Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-05-15

this mood sitting on the diyan by the
window Of her boudoir and gazing
across the waterscspe that soon must
become the playground ola swarm Of
/ fashionables. Then she noticed that
the adjacent cottage was nearer
than it had seemed. She was depre-
eating the drawback to her mother
when she saw a tall. athletic. hand
some young fellow striding gracefully
across the sand TO the Objectionable
house. She drew the curtain across
her window. but watched him with
| frightening ewes as he stepped upon
the creaking porch, let himselfin and
vanished ike the impalpable vision
Of her romantic dreams Was he.
could he be the Prince Charming.
come so soon and Yet not too soon 10
lead her from the drowsy cob-webbed
castle Of her long maideuly Sleep:
/ Her heart was pit-pattlng like the ht-
I tie trip-hammers Of a pianola when
suddenly from the open window Of
/ the cottage-his cottaCe-there stole
a strain Of music so deep. SO rich. 50
unutterab.y p.aintiye that the tears
sprang into her Big blue eyes as she
cried:
Mamma. listen! He d, playing"
accent on the hey.
"Who j. he" rasped mamma. scour-
ing a skillet but coming 10 the wiz
dow.
why. the young gentleman who
lives next door feigned Celeste;
haven't YOU seen him
Then they listened breaJhlessly to
the melody now swelling with noble
defiance. now ro,Hcking with gay
abandonment and again shrinking
sadly into the ,uneful shadows Of com
paint. /, was a cello played by a
m.ster hand. yoca. with the passions
Of the adept. responsive to every hope
and fantasy Of al aspiring and per
haps wounded heart. When the music
ceased Celeste sighed. wondering
who he might be so 10 touch her heart
with a fleeing glimpse Of hi, distin-
gu.shed-.0oking person. 80 to move
her heart with the random expression
Of some perhaps wanton sentiments.
Then. asif by chance. she wandered
70 her own piano. and with an easy but
distracted manner played hesitating
little love song from "Rigoletto. But
when ,he had finished and her unc0n-
scious challenge was answered by a
mournful, pleading echo from the
same opera, Celeste gasped prettily
and ran 10 the window. pulling it shut
with a very dramatic little shrug Of
anger. Then she ran into the attic,
fixed herself at the eyelike oriel win
dow and watched the celllst's cottage
ike d pretty bird which has been teri
rifed and fascinated by proving
and majestic hawk. In an hour he
came out. and-hOw her heart beat!
turned his dark, soulful eyes for
full minute toward her window. He
could not see her, and so he walked
away. but she watched him with her
heart in her eyes, till he disappeared |
in the garden Of the Hotel Florence
That evening she noticed al old |
man, bearded, shabby and bent, pot |
tering about the back door Of the Gel !
lists cottage, and, interested in every |
thing and everyone with whom her /
hero came in contact, she wondered |
who the privileged old dependent |
might be.
He can't be a relative" she |
thought; hes a vulgar, Unlocking .
old rascal. Perhaps an old servant Of .
the family, endured by his young mas
ter for the sake Of old times"
And she was dreaming another day |
dream when he, handsomer than ever,
came across the stretch Of sand, and.
with just a glance toward her, went
into the cottage. Sheheard his melo-
dious voice call "Boggs! Boggs"
and watched the old servant scurry
into the back door. Then after an in
terval the cello spoke once more,
sweeter, holder, more winsome than
ever. And from her piano she an
swered it in kind, her courage rising
as the response came floating PROMPT
ly back through the open window, her
heart afre as she interpreted the i'm
FASHIONED meaning Of the old ballad,
Of love and war, the songs, eloquent Of
laughter and tears, which the unseen
player tossed back at her through the
deepening night.