Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-01-07

clothed in q long white robe, thrown
between two enormous rocks. She was
apparently dead and must have rolled
from her he'd on the ship into the sea.
"Her heart still beatsr' cried the
peasant The marquis commanded,
"Carry her to my house quickly and
wrap this cloak around her. i"
He was obeyed. In fact, the woman
still lived and after hours Of ingenious
labor opened her eyes.
"Ask her nothing" said Pontus.
''She is still too week and must sleep.
In the meanwhile the searohers con-
tinued from strand to 1trand, but moth
ing more was found. It was impossible
to tell what this vessel was which had
gone down in the near waters. French?
English? All mysteryi 1t had carried
its Gag to the depths Of the soa.
"The woman will tell u.s." said
Pontus. Aud the next day he went to
her bedside. She locked at him with
eyes hrRe, beautiful and clear, bat
empty Of comprehension. She was
Young and very pretty, with hands del
icately aud finely shaped. He asked her
where she came from, where she was
gcirg, who she was, in phrases gentle
ard courteous, for he was already
moved by her tragic beauty. She listen
ed without making a sign and did not
answer. He repeated his question, say
ing he troubled her only for ber own
good, She remained silent. and it was
evident his words conveyed nothing to
her.
"PeIhaps she doesn't understand
French" said friend.
"She understands nothing at all"
said Portus scGly. Il fear she has lost
her mind in the horror OF the catast-o-
pie. But it docs not matter. She has
fallen from heaven, and she g at home
here, mad or sane. God sent her TO me,
and will guard her," And he kept
his word.
DGys, rIopths, years, passed. Tho Tn
known lived silently, without wovGs
and apparently without thoughts. c 5
loved TO be out OF doors and mixed with
other people, seeming by all exterior
appearances to be ike them. At the
table Of the marquis, in tho family Of a
refined ancient race, she carried herself
with the grace and dignity of one ac-
cugtomed to similar world, and Pom
tus often said, "This child is O great
lady"
In spite of the most thorough investi-
, gntious not a ray Of light, even the
faintest, pierced the mystery. 1t could
} rot even be coujeotured what the boat
lost at the coast had been or who
this woman was who accepted placidly
tho care of strangers, showed neither
sadness nor JOY, had no desires and
lived uncousciously the life Of beau
t:iul white bird in a cage Of gold. Lit
tie by little the marquis grew attached
to her. His house was large, and he re-
fused to have her confined in hospital,
repeating that she was his charge and
sncred TO him above everything. And
sometimes when he watched her walk
ing III the park of the chateau Pontus
would grow very sad and murmur, If
this beautiful girl had soul, how l
would love herr And Pontus, who was
then in his thirty year, refused
obst;Dately to maIry-on account Of the
unknown.
And so be grew older, and with the
years came a deeper melancholy. How
ever, in his voluntary secluE;on there
was some sweetness. The woman seemed
to like to be near him, though her man
ner was like that of a pettcd animal
She ran TO him when she saw him and
looked at him with her clear eyes, in
which shOne fugitive light of recogni-
tioa aud devotion, but the next moment
she would run away again, often into
the woods, where she wandered about
all day, returning always ut dusk, for
she had great dread of the darkness.
One storny night in November sho
shuddered at the sound Of the wind from
tie sea and groaned softly, with her
hands clasPed to hey breast in an atti-
tude of deep sadness. A little later she
uttered hoarsc cry and fell to the floor
unconscious. 1t was just i 2 years since
she had come 10 lite in the chateau.
Pontus, very much alarmed, hurried to
the village for help. A doctor was sum-
moned and returned with him in great
haste. The patient was examined and
J the case diagnosed as quick consump-
, tion. She had carried the germs of the
fatal disease in her system for some
/ time. Pontus was in despair.
| One morning in the winter the un-
known passed quietly away in the arms
} of the marquis. AT the supreme moment
} the mysterious sick woman seemed to
regain her reason Euddenly. She looked
about with eyes frightened but compre-
} hensive, which seemed to say: "Where
J am !? Who are these men?' She opened
( her lips to speak at last in her native
: language, but death. jealous Of the
! mystery, sealed her tongue with his icy
, touch.
. The marquis, inconsolable, had en-
= graved on her tombstone the epitaph,
> "Tacita transit. "-Translated For Gin
D cinnati Tribune.
D Eli Green, John Green, Edward
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