Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-11-06

But they also had left Mrs. Wilcox
apartments, he f~ound-they had gone q
few days before he himself had done 30.
"She-Miss Giacomo-was = gov
erness and had lived here for three
years." explained Mrs. Wilcox, vexed-
ly, "and paid to the day all that time.
Then her uncle came and took her
away-he hadn't any children, and Is
quite a rich old man, / believe, an
she's going abroad with him. She was
his sisters child, an there'd been a
quarrel v the marriage, an they'd
lost sight Of each other. Anyhow, the
parents are dead nov, and the signor
he's adopted Miss Giacoma for his
own; their address, sif? Now. let me
see, they went from here to one OF
them big hotels-Cecii, | think 1t
was
Colin contrived to cub short the rest
Of her voluble talk, and started off to
walk to the Hotel Cecil; he was glad
from his heart that the girl had found
a friend and the prospect of happiness
-if only the good luck had come to
him, other dreams than money and
fame might have been his; now she
would never know that her pretty face
had chained him to Mrs. Wilcox
house like a spell; that the chance
meetings sometimes, the glance from
her sweet eyes had inspired his muse
yes! something else had gone out of
his life with Nina Giacomo, and he
had to confess himself as a thief before
hef.
1t was the only restitution he could
make:
s
81 had set my whole soul on win
ming that prize" stammered the Gull
prit, with downcast eyes. 81 thought
of it by day, and dreamed of it by
night-then l was taken i'll, and a
wondrous melody made itself known
to me; strange, sweet harmonies ran
through my fever so that waking was
almost a pain, for with coming back
to this dreary world the angel tune
vanished, and / could not catch hold of
tit seemed still in my soul, but elu-
sive, like a shadow which cannot be
grasped-then-then one night | heard
1t played In another room. l heard 1t
hummed and strummed, not the har-
neny but the ghost Of the melody, and
my delirium was not over. 1 sentreat
you to believe 1t was not the true Colin
Stuart, but some remnant of the fever
fiend who did it. l stole the melody
and elaborated it, harmonized it, as |
had heard 1t played in my dreams, and
l sent it in as my own; it won the
prize-it is here-yours, not mine
NO" said Nina Giacomo, softly lay
ing a OBTAINING hand to stay the re-
treat he tried to make, sit was always
the ruling passion of your life came
out; there were many hours when you
were alone, INTENDED, and you used to
get up and play wonderful music
dream music-which drove one into
ecstacy to hear, better, far more beau
tiful than l had ever heard you play
before.
THAT prize melody was yours, and |
used to pick out just the air on my
piano afterward sometimes. l have
remembered other tunes, but I liked
that best, it Is your very own-and the
appointment also-and i am happy for
your sake
81 had gone other dream, too" he
said, in almost an inaudible tone, ''as
sweet or sweeter than the music. There
was a purse found in my room, a lady's
purse, with a name hastily erased, yet
not so thoroughly but that some letters
were left
"You must forgive" she cried quick
ly. THE good luck came to me just
then; my uncle offered me a home. 1
knew | should have enough money for
always-and-and / was passing the
door when you fell and tainted. 1
knew why, and-Mrs. Wilcox has been
made hard because her own fight has
been so bitter-those on the coach can
not understand how the wheels hurt
unless once they have been under them
themselves"
And after all they did not pass out
Of each others lives-the good luck
had come at lasti-Tit-Bits.