Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-07-15
The Daily Short Story;
THE FREELY.


warm lips 10 her light hair, plainly
combed over her forehead.
Suddenly in the thlckest among the
fragrant jasmines vibrating light APP
peared, followed by another, then by
third, still clearer, and finally winged,
greenish swarms of sparks surrounded
them.
"LoOk. The lightning bugs
"Iow pretty. mysterious and light"
THE are vibrating as an ineXplicable
word of love. and they are burning as
passion breaking its ties"
Look. This one Is hanging upon
your forehead; that one is your guiding
star"
"And the other above shines greenish,
like your eyes when you are cross. 1
would like. my only one, TO make of
these stars an aureole about your light
head
y silvery laugh spread itself in the
secluded path.
And it seems to me it is the third
act OF Robert the Devil The penitent
souls are burning. We were walking
In the cemetery"
''No; this is not a cemetery. 1t is the
summit of life and earthly happiness.
love you And he stopped in order
that in the dark he might read from
the light OF her shining eyes a cordial
answer.
They were much in love with each
other faithfully and sincerely.
They went farther, silently, in the
mysterious shadows of the walk. but
invOluntarily the memory OF the ceme-
terry, as ii were. caused between them
4 shadow OF sorrow and thought, the
cloud which. even under the melting
influence of the words, Il love you,"
did not want TO disappear. Death is
stronger than love, and loneliness deep
or than happiness. They went farther,
looking ut the phosphoric sparks.
The girl suddenly lifted her head and
whispered softly:
do you know that this moment the
Renaissance of n woman whom you
have loved once stands between us?
Is it not true:'
She OWNED. She was accustomed to
thinking and feeling in harmony with
him. At once, by intuition, she came
upon the face OF person unknown to
her. stranger of rival thought. He
shivered, embraced her more tightly
and stood still for awhile.
Lets go farther" she said.
Listen. | will tell you all"
'Why, 1 love you and believe"
Listen. Between us there is this one
last secret, troubling. annoying my
mind as n nightmare, and / shall not
rid myself of this pale ghost of the far
n sf I fnl al
Did you love herr" she asked, with
II nervous vibration of voice.
"She was handsome as a Greek cam
co and always smiling as a goddess of
happiness. She was curious, proud,
passionate, of an artistic nature. She
fascinated me, drew me to her, intoxi-
Gated me. When she took in her white,
cold hands my head, my temples burn
cd. and when she sang in the voice of
siren felt that my will and strength
were falling"
did you love herr" asked the girl
nervously.
1T seemed to me that her love must
be the greatest happiness on earth, and
that / would then give my life to guess
the conundrum of her deep, black
eyes"
Look" said lie, after awhile, as if
gathering his thoughts and showing
her the lighted, shining and moving
mass in the thicket. land listen to the
"reminiscences of the long gone years of
my childhood. l was for the first time
in the country, and for the first time,
OH warm evening, / saw lightning
bugs shining with a sharp, greenish
I;rrI, IL g
Child Of the city, excited by unaccus-
toned sights, l chased the moving light
and wished to possess such n star, to
look at it while il was near and to take
it for my own. y chase was made. and
one of the handsomest bugs was tight
ly shut in glass. Charmed, l took my
treasure, placed ii in my room near my
bed. and in the night 1 dreamed of a
gigantic sun throwing light on all the
paths and thickets of the garden.
In the morning / was awakened by
the first rays of dawn. / looked at
once in the direction of the glass pal
ace; but, instead OF the imprisoned
star, there appeared to me-only n
miserable. black
But she, the woman whom you
loved:" asked the girl impatiently.
She was an enchantress, with the
voice of a siren, an artist by blood and
flesh, n dark eyed and tempting prob
lem. but only I'm the twilight of our
mysterious love, in the overheated, sick
and lanGuid imagination OF mind. Her
Greek profile and smile of a sphinx
needed an unnatural light and spar
Killing animation, an artificial spur. In
the usual surroundings, in the light of
day and truth of life, strong and sim
cere sentiments. sacrifices and pity,
she was only black bug"
He leaned over, and in dumb and
warm homage he pressed her hands to
his lips.
You are crying. my dear. Why !?
Indeed you love and believer"
She was silent awhile. then answered
with heartily vibration of pity in her
x-r.fa