Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-11-09
4 MID LOVE
BERTHA M. CLAY.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
were clasped round his neck when he
entered there; and he knew that the
grew like living flames; her heart
the beautiful woman whose face had
suddenly grown pale as his own.
The air had grown like living flame
to Leone; the pain which stung her
was so sharp she could have cried
aloud with the anguish of it. 1t was
well nigh intolerable to see his arm
round her, to see him draw her fair
face and head to him, to see his lips
seek hers and rest on them. The air
grew like living hanmes; her heart
bat fast and loud; her hands burned.
All that she had lost by woman's in
trigue and mans injustice this fair.
gentle woman had gained. A red
mist came before her eyes; a rush,
as of many waters, filled her ears. She
bit her lips to prevent the loud
AMI bitter cry that seemed as though
it must escape her.
Then Lord Chandos fastened to
place a chair for her, and tried to drive
from her mind all recollection Of the
little incident.
You are looking for some music,
madame" he said, from which may
auger the happy fact that you intended
to sing. Let me pray that you will
not change your intention.
Lady Chandos asked me to try her
piano." she said shyly.
II told Madame Vanira how sweet
and silvery the tone Of it is, Lance,
said Lady Chandos
And again Leone shrunk from hear
ing on another womans lip the word
she once used. 1t was awkward, 1t was
intolerable; it struck her all at once
with sense of shame that she had
done wrong in even allowing Lord
Chandos to speak to her again. But
then he pleaded so, he had seemed SO
utterly miserable, so forlorn, so hope
less, she could not help it. She had
done wrong in allowing Lady Marion
to make friends with her; Lady
Marion was her enemy by force Of cir
cumstances, and there ought not to
have been even one word between
them. Yet she pleaded so eagerly
it had seemed quite impossible to re-
sist her.
She was reused from her reverie by
the laughing voice Of Lady Marion
over whose fair head so dark a cloud
hung.
Madame Vanira," she was saying
TASK my husband to sing with you
He has beautiful voice, not deep
rolling base, as one would imagine
from the dark face and tall, stalwart
figure, but rich, clear tenor, sweet
and silvery as the chime Of BELLS"
Leone remembered every tone, every
note of it. They had spent long hours
in singing together, and the memory
of those hours shone now in the eyes
that met so sadly. A sudden, keen
passionate desire to sing with him
once more came over Leone. 1t might
be rash-it was imprudent.
Mine was always a mad love-" she
said to herself, with a most bitter
smile, ut might be dangerous-but
once more"
Just once more she would like tc
hear her voice float away with ais
She bent over the music again-the
first and foremost lay Mendelssohn's
beautiful duet, "Oh, would that my
love" They sang it in the summer
gloamings when she had been pleased
and proud to hear her wonderful voice
float away over the trees and die in
sweetest silence. She raised it now
and looked at him.
"Will you sing this?" she asked; but
her eyes did not meet his, and her face
was very pale.
She did not wait for an answer, but
placed the music on stand, and then
-ah, then-the two beautiful voices
foated away, and the very air seemed
to vibrate with the passionate, thrill
ing sound; the drawing-room, the
magnificence OF Stoneland House, the
graceful presence OF the fair wife
faded from them. They were together
once more at the garden at River
View, the green trees making shade
the deep river in the distance.
But when they had finished, Lady
Chandos was standing by, her face
wet with tears.
Your music breaks my heart" she
said; but she did not know the reason
why.