The Florence daily tribune., 1899-04-05
LADY MACBETH.

tain road no bad been ascending his
horse kicking and pluugmg dangerous
ly near him, his buggy like hinge bird
of evil omen hanging III the branches Of
tree above him. he was inclined to
think that his evil star was in the as.
condnnt This impression deepeued
From the darkness that floated nearer
aud nearer until it finally submerged
him he awoke to find himself surround
ed by physicians and his broheu leg
which they pronounced very serious
fracture, done in plaster
He survcyed it ruefully as the days
Went hy The star mounted higher His
mothers house party, the event of the
season, was at hand. There would bo
fishing parties, mountain parties, pic
mics, dances He ground his tepth at the
thought IL was his only relief lie lay
there handaRed, shorn Of his strength,
and watched the. star as il reached tho
zenith Suddenly it dropped down the
horizon. and tho room was flooded with
rosy hue She stood in the doorway
"a tall, distinguished girl, wearing
travelling gown aud hat of the most ap.
proved fashion He had heard of her ,ri
umphs abroad he knew she bad turned
the hearts and heads of Now York, that
owing to IA distant kinship his mother
had secured her for this house pnrty
that men ravod over her, although they
said she bad no soul-he knew all this,
and yet sbo came to his bedside and
greeted HIM in II pretty friendly fashion
and called him Reggie After that dny
,I,.r.
pectancy on the hoyish face us he watch
ed the door for her coming
The weeks wore deep into June Mrs.
Ridpath's house purity was to close with
fnuoy dress ball The iashionables for
miles around were invited Many and
frequent were tho discussions MS tn " hat
should and should net be worn Reggie
hoped 10 be present, but ON the after
noon of the dance, six weeks after his
accident, he was forced to give il up.
81 knew | wouldn't be able to dance
with YOU, Elizabeth, but | wanted to
sce the great throng move up tho stair.
way and watch yen receive mothers
guests, be said MS she sat talking to
him "Oh, am SO tired of i'll have
been chained here II thousand years,
- 1t won't be much longer. she said
soothingly
well, | want to dance with Lady
Macbeth petulently.. "How did yan
happen to choose her, Elizabeth My
but you viii be sloIiousl"
There was no miStaking tho admiru-
uun in his eyes
Elizabeth had IA genuine fondnoss for
the lad She looked at him with her
great soft eyes
IS a long story, Reg, one | have
never told any one," she answered.
with Il little smile, half sud, half merry
''Then tell me, he pleaded
Once, sne began, and there was Il
purpose in her kindness to him, $50
long ago that it seems like dream,
lived so quietly that | had never III NY
widest dreams imagined anything like
this ball we are 10 have tonight | had
never had party gown or been to n
dance IN my life The birds and all the
free wild things were my companions
One day young man was brought into
our little home with a fracture some.
thing like yours Forgive me, dear, but
for that reason | was interested in Won
from the tiIst | nursed him back to
health had never seen any one like
him before In the summer my boy
cousins sometimes spent month or two
with us, and l knew the village men.
but he was diffetent" tho girls ewes
rested ON the lilies rha, cleaned in the
garden below u have never forgotten
that summer. Reg, she said simplv,
and because of 1t men call me heartless
and cold ~
The boy tried TO speak Somehow his
voice sounded very queer But the girl
was talking again.
fou ask me why chose Lady Mac
beth One day n play was given in the
village near our home 1t was hardly a
play. either but Shakespeare's women
were given You need not smile so in
credulousiy We had been well trained
| coDtrivod dress like the one | in
tend to wear tonight My friend was
able to 20 with US Ifelt II little fright
ened as l locked over the sea of faces.
Then Just below me ON the front seat l
saw hlm There was little smile upon
his fare He had seen a good many
Lady Macbeths. you know When | had
Nn'sne"i 'heie WAS silence Tor mo-
ment then storm of applause shook
the 'house ! could not doubt my sue
cess. aud after 1t was over be came to
me He did not say much. but knew
had done we'll "
She looked down into Reggie's pale
face and answered the question in his
eyes.
No, my dear. we were not engaged,
but sometimes eyes say what lips dare