Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-08-09

moonlight, Olivia was full of admir-
alton for this man whom the gods
had lowered with so many gifts He
had proved his courage In risking
his life for Bessie, his face was
handsome enough to haunt The
dreams Of a sculptor, and tonight he
| had exercised a power of magma
lion and voice and influence that had
moved a crowded audience.
Think Of 1t! An impressionable
girl, full Of poetry, and ready as
wax to receive an impression, and
wonder not that as she walked be
side him she felt magnetized, attract
ed, fascinated.
She was pale still, still slightly
tremulous, and her breath came slow
Iy and heavily. Lines of The ex-
quisite poem into which he had
breathed life ana reality still rang in
her ears. She could find nothing
to say that would not have sounded
TO her ears hideously commonplace.
And IL was he who first spoke.
Miss Vanley" he said, q have an
uncomfortable feeling of guilt"
She looked up at him instantly,
with that look which woman
turns upon the man on whom her
mind Is fixed
Guilt" she echoed.
She looked up al him instantly,
with that look which a woman turns
upon the man on whom her mind is
fixed.
Guilt she echoed
He smiled AT the almost tragic
tones Of her voice.
yes, have an uneasy feeling
that have made you uncomfortable
with my uncanny performance"
NO" she said, slowly, mot I'M
comfortable"
at was stupid thing to do" he
went on. Stupid and unsuitable to
the bulk Of the audience; but my
eXcuse-well my only excuse is that
| knew no other piece, and was too
we'll TOO lazy to learn any other |
will never reche it again"
MOI" she breathed Don't say
that. 1t would be a waste 1t was
Observation-Disclosures yet so sad
- She paused. Il have read
the poem-eyerybudy has but | did
not know it was so dreadful until to,
night"
Because ! give it with all the
usual tricks he said, half-contempN,
uously THAT is why But it is a
great piece Of verse-and dreadful.
My sympathies are all with
Eugene Aram," she said, dreamily.
ut Is wrong, | know
He looked at her for a moment in
silence.
yes, 1t Is wrong" he said. "One
should not sympathize with the man
who commits crime; but | under,
stand. His sufferings were almost
an expiation,"
Shes huddered slightly.
Yes, and he was sorely tempted.
But do you think that it is--natural?
That an educated man should com
NIT such crime
"EducatlonH he said, slowly; and
in the aitor-timo which cast such an
awful shadow over her life, she re-
called his words. HAS that anything
| to do with it? Education teaches? us
to conceal our passions, 1t does not,
cannot destroy them! No, under tho
thin veneer which civilization plas-
tors over us, lie the old savage in
stncts, and If you scratch your man
of refinement deep enough you will
find the passions of the barbarian
still existing, Given a temptation
fiery enough, and your man of rank,
position, education will fall"
THAT is terrible" she breathed;
land you think that anyone-anyone
could be tempted to commit-mur-
der?'
His dark eyes rested on her.
1T depends on the temptation" he
sad, us If rather communing with
himself than answering her. Some
men could not be induced to commit
even an indiscretiou for the sake of
all the mines in Peru, but for an
other mOtiye-the one motive-mst
of power ambition revenge, love"
he paused, and the word rang in her
brain-'he would descend to any
Crime-aye, even murder
The faint shudder ran through her
again, and he seemed to know it. for
he said, in a lighter tone:
But this kind of morbid talk is
shamed by such a night What n
lovely moon! II reminds me of
those lines of Heine:
Goddess of our sleeping hours
When silver tiuts the dropping flow
ers,
and he repeated in a low, musical
voice, that seemed to sing the words.
the whole of the short poem: surely
one Of the sweetest in the German
tongue.
olivia unconsCiously drew nearer
to him, and the words. the voice dis
pollod the faint terror that had
throbbed through her
Il don't know it," she said almost
pttuDusly 81 seem to know moth