossible"
She laughed.
"If," she said, "you had been wo-
man instead Of man, you would have
noticed, even in this light, that wear
the fashions of 20 years ago. Won't
you believe? Look at my face them"
1t was the face of the woman whom
he had more or less loved 20 years be-
fore. He shrank back a few steps from
her.
"What does it mean?'' he asked
"How is it that you have not changed?'
He was frightened.
81 came here" she said, "after you
had gone. 1t was just at this spot that
read your last letter. Listen.
He heard the water murmuring be-
low him.
1T was 20 years ago, she went on,
81 died-down there-because you had
left me. Come back TO me now"
Slowly and mechanically he stepped
forward again toward her.
The lamentable death of Charles Ma
rome while still comparatively young
and at the height of his reputation was,
the newspapers said, the result of acci-
dent. He had, in spite of warning,
gone out on the moor in a thick mist