Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-06-04

~
4 tptl tell you iuondcs1ul, beautiful.
dreadful storB.'
Hand in hand, with tripping step. they
wound in and out OF the rooms, Medal
lion standing In the center of the floor,
having changed his whistling to a sing
song kind of chant. The long. waving,
loving line linking like chains. curv-
ing into circles, parting, Joining again,
first slowly, then faster and faster,
now suddenly in pretty column back
and forth, the men together, then the
demonstrating eyes, waving black
hair, the warm breath of youth filling
the room with an ecstasy wherein ev-
cry little care and alarm of life was
swallowed up, and at last there came
a sudden moment of confusion, the
hurly burly of laughter and sweet af-
fright or contentment, as the hazard
OF the dance grew. Presently I'LL part
ed, and Marie stood alone In the cen
ter of the floor, with Antoine on one
side not far and Alphonse on the other.
There were laughter and n storm Of
clapping. Marie! Marie!' they all
cried. 1.-THE story! The true love
story
Antoine ran his fingers through his
hair. shook the little gold rings in his
ears and grinned at Marie, then at
Babette. Alphonse was nervous, and
his eyes had kind of wild hunger as
he looked ut Marie.
Marie glanced round the room, smil-
ing naively, gave AlDhonse u quick
sidelong glance of torturing coquetry
and then caught Medallion's eyes. He
was looking at her with whimsical,
suggestive smile. She flashed one back.
All at once something defiant swept
over her face, u wave of emotion
which seemed to lift her all at once
into an atmosphere apart from them
all, Independent of them all. Some IN
herent dramatic strain in her master
ed her for the moment She was alive
| to her finger tips She stepped back Il
little from Aphonse and Antoine.
They drew away on either side, but
Medallion folded his arms and watched
her from under his bushy brows stead
lily, kindly.
"The story, the story, Marie" they
| called.
| The moment before Marie was lost
to everything around her. Now she
| was back again, conscious of their
presence, but still In the atmosphere
where her inspiration was born. A
smile too brilliant, too airy. played on
her lips Her voice had a feverish
lightness. Her eyes though, We're
| burning with look hard to read
az will tell you wonderful. beauti-
full, dreadful story" she said
"Once upon a time"-at this they all
laughed-"once upon a time" she re-
/ peated very lightly, there was girl,
/ and she thought herself beautiful. She
| used to dream of a great prince who
would come one day and tell her that
his houses, his lands and all the riches
OF his kingdom were for her. She only
lived in cottage in village. but that
| didn't matter. She rode in tiny carl
| ole, and she had only n little Indian
pony to take her to mass and to mar
| ket, but that didn't matter. She was n
woman, and woman IS like bird
she has wings, and she flies where she
1 will in the dreams of the night and in
the quick hours of the day. when her
hands work and her tongue is busy. A
man may stoop, but woman always
soars-til man breaks her heart.
".And so this girl watched for hel
and flashed in the violet light Of sum
mer upon the river he did not come
that way, and when all the fields were
white with snow in winter and all the
world was waiting like the girl he die
not come that way.
"And since he did not come to hel
she would go to him. So one morning
she filed a bag with meat and honey
and dried fruits, and she put on he
thickest mittens and her little fur cal
and her great coat OF dogsliin fur ant
wooden cloud about her throat, unde
which. was the little gold brooch givel
her by her mother, which she woult
wear before the prince when she fount
him that he should see she was borl
for the fine things of this world. Sh
Ind braided hand with bow ant
arrow ON one moccasin and n han,
with II sword upon the other. Sh
started forth all alone. She travele
on and on through thick woods an
the wild hills and over plains. an
when the wind blew hard she laughe
back at them, and when ut night somt
thing cried in the trees like spirits beg
ging her to speak to them sang til
, song of the Scarlet Hunter and til
! chant of the White Swan, for she ha
no fear. The birds are not afraid ii
shot from the hunters gun or an n
, row from his bow strikes into til
, heart"
She paused and stood looking straigi
! before her, repeating the phrase ST.
again, as though, having learned Ii
: tale by heart, she had forgotten SOM
thing. But she was merely lost for
8 moment in scenes which were flashir
8 before her mind, having for the tin
8 passed beyond her audience to Il
!, world where in despair ones own So
o fees, and the Angel of the Four Co
f ners can show us no right Of way ,
!. we travel.
Q Some girl in the crowd giggled ner
o ously. Another, she knew not VIII
Q gave quick, gasping sob. Babett
w. ,Gn
i it's only story"