The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-09
Our Daily Short Story

lover ARAln. Inlby IHtH was tNC -WQuldI | he had married; this then was the!
 "Get something to drink or I'll go mad, ' The whispered to Truxtoh.sy .%9ss.
 When the great act finally came liar court leaned far out on-the box railing
 awaiting the dancers appearance, which was heraided with a dreamy waltz by the orchestra and the sputtefinE of the cal. oium. Then figure leaped lightly Into the silvery patch of radiance. It was clothed in a spangled costume, long and lof ample folds. while covering the whole there fell from the crown of the head lyard after yard of the thinnest illusion Now the swaying figure was like burn. ling gold. now like shining silver. At 'the lnext moment 1t looked as if bathed' in blood: then changed to fiery red. Mex,
 followed such rapid succession of colors
 as seemed beyond mans ingenuity to pro.
 duce. And finally total darkness pre-. vailed. Distant thunder began to rumble
 with faint flashes of lightning. Louder
 and louder 1t grew. brighter and brighter lbecame the lightninga each time bringing Unto view the undulating figure of the ldancer. Then came binding flash, fol-
 lowed by a deafening roar. The bespan- jgled figure fell to the floor, writhfng in
 apparent agony. A flew .ghastly contor-
 tons. the, uplifting ioffa snowy arm,, and the dance was over. s.5. t'~ ,
 Harcourt sat through 1t all entranted' | He seemed to have forgotten everything save the mystic. gyrating figure. The ev- olution from one stage to another of the
 dance enthralled him. Even when it was
 all over he remained sitting, his eyes star
 ing att the stage curtain. But Trhxton finally reused himself and once out on
 the street. Harcourt turned to his friend
 and. said: ',%, . .A l "Joye. if was xsondarf,,lf" s't5f. S' $ ,f
 They walked on. Truxton wondered at
 the. others silence, but said nothing. When they9 reached Harc0urt's home
 Truxton noticed his friend turn suddenly
 round, and seizing him by the arm, cried out:t s+f My God. Truxton. I must go back. ft
 was my wife. I had forgotten 'n V Asts
 Truxton expostulated with him-tried to
 lead him up the steps into his home; but IHarcourt was determined to go back to the theatre. and Truxton. despairins Of
 changing his mind. at last consented. and together they retraced their steps to the
 place of amusement "To think that. In
 the wonder of it all should forget she
 was my wife!" Harcourt repeated again
 and again. s''
 The dancer had left when they reached
 the theatre. The manager was standing
 in the lobby, and Harcourt opened Sup a conversation with him. He was grtiff man. and In a few words told that the
 dancer would receive no one. nor would
 she condescend to accept written matter
 other than that relating to her yaudeviIle Arrangements.
 After this Harsourt tried his best to SC. cure an interview with the dancer. He went to the theatre night after night, waiting at the stage entrance to see hef come out.
 One evening he came home. and takins
 a revolver from his pocket, laid 1t upon the table before him. ..
 "You'll dance for the last time tonight
 Nyganza,' he said half aloud. Your agony will not be feigned. The lightning will strike in earnest tonight"
 l He put the weapon into his pocket, don
 ned his hat and coat, and went into the street. As the door closed after him Chalmers
 the butler rushed up the stairs and along
 the, hall to the rooms which Mrs. liar.
 court had chosen to, occupy. He rapped
 at the door. It was cautiously opened. 4
 few moments breathless conversation fol.
 lowed. Then Mrs. Harcourt cried out:
 ''order the carriage, Chalmers. quick
 Tell Marie to get ready with all speed, must reach the AIcazar before"
 The door closed and Chalmers bounded through the passage.
 Mrs. Harcourt succeeded in getting box directly back of the one her husbaf' occupied. There was but a thin silky cur tain between them.
 Mrs. Harcourt breathed heavily. Whel the house was suddenly darkened jus previous to the dancers appearance. sh drew back to box curtain. while her hus band moved out his chair and rested hi
 elbow upon the railing, Neither hear, the faint, dreamy, music. the chatterin . of the impatient audience. The eyes o ! both were rivetted upon the stage, whic still lay in gloom. When the glitterfng figure appeared Mrs Harcourt moved still closer to her hus : band. her eyes wild. her breath comin quickly. Her mind was centered upo . reaching over and touching him-to spea
 a word that would tell him she was no . there upon the stage. but in the box be
 hind him, ready to forgive and forget ' But she could not. The very knowledg 8 of the impending tragedy turned her int thing of stone.
 8 The vivd flashes of mock lightning noy g began to light up the stage. The thunde c was gradually becoming louder. The fig ure on the stage was twisting, swayinl 3 gyrating.
 The final great flash was about to flu r mine the stage. Tn the short interval 0 . darkness Harcourt raised his revolver in 5 to place. pointing it at the spot where h knew the dancer to be.
 A beam of light zigzagged across tn . stage, lit up the body of the house, an, } when Mrs. Harcourt saw it reflected upoi the weapon in her husbands hand sh leaned over and. touching him upon tn . arm. whispered hoarsely:
 Arthur"
 = The revolved fell from his grasp. Fl r turned round. his face deathly, his eye opened to their widest. "Constance!" he cried softly. "Con t stance" .e@ I When they reached the rear of the the atre both looked back at the stage. Fl 3 the dazzling light they 4saw1a Writfin figure, the uplifting of snowy arm, the y dense gloom.
 @ Once more in the costly lighted drawin s room Arthur Harcourt sat down and drev 2 his wife to him.
 Constance" he said, ''I did not kno, B how dear you were to me until you ha s gone. Oh. how miserable I have been !. I'll be different now, Constance. Forgiv a me"
 8 ''I forgive you. Arthur" she whispered THE TRADEsMAN's REVIEW. |