The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-03-08

~ - g'FE
spring that they naet n evening 10
a secluded nook " ihe park. The
VIVID was ladeu with the heavy. in.
toxleatiag scent Of Hiacs.
He was young. romantic, and Just
ont OF cc!legeA Uneonsciullsly he
thirsted fer The fullness Of liie sad the
essence Of things. In the meantime.
coguiaant only Of a vague craving for
something u~pdefaable, be was sell,
Ing his hifthrigbt for a song.
She, also. had heard the beck of un.
explored wilda. obeytng the call. she
had voyased across the ocean, leay,
iRg her home ia sunny Andalasia 10
assaage the craving Of q heart which
rebciled against the monsters which
held il In bondage
She was tall and slender, and her
dark eyes mirrored all the expectancy
OF unborn worlds. The plain black
dress which she wore adequate.
ly emphasized the sinUous graceful
cures Of a yiyacious wemanho0d
Around the white, slender throat
she wore a curEonsly wrought neck
lace from which was suspended a bril-
liant object Of fantastic shape. He
fingered II In an abseutminded fash
ion IS he gRaed into her dreamy eyes
and poured into her willing ears the
old story Of many failures and few
triunphs, The world had been SLOW
to recognize an art In which he gave
vent to aEl the dreams aud fantasies
Of hia eagle heart And In her dark,
fathomlgss eyes, az he told his story,
he read pity. sympathy and immature
love.
She quIvered violently as a curb Ut
bis waFy hair came Ia contact With
her burning cheeks, Like a sureing
river, the electritying current Of joy
rushed through her vetns-ioy that at
last her ~journegings had brought into
her lie one who understood,
Suddenly. under the nervous ma
n~ipulation Of hts fingers. the tiny or
nameat she wore sprang open and dis
closed a miniature silver vial She
removed IT from It's case and kissed
II ~nassiohately,
II Ia a relic MY mother gave me
when ! left home she murmured In
explanation 1T has a history. | have
been told, aad 1t possesses wonderful
qualities"
"A love charm?" he venturcd,
vaguely. as one Ia a trance,
1T performs miracles she con.
tinned. and her eyes grew more
fathomless. 1T aoothes your heart
when you are tired and weary-wheB
the world mocks you and the dark.
Is heavy around you. Ny moth.
er--oh. how beautiful she was!-Rave
II 10 me Just before she died. When
the sun has gone out Of your life, she :
said. and your heart is weary unto
death, then drink Its contents. It
will drive away your sorrow and make
you extremely happy ,
A violent sob shook her slender ;
MS she concluded, With specula. :
live wonder 10 his eyes he gazed ON :
mysterious talismani then he b,
her violently to his side and GOV. :
sred her mouth and cheeks with burn, :
ng kisses. '
They met frequently after that. :
Under the magic touch OF his ca, !
'esses. her soul grew by leaps and '
All the fiery devotion Of her /,
emperament she drowned In her love !,
or him. .
The world began to talk about him. I"
'he heard his name above the surg. =
ng maelstrom OF the great city, the .
whom he eespisod sang his =
'laudits-and she was extremely !
Had he not admitted that she !"
lad awakened the living spark of fire y
n his heart; had he not thrown his
'roudest laurcls at her feet? y
And the magic charm was almost
orgotten. ]
Then, after months of delirious u
liss, she noted the absence Of fire IN ?.
is kisses; the tenderness ~ his '.
which had fascinated her In :,
'ygono days was no longer there 10 y
brill her senses to eestacy; bis ca. '
esses were cold and ~passionless. y
One night when the rain and sleet ;.
'ere beating against the windows, -
be followed him. His path was dew. !.
us, but brightly ilIumined And then :,
he returned; she threw herself ON "
bed and wept until she thought y
er heart would break.
The months rolled past. and he did
OF return, still she heard the world r
its admiration for his art: r
papers related his escapadeg !
the gayest OF the gay set. but {,
he sought him In vain, Thou came II
time when the tormentlng gnawing q
t the young heart ceased. she re, Il
olyed to mourn him as one dead. A
She burned her bridges behind her. =,
he flung her adieus TO the old life. h
he surrendered herself to gay aban.
on; she had gold, silks and jewels,
nd only in the silent hour Of the
light did she wake at times to mourn a
gods who had fed from her heart. q
Once again Fate brought them to. n