Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1907-04-18
CHAPTER xxV.-contInusd.

IL was love story; again that
strangely moving love Of one man for
one woman, that seemed as sweet as
II was novel to her. But there was
war between the houses In the play, |
and the young lover had to make a
way TO see his beloved, climbing a |
high wall into her garden, climbing to |
her very balcony by scarf she flung |
down to him. To the young woman
from AMAZON, these lovers voices |
came with a strang compulsion, 70
that they played with her heart be-
tween them. She was in turn the
spleading in a voice that touched
every heartstring from low to high;
then she was the woman, soft and
timid, hesitating In moments of de-
llcious doubt, yet almost fearful of her
power to st,-half.wishing 10 be
persuaded, half-frightened lest abe
yield.
Feverishly she followed the heart
breaking tragedy to It's close, suffer
ing polgnantly the grief OF each lover.
suffering death for each. and feeling
her life desolated when the end came.
But when the dull curtain shut her
back into her own little world, where
there was no love like that, and be-
side the little bent man she went out
into the night.
The next morning had come a
further delight, an invitation to a ball
from Brigham. Most OF the day was
spent in one of the shops, choosing
a gown. OF wondrous beauty. and hav-
ing It fitted to her. When she looked
into the little cracked mirror that
night, she saw a strange new face and
figure; and, when she entered the ball
room. she felt that others noted the
same strangeness, for many looked at
her until she felt her cheeks burn.
Then Brigham arose from n sofa,
where he had been sitting with his
first wife and his last, and came gal
lantly toward her; Brigham, whom
she knew TO be the most favored of
God on earth and the absolute ruler of
all the realm about her.--an affable,
unpretentious yet dignlfied gentleman
OF 20. who took her hand warmly in
both his own, looked her over with his
kindly blue eyes, and welcomed her
to Zion In words of n fatherly gentle
ness. Later. when he had danced with
some of his wives. Brigham came TO
dance with her, light of foot and full
OF zest for the measure as any youth.
Others danced with her. but during
II all she kept finding herself back be-
fore the magic square that framed the
land where a man loved but one
woman. She remembered that Brig
ham had sat with four of his wives
in one of the boxes, enthusiastically
applaudlng that portrayal OF single
love, AS the picture came back TO
her now. there seemed to have been
something incongruous In this spec
tacle. She observed the scanned and
hardened features of his earliest wife,
who kept to the sofa during the even.
ing beside the better favored Amelia,
whom the good man had last married.
and she thought of his score or so OF
wives between them.
Then she knew that what she had
seen the night before had been the
truth; that she could love no man who
did not love her alone. She tried TO
imagine the lover in the play going
from balcony to balcony. signing the
same impassloned love-tale to woman
after woman: 5r 10 imagine him with
many wives AZ home, TO whom would
be taken the news of his death in the
tomb OF his last. So she thought of
the play and not OF the ball. stepping
the dances absently, and. when II was
all over, she fell asleep, rejoicing that.
before their death. the two dear lovers
had been sealed for time ana eternity.
80 that they could awaken together
in the Kingdom.
They went home the next day, driv.
ing down the valley that rolled In bill
lowe OF green between the broken
ranges OF the Wasateh and the
Oquirrh. II was no longer of the King
dom she thought, nor Of Brigham and
his wives; only OF a clean-limbed
youth in d0ublet and hose. a plumed
cap. and silken cloak. who. In g
voice that brought the tears back Of
her eyes. told of his undying love for
one woman--and OF the soft. tender
woman In the moonlight, who had
trusted him and let herself 80 TO him
In life and In death.
The world had not ended. She
thought that. In truth. II could not
have ended yet; for had she not life
20 I've!
~nAa ~en 800.