The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-08-02

"All this is too much for you. Shall
/ not close the doors and help you to
bed ?'
mo; not one door must you close.
Not one. Open them wide, wider. Let
me hear more. 1t was this night sixty
years ago, and We were in Florence.
met Philip there, but il was too latel
He painted my picture and-and-you
know 1t. the one at the end of the gal
lery that is priceless because of the sig
nature 1t bears. But ali, fame as well
as love may come too latei He was
dead when the world knew a genius
had lived, He painted my picture. /
was like it sixty years ago in fair Flor
ence, aud I-you are right, Edith, the
music has gone to my head. Send
Hannah At twelve come back to me,
1 want you then"
The girl went reluctantly away Not
one of the fair faces behind the dainty
masks down stairs was fairer than hers
Not a voice was softer, nor form more
graceful. But she was not of these.
Fate or chance or providence, or what
ever unseen power it is that directs or
DEGREES the destinies of mortals, had
drifted her life alongside Miss Annes-
ley's, and she was giving her youth and
strength for the food and shelter that
would enable her to live on and grow
old. Fifteen years ago Miss Annesley
had gone on 8 journey, and she had re-
turned with child, little, shy, quiet
girl, with big brown eyes and close cut,
reddish hair. And the child had made
a place for herself Not friend, not serv-
ant, not anything but Edith. And the
years had erept past them, bringing
the changes that make life.
She raised the lace slightly and look
ed laughingIy at him ''You wouldn't
know me if the lace were quite gone"
she said.
"But want TO; may I?'' he said, ea-
gerly.
She shook her head. "No. live so
far, 50 UNNECESSARILY far from all this"
"Are you little nun escaped from
the convent over in the city, or being
from another world ?p he asked. "Be-
cause"
THAT is it. l am being from an
other world, she laughed.
"And it is in my dreams that have
seen you," he said.
Really" with pretty retrospective
air, 81 do not recollect appearing in
any of them"
''But would you know? Really. the
people of your world are very provok-
ing. And alas, that is true of the peo-
pie of minel see the girl who whee-
died me into asking for the next waltz
looking this way. When / can get
away from her, will you let me find
you here?n
"But how shall know"
''The waltz you gave me-the waltz
Of waltzes it shall be to me forever-I
will order that again. You know it?
All, you remember too When you
hear it, come, please and then he left
her.
What dream Of beauty it wasl An
hour ago she watched the rockets from
her dormer window, all alone. And
now she was in the very heart of the
merrymaking. She danced and chat
ted and laughed, small bright thing
with film of rare old lace across her
face and aquaint rose-strewn gown and
small high-heeled slippers. And then
she stole away to the aleove to wait-nO,
he was waiting for her!
"You have come. | have been watch
ing you for hours and hours. What
are you? A picture stepped from its
frame, the spirit of some fair dead
dame, real fiesh-and- blood girl ?"
"All three" she laughed, and then
her heart stood still. The clock on the
stairs began to strike.
sit Is twelve II the witches hour.
With the last stroke you must take the
lace away"
She knew the old hall. At the back
of the aleOye was a door. Could she
reach it?
"a fan, please. On the table-get
one for me-" Slowly the heavy strokes
beat through the music. When he
brought the fan she was gone. On the
rug lay small slipper. Laughingly
he tucked it in his pocket.
The house was dark. At the street
corners the fires were dying sullenly.
Now and then lonely rocket swept
the sky. Once in while a loud explo-
sion rent the silence. The Fourth was
again thing of the past.
With a little white slipper in his
hand, Philip stood in his room. 81
wonder who she is? What tiny foot!
And the little hand-surely do know
her, and yet Does q man in this pro-
sale age fall in love after such romantic
fashion? And yet-yes, 1 want to find
my little Cinderella. must know
her."
He turned the shoe over Had he
seen Ii before?
1t was then that Hannah came to
him with tidings that put the merry
making out of his mind.
''Come sir, come quick! Such sight
as is waiting. 1t is Miss Berta, sir, go
ing, going ct lastE'
Silently be followed her.
In her chair sat the wee, worn old
woman, her face CHASTITY, her eyes glsz-
ed, her hands clutching some yellowed
papers.
''Philip, I saw my spirit tonight l
crept all alone to the stair and looked
down, crouching there, and / saw you
with my spirit, and there was the light
of love in your eyes, and now there is
no longer any reason why this old body
should live on. am satisfied, but not
sorry, Philip, not sorry. Love has pre-
vailed"
The voice ceased, the eyes closed, and
that was all. Philip raised the wee
form and laid it tenderIy on the cano-
pied bed. Hannah gathered up the pa
pers and gave them to Edith. In the
morning when few friends were gath
cred in the old house she carried them
to Philip. He sat alone in one of the
small parlors-