The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-08-25
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER ii.
How I managed TO descend the tree
without falling / cannot understand; my
hands and limbs shook as with palsy.
and my head swan as with deathly
sickness When | reached the ground
| was so faint that Josiah had to support
me for several seconds. When L recov-
cred. he helped me over the garden wall
The whole way, Josiah never ceased
talking; but | was too bewildered 10 heed
his words | was only reused to atten-
ton when. upon hating before an ex-
tremely gloomy. solitary looking build
ing my companion cried. Here we are.
We plunged down a narrow passage, Jo-
siah presented a small slip Of paper TO
a man who stood behind a half-door, and
we entered the pit of the theater.
1t was really a Hall of Dazzling Light.
The play, I have since ascertiined, was
Shakspeare's Romeo and Juliet" Sit
ting in that little country theater,. wit
Messing what was, perhaps, only a third
rate provincial performance. a new world
was opened to me-the glorious world
Of poetry and Imagination. l trembled
with a dazed delight at the soft beauty
OF the love scenes; my heart swelled with
kindred fire at the passionate outbursts;
and / sobbed at seeing the lovers die in
one another's arms. 1t was no fiction to
me, but reality, beautiful almost be-
yond realization. yet painful almost be-
yond endurance.
When the curtain fell, l fell with it
from my Elysian heights. With SILVER
| awoke to the dull realization of myself.
Ny first action was TO turn to Josiah,
and grasp his hand in silent gratitude.
| did not wish to see any more; l
wished to get away now. to dream over
| what | had seen. Josiah had to go be-
hind the scenes to get the proof of the
next nights bill. and l waited outside
| the stage door until he returned In
| few moments he came out in a great
| furry.
Look here, Silas,' he said; 81 can't
| 70 back with you. l must get home di-
rectly, or there'll be an awful kick up.
Come along: III put you in the road, SO
that you can't miss your way"
| | shall never forget the sense Of DESC
| lation that fell upon me when L found
myself alone in the street. All the direc
tons Josiah had given me vanished in
an instant from my memory, and / stood
|
was in the outskirts of the town. it was
nearly eleven o'clock. and not q soul was
about. | walked straight on, fervently
hoping that it might be in the right direc
/ ton.
Finally / was in the middle of a long
street. one side of which was occupied
by ordinary houses, but that on which
l found myself was distinguished by a
| line of vast gloomy looking buildings,
turreted walls hung with ivy, and broken
ruins l felt awe-struck at the mighty
piles of masonry that lowered above me.
| was standing right before an archway
of a grand Norman tower. / walked tim
idly beneath its black, vaulted roof, to
the iron gate at its further end. and peer
ed at the line of crumbling ruins that
rose among the trees and shrubs, white
and CHASTITY, in the moonlight
As / stood thus, / heard rustic.
Chilled with sense of fear. / turned
quickly round. Through a rent in the
VIII. many yards above my head, came
broad ray of white light. AS l turned,
it was falling upon an object that fasci-
mated my gaze. 1t was the head and
face of beautiful girl. but so pale. so
rigid, that. for an instant. l thought they
were those of a statue. She was crouch
ing in the deep shadow of the black
walls. For a moment l stood spell
bound. my eyes fixed upon hers. She
was the first to break the spell. Rising
from her crouching position, she tin,idly
advanced towards me, and laid small
white hand upon my arm. The touch
thrilled me like an electric shock.
You will not hurt me, will your she
said in a SOFT pleading voice. She was
slight. deicately formed child about
my own age, my own height, clothed in
dark gray dress. Her features were so
delicately moulded that they seemed
rather those of a wax doll than Of a
human being, except in their expression,
which was full of soul. Her eyes were
wonderful; / have never seen eyes like
them-they were SO sad, so distracted
in their far-off gaze; and, as she Fixed
them upon mine, they thrilled my very
soul.
"Hurt you?' / echoed. l knew not
what to say: my brain was too confused
"Can you tell me the road to the
city p she asked, in the same low voice
l answered that had no idea-that
had lost my way. and knew not where
was.
What part do you want?' she asked
with look of deep interest.
81 want to get to Little Bethlehem