Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-11-05
A SUMNER COUPLE
tOriEtnaLl

over or on the wanc, but in this case
the man at least seemed to be as ready
as a boy of twenty. Besides, the mo.
ment he laid eyes on the girl he was
drawn to her 10y some unexplainable
attraction Was It that he had met his
affinity that she, too, showed some,
thing like recognition Of a mater He
was fond of the mythical and strong
believer in pre-eXistcncc. Might they
not have met in some other form, some
other world?
There were walks through valleys
and over the sides of precipitous noun
tains. There were rides on roads hard
and white, with occasional views Of the
broad valley of a noble river 1000 or
/ 5000 feet below. There were picnics at
cascades. boat rides on mountain lakes.
/ In these amuscments the two sooner or
later drifted together. and when a few
weeks had passed the man acted as If
all time not passed in her company
was So much time lost. Then he awoke
to a sudden realization Of the fact that
in a few days it would be the 8lst Of
| August, when the season would be
over and the guests scattered
1t was the evening before their sepa-
/ ration They were sitting on the piazza
! of the hotel. \ moon slightly past the fun
rose in the east and lighted up stretch
of valley land far below, visible through
| Il gap in the mountains. Moonlight Is
becoming to a woman's features, and a
natural strength in hers was softened
/ into a delicious feminine repOSe He
/ was fond OF the mythical poetry Of the
Germans. and listening as he did TO the
! tumblng OF water in a mountain stream
near by, he almost, fancied his compan-
ion a Lorclei or a water fay. He was
| full OF poetic fervor, and his expression
/ took form in poetic words.
/ "Ro YOU know" ne said, that look
/ ing down on That panorama of mingled
mist and confusion Of dimIy lighted un-
| dulation there is in me a vague sense
of some far distant land In which 1
have livcd:"
Il don't even remember" she said,
when | was a baby"
This was a bit practical, but he did
not notice il.
I'VE look out into the heavens" he
went on, and in nebul;c see universes
forming. We know that nothing is de
stroycd. Matter forms, disintegrates,
forms again and again disintcgrates.
This is what we call birth and death.
The particles of which the forms are
composed were never born, never die.
They existed always and will always
exist
Are not we forms" she asked, "of
more consequence than unfeeling mat
tcrt'
eve are. and If there is one attribute
within US that is immortal it is love.
Love is eternal There are loves, l ad-
NIT, that are fceting, but they are not
real loves"
Not the real thing, you mcanT'
He looked at her suspiciousiy. Was
she not capable of following him, or
was this touch Of sarcasm? She look
ed so innocent that he passed the re-
mark
Somehow" he went on, when first
saw you it seemed that we two had
met in previous existence; not only
lad met. but loved If ! could be
blessed with an eternal love l said TO
myself, / would choose it with her
Since then the days have fitted hap
PLY by, and every day has strengthened
this feeling. Now. when | look down
on that moonlit plain with its gilded
river thread running through its cen
ter, it brings TO me with an indescrba-
BILE vaCueness, yet vividness, some
where in which you and l have met
and loved. / choose to think It a love
that has had no birth and will have no
death, Il perpetual mingling Of two
souls"
He paused He was very happy, for
he was in his element His disposition
was artistic and his surroundings were
artistic There were the towering
peaks, the distant plain, and there be-
side him was the girl, her features
batLcd in moonlight.
Il know 1t is foolish to ask such a
question, he said. but have you any
glimmcrings of such pastT
eyes" she whispered I'VE have met
before"
at last l have found one besides my
self to remember a persistence. I
shall never again doubt my theory
"Our meeting she continued, was
not In some vague land myriads Of
years ago and myriads of miles away;
our love was not developed In n nebu-
lous cloud 1t was at the seashore ten
years ago. You have grown older and
have absorbed theories since then, but
you talk Of love IN the same strain you
talked of It then. 1t was not nebulOua
love YOU told me Of as we listened TO
| the breakers. but love in a cottage.
was eighteen and it was pleasant to
listen to. | was summer girl and did
not cherish IT, But have remembered
you, which is more than you have done
In forgetting me-
"What. the blue eyed flirt of Edge.
mcreE'
Yes, and we girls called you the love
maker of the CHG House"
"The summer is ended she added
"and this IS my last as a summer girl
Next season shall be on the eve Of
thirty, when girls pass into old maids
With you it is different \ man can
be summer man as long as he lives
Go on for ten or twenty years more and