The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-06-24

back as he fastened to leave the gal
lery, but pausing and sinking into a
seat when he saw the figures re-
turning and heard the distant, mel
lifuous tones Of the youth, who was
saying to his companions:
"Such moon shone centuries ago
in Cyprus, and then as now the
welded odors of flower and leaf and
shrub foated in the window and my
RAIDS of insects filled the air with
their soft complaints"
81 remember" she returned, sit
was the day of the feast of the
Cataclismos, and when twilight
came we left the palace and wan
dered in the gardens, where there
was the music of fountains and
languorous fragrance which stirred
my heart with unrest. Is this love,
of which l have read, and the poets
sing? I asked"
"And answered." said the youth,
"even so, dearest. 1t has welded our
hearts SO closely that neither time
nor eternity can sever Them
GLOW well l recall the sweet sur
prise I felt at your words!" ex-
claimed his companion, looking fond
ly in his face. "And that just then
a swift, straight shape with balefui
eyes fled down the path and I shiv-
cred, as if a cold wind had struck
me-"
"A premonition of the chill to
come. That night when you were
proclaimed Queen of Beauty, your
contestant, Alethca, bore the chap
let OF queen leaves and white ber-
ries, praying you to wear it when
you slept, as talisman, that the
gift of beauty might never fade"
"And did I wear it? l seem not
to remember"
"Alas, yes; and the next morning
was found with closed eyes and stiff
ened limbs, while the palace was
filled with subdued voices and hurry
ing footsteps. Some venomous in
sect, some subtle, unknown SUBJ
stance in the food,' the court ply
sician said, and I, alone, guessed, but
could not prove, that Alethea had in
jected an insidious poison in each
waxen berry,"
"And then?"
with breaking heart Frustrated
myself before Venus, who. ever in
dulgent to lovers, decreed thus:
Carve her similitude, oh sculptor,
with such genius that it shall have
all but the glow of life. After death
your statue also shall be chiseled,
and twice in century touched by
the rays of the moon at the full you
shall both live and love-"
"Then I wrought what people
called the wonderful statue Of
stephana and laid my life at its feet.
Together we, insensate marbles,
were placed in the great hall of the
palace, but where no ray of noon
light reached our carved shapes, and
half and whole centuries passed with
our divine gift wasted. Then, Slow
ly but surely, the ages laid Paphos
in ruins; we were cold and impassive
beneath the sands, until the discov-
erer found us and brought us over
seas-here-where the vivifying rays
of the moon touch us, and where,
twice in a century, we shall-live-
and-love."
The last words died away in
whisper. The figures glided with
rhythmic grace past where Cleopatra
reclined and proud semiramis sat in
white silence, and on and on, until
they were lost in the purple shad-
ows.
The professor hurried from the
museum. That night there was a
banquet to be given in his honor. He
feared the hour had gone by, and
was amazed to find that it was still
early, but was in a dazed, contem-
plative state from which even the
clamor of the street railway failed
to arouse him, and before he handed
his ticket to the conductor he looked
at it with careful scrutiny, saying,
absently, Incredible, incredible that
it should last SO long"
He dressed in the same preoccu-
pied mood and was still preoccupied
at the banquet. "Is it not stranger"
he asked, in the course of his re-
Spouse to the toast Buried Treas.
ures,' that love should last 1000
years?" Then he drew handker-
chief from his pocket and with it
card of invitation.
He wiped his glasses to examine it.
1t was as if he cleared the dust of
ages from them, for he saw immedi-
ately vision of Pamela, seductive,
winning, lissome, with soft dark hair,
glowing cheeks and eyes that kindled
when he talked of the fgurines. She
was in perfect sympathy with him,
and he had never before appreciated
their oneness! The reception was
that night; he would be sure to find
her there, and was impatient to
leave the banquet.
He went straight to the tall, bril-
liant girl who was the center of the
social scene, taking both of her
hands in firm grasp, with an al
most Overwhelming impulse to kiss
her as the youth did the maiden.
Fortunately the balcony was not far
n, opl tho ~