Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-02-26


with emotion. She's Deen counting
the hours till you came-been bearing
about you for good while. She hasn't
been able to talk or think of anything
else. She's only fifteen. and the crucial
moment is too much for her. The great
HarkleSs has arrived. and she has fed"
But the present hour grew on him
as he leaned Oh the pasture bars. 1t
had been reminiscent day with him.
but suddenly his memories sped. and
the voice that was singing Schubert's
"Serenade'' across the way touched
him with the urgent personal appeal
that present beauty had always held
for him. 1t was Il soprano and without
tremolo. yet came to his ear with u
certain tremulous sweetness. 1t was
soft and slender. but the listener knew
1t could be lifted with fullness and
power If the singer would. 1t spoke
only Of the song, yet the listener
thought Of the singer. Under the
moon thoughts run into dreams. and
he dreamed that the owner of the
voice. she who quoted THE Walrus
and the Carpenter" on Fisbee's notes.
was one to laugh with you and weep
with you. yet her laughter would be
tempered with sorr2w and her tears
with laughter.
When the song was ended he struck
the rail he leaned upon sharp blow
with his open hand. There swept over
him feeling that he had stood precise
ly where he stood now on such night
q thousand years ago; had heard that
voice and that song and been moved by
the voice and the song and the night
lust as he was moved now. He had
long known himself for u sentimpntal-
ist. He had almost given up trying to
cure himself. And he knew himself
for q born lover He had always been
in love with some one. In his earlier
youth his affections had been so con-
stantly inconstant that he finally came
to settle with his self respect by rec
ognizing in himself fine constancy
that worshiped one woman always. 1t
was only the shifting image Of her that
charged. Somewhere he dreamed.
whimScally indulgent Of the fancy.
yet mocking himself for it, there was Il
girl whom he had never seen who wait
ed till he should come. She was every
thing. Until he found her he could not
help adoring others who possessed lit
tie pieces and suggestions Of her-her
brilliancy. her courage. her short upper
lip. like a curled rose leaf" or her
dear voice or her pure profile He had
no recollection of any lady who had
quite her eyes. He had never passed
q lovely stranger OH the street in the
old days without thrill of delight and
warmth. If he never saw her again
and the vision had only lasted for the
time it takes a lady to cross the side
walk from shop door to carriage
he was always little in love with her
because she bore about her somewhere.
as did every pretty girl he ever saw.
q suggestion of the faraway divinity.
One does not pass lovely strangers in
the streets Of Plattville. Miss Briscoe
was pretty. but not at all in the way
that Harklcss dreamed. For five years
the lover in him that had loved so Of
ten had been starved of all but dreams.
Only at twilight and dusk in the sum-
mer. when strolling lie caught sight Of
q woman's skirt far up the village
street. half outlined in the darkness
under the cathedral arch of meeting
branches. this romancer Of petticoats
could sigh q true lovers sigh and. If
he kept enough distance between. fly a
yearning fancy that his lady wandered
there.
Ever since his university days the
image Of her had been growing more
and more distinct. He had completely
settled his mind as to her appearance
and her voice. She was tall. almost too
tall he was sure of that: and out of
his consciousness there had grown a
sweet and vivacious young face that he
knew was hers. Her hair was light
brown. with gold lusters (he revelcd in
the gold lustcrs on the proper theory
that when your fancy is painting a
picture you may as well 20 in for the
whole thing and make it sumptuousl.
and her eyes were gray. They were
very earnest. and yet they sparkled and
laughed to him companionably. and
sometimes he smiled back upon her.
The Undine danced before him through
the lonely years. on fair nights in his
walks and came to sit by his fire on