Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-03-22
CHAPTER
4 "COnnIl cMcenlent."

spacious Salon was filled with the elite
of the city. i'Dotillsg main1nas were
there, duttering theil: 'nllatronly feath-
ers with pride and pleasure; solid
papas, whose, heamffinlg -.ccountenances
were shadotMSasd sMiit IL tsS me premonitory
suggestions of the madam's semi-an-
nual bills; sympathetic aunts, beneyo-
lent, .uncles. and .masculine cousins in
Vulnerable. !. :. So
For the madam's establishment was
patronized exclusively by. the creme de
Ia creme;. the. amadam's young ladies
were remarkable everywhere for their
stylish manners and elegant deport-
ment; the madam's diploma. embossed
In satin and mounted on sandal-wood,
was., as she proudly boosted, a pass
port, to the best society everywhere.
There were fifty figures, flultlessly-
arrayed in imported commencement
dresses, seated Oh the ca1peted stage,
that had been, temporarily erected for
With their elegant coiffures all in
the Same fashionable style, their elab-
crate dresses, Git: HI the same pattern,
their elaborate music, elaborate essays
and elaborate manners, the effect
might have been satisfactory, but was
slightly monotonous.
SOFA least, thought Herbert Give,
as, ensconced in Il remote corner of the
ROOM. he submitted, with polite resig
nation, to three hours classical en-
tertainment.' ..
eff they don't all look like the rows
of paper dolls Fan used to cut when
she was a little girl, there might be
some fun in picking out the pretty
ones;. but"
Mr.. Gives criticism was brought to
an abrupt termination, for at that mo-
ment young girl stepped out from
the ranks which seemed a direct con-
tradiction of his assertion.
Her simple white dress was devoid
of all ornament; the hair, Of a pale,
golden hue; was neither pulled nor
coiled. but rippled back from a low,
broad brow, and fell in wavy clouds to
her slender waist; her face, a pure
Grecian contour. was Of a transparent
whitcness, that it seemed no pain, nor
pride, nor pleasure could tinge with
life.
she took her seat at the harp, that
stood alone on 4 crimson dais, and at
the first touch Of her delicate hand
upon the strings, every whisper in the
room was hushed; all eyes We're
turned toward the fairy-like creature,
who could sweep the golden chords in
to such magic harmony--who could
wake the soul that sleeps within the
poets soul.
A wild, sweet prelude, very grateful
to ears weary of crashing overtures
and shrill choruses, foated through
the room for a moment, and died into
q low accompaniment. and then the
musicians voice arose in song whose
weird melody haunted Herbert Give
until his dying day.
"I'll bind thee with CHARM my love,
I'll seal thee with a spell,
That thou shalt love me more than
all
Shalt love me more than well
For all my dover is magic power
A power dare not tell!'
The pathos of the last two lines
seemed to Herbert Give indescribable.
They were like the moan Of some be-
ing cursed with unearthly powers that
separated it from human kind; they
were at once a cry of triumph and Il
wall of despair
t.For all my dover is magic power
A power I dare not tell!''
The song died into silence. A MUIR
muir of applause, admiration, and per-
chance Of relief. ran through the audi
seD<~: but the singer was not encored.
The emotions excited by her song We're
lot of the order agreeable to fashion
able society. There was heartbreak
in the tones. of which society scarcely
approved.
.'Who is she? puffed a stately dow
ager. near Herbert. as the young mu-
siciaa arose from the harp, and re-
turned to her place among her compan-
ions.
sI don't know. was her friends re-
ply. "a pretty little creature, but with
out any style. All. let me see. and,
with a second thought. the lady
glanced at her perfumed programme.
Ballad = original by Miss Sybll
Wraye.' That must be her name, then
--Sybil Wraye.'' 4
"Sybil Wraye.' That name brought
back some half-forgotton associations
to Herbert Give.
Fan had written something home
about the. girl. What was it? His sis
ters schoolgirl letters had in general
very little interest for him. He had
glanced over them carelessly, smiling.
perhaps, at some outburst of girlish
enthusiasm, and then (ungallant fel-
low twisted them into lights for his
cigars.
What was it Fan had written about
this Sybil Wraye? 1t was a strange
name, yet it seemed appropriate to
her.
And all through the remaining eXer-
cises Herbert Gives eyes were drawn.
as if by fascination, to that alabaster
profile. that, shaded by it's veil Of gold
en- hair, seemed to stand forth like
come exquisite carving from the
groups Of pretty. aristocratlc but
meaningless faces around 1t. Sybil
Wraye, who was she?
She seemed to have neither, father
mother nor friend among this gay atl-.
dience, when the graduates stood up
~ receive their diplomas. She alone
1vax without doral Offering from low
HN - = a :.