The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1903-08-01
SAVED BY A
WOMAN'S LOVE


fancy dress ball. There was some
thing attractive in his appearance.
whether it was in his graceful figure
c..s face was masked) or the lightness
Of his step or the air of one to the
manner born no one could say. but the
fact remained that there was some
thing about him to excite admiration
and curiosity. Among others a lady
robed In the period of Venetian SUI
premacy stood looking at him, and one
could see interest in her attitude IL not
Ia her masked face.
May 1 crave my lady's hand for a
dancer said the man to her.
with pleasure" replied the lady in
a low voice.
Come; let us go into the winter gar
den," he said after the dance. 1T is
insufferably hot here, and I dislike a
crowd"
When they were screened behind a
miniature forest Of tropical trees, the
mans manner suddenly changed
would you know who l amp he
said. 81 am what the highwayman of
two centuries ago was at that time. I
do not play my pranks on the road. I
levy contributions In the palaces Of the
rich
80 where youth and beauty meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying
feet
"Irl trouble you f. that ringr'
The woman stood motionless for a
time. Whether she was paralyZed
from fright or was deciding what to do
could not be detected since her face
was covered. Presently she said:
Listen to me a moment and the ring
is yours. 1t is only lately that / came
to live in the city. l was once a coun-
try girl. There was a boy in u VII
lage, a daring, reckless spirit, forever
in mischief, and had he been a soldier
he would have found his vocation.
When he was twenty. he became an &C
tor. 1 remember the day / parted with
him when he went on his first theatri-
cal tour. / had long before given my
heart to the wild spirit that everybody
loved, admired, yet at whom all shook
their heads and said, He'll some day
come to grief l begged him to curb
his passion for excitement, to study his
chosen profession, to be content with
what success he was sure to gain on
the stage, for he had remarkable talent.
He took me In his arms n confided
TO me that he feared his love for reck-
less deeds would kill all steady effort,
but for my sake he would try to avoid
the one and cling to the other.
HE made alternate successes and
failures. Every success was followed
by some wild freak, some desperate adj
venture. One engagement after anoth-
err was Cancelled, and at last he was
forced to abandon legitimate endeayor
and gave himself wholly to-
She bent her head and buried her
face in her hands.
The masked face before her looked at
her with a blank stare, rigid as marble.
When she stopped speaking, the man
said:
"At our birth fate marks our courses.
To some it gives the power of becom-
ing merchants, professional men, Ia
borers-all that is honorable even If un-
profitable. They are the fixed stars.
Others must be moving. now forward,
now backward, never steady, always
starting in an unexpected direction.
They are the planets. Both follow the
courses marked out for them. Your
friend, your lover, was doomed from
his birth. If he could have been saved,
you would have saved him."
"Oh, Alan, had / not recognized you
at once under your disguise l would
know you the moment you began to
speak! Why must n SO gifted be
dragged down by an uncomfortable
defect?"
He stood mute, immovable. He had
selected his good angel for robbery.
His decisions were like lightning, and
like lightning he decided that the
moment he could do so without involy-
ing her he would send a bullet through
his brain. 1t was the woman who still
hoped.
"Alan, try again. Go to some coun
try where you are not known. Live a
steady life for five years."
"And them"
"And then? Send for me-"
Again there was a silence. A tremor
passed over the man. then a wave Of
resolution. Was it only a wave?
"Mary. sweetheart, for your sake !
will make this trial."
He moved away There was no one
to see behind the plants. and she
showed him by her movement that she
would encourage him with a kiss. He
put her away.
81 am still above permitting such a
sacrilege," he said. Farewell. If /
fail, / will send you a bullet; If / sue
coed, a heart"
1t was four years and six months
after that eventful meeting that Mary
Drayton received a small package by
express. She knew that it contained
one of two tokens, and since the five
years had not yet passed she dreaded
lest she had received a bullet, an en-
blem of suicide. Tremblingly she took
OF the wrapper and revealed a paper