St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-12-19

Come, put a little warmth into it," he
cried; "let your soul ring out! let
Manrico know by the very depth of
your voice how you love him!"
Then suddenly he turned to her.
Have you never loved, mademoi-
selle?" he asked, softly, as though he
might be stepping on some sacred
ground. But her laugh rang merrily.
Loved! Loved? No never. Why,
never had time to think"
She stopped suddenly. The gray eyes
of the new tenor seemed to be looking
into her very soul. She brushed her
hand across her brow and laughed
again, but aot SO heartily.
The afternoon wore on, her in
structor became more and more I'M
patient with every note. Finally, with
an outward pushing gesture, as though
to drive her from him, he cried:
Go home till you awaken, you are
asleep! Go home till you become
woman; you are child! Go home till
your very soul can cry out to Manrlco
in the tower, till you feel all the depth,
all the misery and all the glory OF Leo
nora's great love. Till you can not
only love with her, but hate with her,
die with her. And when this comes to
you, come back to me, and then we
can give to the world living, breath
ing, palpitating Leonora, not crea-
ture hewn of ice."
But it was not Of Lundski she was
thinking now, but of the gray eyes
whose glance she was beginning to
long for, yet dread. All! those eyes
were wondrous gray, but his hair was
curly, undeniably. How she hated
curly hair on man, and his she would
even have termed kinky, had she not
felt at times so strangely curious a
desire just to touch it. There surely
was some change coming over her,
that she should look so eagerly in
every crowd, wherever she went, just
to catch glimpse of a straying lock
of golden kinky hair.
And ah his glorious voice! She
had only heard it once, but its tones
were always ringing in her ears. How
she longed to sing out in answer to it
the day she heard him. They were
to practice together on the morrow,
and now, it was not to be. All, that
must have been a pang of more than
mere disappointment, that struck so
sharply at the thought!
The moon sank deeper in its hiding
place and strange mournful stirring
came from the trees. The night was
changing-but still the girl unused on.
Suddenly out of the darkness, on
the rising breeze, came a voice, sing
ing beneath her window
Only one could sing like that, and
as the words OF Manrico came to her
in a voice full of love and longing. she
caught her breath and lfstened-trem-
g-thrilling-an as the last note
was carried to her, she dropped to
the floor, overcome, then poured forth
her answer.
Her voice was low and unsteady at
first, but gathering volume by the
very weight of the love it must carry,
rang out into the night, telling in
the words of Leonora of a great,
strong and self-sacrificing love. And
the wind which was rising to storm,
carried it to the listeners below and
Wove around it's note of triumph a
sad mournfulness, as of coming sor-
row.
AS the last words died away, a cho-
rus of braves and explanations arose.
Elise did not hear them or under
stand their significance. She was
alone with this new beauty, her face
hidden in her hands.
Finally she was aroused by a knock.
He had come to her, he was there at
the door, Oh, the joy of it! Yet
how could she open it with that throb
in her throat and her heart beating so
wildly? Tmidly she crossed the room
and turned the handle.
The great Lundski came in first,
then followed a woman, and then the
tenor, his gray eyes full upon her. Her
own dropped.
"Mademoiselle, mademoiselle! the
great Lundski cried, I'VE give you our
heartiest congratulations I hardly
thought the little ruse would work SO
Well. We were coming over to get you
to practice little tonight, as our
tenor says he must leave town to,
morrow. We saw you against the rose
light, standing SO still in the window
Sing, said /; and how he sang,
and how you sang! 1t fairly struck me
dumb. All, how much good a little
scolding does sometimes. But here
you have not yet met our tenor's. wife
i am forgetting myself. Let me pre-
-Mademoiselle! what is it? Are
you ill.,"
Ill? Yes, yes" she answered, white
to the lips; but do not be alarmed
tomorrow l will come to you and be
the living, breathing. palpitating
Leonora.'
Marriage and Wisdom.
AoI