The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-08-23

a guitar. who sang
Joii dragon.
Genul Dragon
where did YOU pick that up?' asked
he Of the paddle.
Il viii tell you. My sister and |
were m Italy. The first evening on
my arrival at Florence my sister and
l We're sitting on the veranda Of the
hotel after dinner. Suddenly we heard
n voice singing from a balcony above
such lovely voice to a guitar. II
was one Of those low and exceedingly
sympathetic cOntraltos. n voice that
appeals immensely to me- l was en-
chanted and mentioned the fact to nv
sister. AZ the same time asking her If
she knew who the lady was who was
singing so divinely.
oh. yes said my sister: that is
May mentioning her surnamel. She
and her mother are here on their way
TO Rome
We'll. l was introduced TO her the
following morning. l am afraid | can
hot describe her TO you. as | should 20
on raving about her to you for the
next hour. We struck ND great
friendship in two days. and induced
my sister to stay IN Florence as long
as my divinity and her mother were
there. She dcmurred at first. saving
it was no good losing my heart i'm thar
direction. as May was engaged.
How disappointed | felt ANYHOW.
| thought. there was no harm i'm hay-
ing some one else's fiancee as n friend
any more than some one clse's wife.
Well, as | said. we got very intimate.
May and myself. my sister and her
mother. We went for excursions To-
gether. always dinod at the same table.
and In the evenings she used to sing
TO us-such sweet songs, sung so
sweotly, And among other songs she
used frequently TO sing the absurd
little song | was singing Just now.
saying that ! was the 'Joli dragon
etc. You see. she got into the way Of
looking upon me as sort of brother.
Never be a brother TO some one else's
hancee. especially if she be beautiful,
Well, need hardly tell you that l fell
desperately in love with my new
sister. We had many tastes in com.
mon. And she gave me such sweet
sisterly counsel on many things
which my proper sister never did.
"One night she and I were sitting
ont in the hotel garden together. She
had been singing softly for my pleas.
ure n few of the songs l loved. NV
sister and her mother were indoors.
There was romantic sort of feeling
in the air. and well. old man. with
out any warning or knowing what I
was going to do, l kissed her, BY
Jove, she was angry. and l did feel
a brute, or course had no more
right TO kiss her than l have to kiss
the quecnl We went back to the hotel
In silence. She was going away next
day, and had not a chance of telling
her how sorry was and TO ask her
TO forgive me and all that. She did not
wish me goodby, and | felt miserable
at not having been forgiven by nv
sweet little sister. They went TO
Rome, and we went on TO Switzerland.
l never ceased thinking Of her and
feeling how low | had sunk in her es.
timation.
"SiN months afterward met her
and her mother again in Paris. She
seemed TO have forgotten that unfortu-
nate little contretemps in the garden at
Florence, but l determined to confess
my fault should an opportunity present
itself. The fates were kind. We were
both going to n dance given by a mu-
tual friend, and il was there that l
told her how sorry l was for having
behaved in such an ungentlemanly
manner, etc, TO her in Florence. She
forgave me, and we once more resumed
our old friendship where it had DROP
ped. l was going back TO India I'm n
months time from that and asked her
10 think sometimes of her brother and
friend. What enigmas women arei
When we said goodby to each other.
which, as 1t happened, we did private
", she flung her arms round my neck
and cried as If her heart would break.
There was not much time to ask for
explanations, as had to catch train,
but l elected promise from her to
write TO me when l got back to town.
Immediately ON getting home !
wrote her a long letter, telling her
had always loved her and saying |
hoped she was now free and suggest
ing plans for our future happiness. For
days'I was in state of feverish anx-
iety, waiting for an answer to my let
ter. At last one came. l tore it open,
my surprise when read
the following:
Dear Mr.. Trevor do not wish to see
you or hear from you again. Any further
explanation is unnecessary. Yours sin.
cerely. MAY -
''Well, this letter was an awful shock,
TO me, as it was so extraordinary, andi
I was at loss for an explanation OFF
her conduct. Besides which l was
very much in love, and am still, worse
luck"
'There is only one explanation to
that" said the man with the paddle
"She was in love with you, but had no
right to be-"
81 never thought of that"
The canoe still glided gently down
stream. There was silence for a few
minutes between the two men. Then
the gutarist took up his guitar and
began singing the little French song
again from the opening verses.
Toofh Powder