The suburban citizen., 1900-01-20

beasts, and the haring flowers OF the
tropics, the sullen desert and the
hearts OF men. You, too, little
friend, would you like to be q star
and have all the beauty and misery Of
the whole world spread before you?"
b Was he in earnest? There was
something new in his manner. Oh,
was be in earnest? She did not
speak, only dropped her eyes to his
face and her upper lip quivered
slightly. Did he mean it? Strange
desires pressed upon her, the world
beyond the garden seemed calling as
the norman called his wife in poem
of Arnold that was still ringing in her
ears. She was outside the behavior
of custom now, troubled, yet glad.
cit is time" he continued simply;
"yes, it is time. l did not realize
that you had outgrown the lilies.
She could not keep the delight from
Ler face, but she did not speak, and
the Admiral waited as if for signal,
then spoke on into the summer night.
your mother was Julia Rayignon;
/ loved her, but she married a diplo-
mat, and 1 took up my career in the
navy. Everything came to me-
everything except forgettulnoss.
When 1 met her again years after in
Paris she was a widow, thanks to
rather irregular political intrigue in
volving the lives of more than one Eu-
ropean envoy. She was the same
brilliant, compelling creature-only
eyes that had grown keen with love
long unfed could read deeply enough
to find the change in her--the loss OF
those gentler qualities that soften
thrilling girl into a radiant woman.
She had preserved few illusions; per-
haps was the only one. She was
quoted and courted ana copied, but
in the spring she would marry me-
for love.
"That was winter to warm dead
summers by its memoryl We never
spoke of the years intervening or their
experiences; our fidelity was at least
no indiscretionl There must be a
God, in whose mind such Joy was con-
ceived and fulflled Coming home
from the opera one night, when only
a few weeks lay between us and our
marriage, q frantic runaway tore
through the crowded avenue, leaving
many a wreck in its deadly wake,
Julia was carried into q mere boule.
yard cafe and died in my arms; my
face 80 close to hers she never saw
the squalid surroundings of that last
holy hour-though L shall wear the
terror-stricken faces of the onlookers
across my eyes forever, heightened by
sad dreams. She knew me to the
last. 'Sereta, she whispered, keep
her safe from the world-my world
has not been always yours-love is
more than She smiled with her
soul, her lips were cold. Every haunt
held a stab for me tkere; from that
night the sight of her flowers on other
women turned me faint. shivered
when L met one of the gay crrclo Of
her devoted inner coterie; every mood
of passion returned to mock me now
the sight of other lovers made me fear
myself in my shattered condition OF
will and nerves. came home with
you, dear; life had given me all my
boyish hopes in manhood's measure.
/ never reached the high altar of my
holy of holies, but I have heard the
music of the great organ as stood on
the threshold.
cit was not until lately that real
lied the time had come to do more
than listen and wait. The blood OF
your mother is in your veins, too-we
will go soon, little friend, and make
acquaintance with the best of her
world and mine"
But Sereta's arms were crossed up
on her breast, and in q voice too sweet
for any mortal woman save her moth
er's child, she said, "I will not goP
At the end of an hours struggle, she
still persisted "I will not go. care
nothing for world that betrayed you
aud broke your heart-Iam not afraid
but 1 will not gol"
Samuel found her singing a "fur
rim" song over the honeysuckles next
morning, and waited to be drawn into
conversation.
Morning, Samuelw There was
his chance without compromise OF
dignity. "Good morning, Miss Sweeta
hot day, / guess" Then, in queer
voice, quite unlike the usual gruh
Samuel: "It'll be lonesome enough not
to hear you singin', Miss Sweeta-
some say you and the Admiral are
tired Of roots and goin' away"
"Going away?" repeated Seretai
"why, Samuel, you said yourself only
little while ago that the Admiral
was a py'rennial--aud I am another.
We are going into partnership with
the yellow lilies forever and everl"
The old maD made a motion of in.
credulity, and shaking his head as he
did when rain was prophesied in
drouth, remarked; MAY be true of
the Admiral, Miss Sweeta, but ex-
pect that other soldier fellow'll be back
here before fall lookin' after some
more yellow lily slips-like as not; he
said he took a very particular interest
in py'reunials- should think he
would; he'll be the first man that ever
raised q bulb from a slip"
And Ro0ar did coma hack manv