The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-14

'sWe have nothing to say to each
 other." cried sine, red with rage. "An
 is already said It is time to finish with
 this sentimental comedy"
 Kostovski trembling, stood up. Sentimental comedy" answered he,
 bitterly. Julie! What has come between
 us?'
 Nothing could have come between us?' | an5wered she. We are entirely different,
 one from the other. There is nothing in common between us, and it is necessary l, ,reak off our relations
 | Sae moved her chair and sat herself in an obscure corner and fixed her large black eyes on him.
 i To Kostovski he still seemed to see an expression in her limpid eyes which held | him, at the same time she repulsed him. T see," answered he, seating himself | near her; You wish me to leave you. l Tn " say that you have another admirer, | ono of the first rank. Oh, well, let us pa.e; but why this deceit and this quar- l rel? l don't wish that all should end | thus. I wish that we keep good membrance for the future. But, Julie, | try to understand that those of the first l rank only trife with you, while IT love ' you-may the devil take your l He had seized her and shook her with his enormous arms.
 '.Cni You are brutal! You hurt mel Leave mel You will break my armst' | She was looking for a pretext to quar- rel. He on his part felt his anger boiling within him. A desire burned within him to beat her and throw her out of the [, door. He pressed her to him tighter yet. i His eyes grew larger, he ground his teeth and the muscles of his face contracted. "Oh. said she But he was already on his knees.
 Dearest, adored one, my treasure, my happiness! You are everything to me. All my feeling, my thoughts, all are for you, Yes, I am a brute, but l love youl l do not wish to live without you If you
 repulse me, I will become gloomy again. Listen. dearest! l ask your pardon; 1 kiss
 your hand, your dress I cry pardon,'' Kneeling before her this large and TO- bust man took the hands of this frail
 creature, pouring kisses and tears on them.
 Wnen he raised his head he encountered her strangely contradictory expression. Those large, humid black eyes expressed nei.her love nor compassion nor contempt
 nor scorn, but something horribly humil- iating, resembling curiosity, but more un- plying. The curiosity of the naturalist when he experiments with his instru-
 ments on the living rabbit, or of an in-
  living with pins through them. Kostovsk understood this woman now: he read her with his spontaneous and marvellous perception. Kostovski saw as an inspiration the bottom of Julies heart.
 He understood that Julie could not love him; that she was being of an entirely different world; that they
 were wholly strange. one to the other. All words died in his throat. He said nothing. He took his hat. and. without even looking back ran from the house. Without knowing how he got there, he found himself in a low cafe frequented by cab drivers. For long time he had
 not drank. But at this moment he felt that the cafe was indispensable to him. he needed the noise of the voices around him. the smell of the alcohol. He
 sat down at an isolated table in corner
 He ordered a bottle of brandy. The table
 cloth was stained with beer: the light of
 the lamps hardly lit up the cafe filled with drunken persons. The walters with
 pale faces hurried to serve tho drinks, and in an adjoining room was heard the billiard balls. One of the musicians sang the chorus of a comic song: Que jje marche on que sans but Jerre, 'Toujours a ma Julie, ije pense." h, Gemon.' exclaimed Kostovski, pouring out a second glass of liquor
 which he swallowed in one gulp. He grew angry. even here in this saloon she came to torment him. He decided to forget
 her; he execrated her; he held her in contempt and wished no more to remem-
 Der her. Little by little his thoughts wan
 dered from the tavern and again she took
 possession of him. He saw her in the
 costume of the siren. Her body was en-
 Veloped like a fish, covered with silvery
 scales lighted by rays of all colors and
 so wonderfully beautiful, Her irresistible
 smile called him while she swan down
 into the great depths of the sea- and the
 man in love with the siren knew that he
 was lost. That never again would he re-
 cover his carelessness and heart free
 from wounds. He remembered what his
 life was before having known the kisses
 of the siren. He drank, yes, but the heart
 had been filled with gayety and move
 ment.
 Ah devili" roared he, emptying the
 bottle of liquor and trying to cast off the
 nightmare which had taken possession of
 him. but she tormented him unpityingly.
 Sl.e appeared first as fairy, then as
 shepherd girl. then again she approached
 draped in q vast flowing robe and her
 brown curls fell on her rosy cheeks; she
 was surrounded by inundating rays of
 ligh..
 In the billiard room the same songs
 were u be heard. Little by little the room
 filled with a sort of fog which hardly al-
 lowed the light to penetrate through it.
 The noise of the drinkers seemed farther
 away and was heard only at intervals as
 an echo. The siren appeared in the midst of all these shadows, laughing and making