The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-05

] if they had been unaccustomed to any thing except the eternal darkness of the gloomy underground passages from which he had emerged.
 "Who are you?" cried Kenyon, advanc- ing, while Miriam stood strangely silent.
 Inquire not who I am" said the stranger "Henceforth l am nothing but the shadow behind her footsteps. She came to me when l sought her not. She has called me forth and must abide the consequences"
 From that day forward the stranger 5f the eatacombs did not allow Miriam to lose sight Of him. He haunted her footsteps and was often admitted to her l studio where he posed as a model The story of the adventure spread abroad and was made tLe subject of fantastic tales. Miriam laughed at them all, and, even when pressed by Ter three friends. only gave explanations still more fan i tastic averring that the. man was a de- mon who had bought her soul in re- turn for imparting q long lost secret of Roman fresco-painting.
 Sine grew moody and became subject to fits of ill-temper. at which times she
 
 10 her strange model. Thus Kenyon and Hiida soon agreed that it was best to dismiss all conjecture and accept the shpposition that after all, there need be no mystery about the matter, and that the fellow was simply one of those Roman beggars who have a wonderful pertinacity about pursuing persons who happen to take the slightest interest in them.
 Donatello, however, took the matter sadly to heart. At first sight of the stranger he had felt that unreasoning antipathy which so often is more trust worthy than the acutest insight into character As time weLt on every ap pearance of the mysterious model wou-e depress him into a sombre mood, sad and sudden as a sudden cloudiness over laughing field. At such times too, there appeared q trace of something savage, like that of a fierce animal, in the gentle features.
 one pleasant day Miriam started out to walk with Donatello, who was to meet her at the villa Borghese. On the way she stopped at Hlda's studo-a studio high in the air at the top of a great square tower. Looking upward. Miriam saw the young girl, dressed in white, scattering food to a flock of white doves that fluttered around her as if she were a dove herself, as indeed she seemed from below.
 n one of the angles of the battement stood a shrine of the Virgin, and there Hilda, although a jealous Protestant in conformity with her New England rear- ing, kept alight the lamp which had been set there to burn forever. Her gentle courage enabled her to dwell all alone and unfearingly in her tower. Her purity of heart and life made her secure in the streets and galleries. Her ministration to the shrine won for her the love of the people round about her
 What picture is this?' asked Miriam, looking around the studio. why, you have done nothing else so wonderful as thisl By what miracle have you ob- tained leave to copy Guido's Beatrice Cenci?"
 q knew that Prince Barberini would be deaf to all entreaties," said Hilda. "So I sat down before it, I know not how many times, till I had it in my heart And now I do believe it is photographed there Thus l put it on canvas" Ut is Guidos very Beatrice" cried Mi liam; "she that slept in the dungeon and awoke to climb the scaffold. An, if I could get within her consciousness! Beat riee's sin may not have been so great Perhaps it was no sin at all but the best virtue possible under the circumstances. 1 If I could but clasp Beatrice Cencis ghost and draw it into myself! I would | give, my life to know whether she thought l herself innocent or the one great crim- inal since time began"
 l Hilda lol1ed in astonshment at Miriam and was amazed to see that her friend | expression had become almost that of 1 the portrait as if her passionate wish and struggle to penetrate poor Beatrices mystery had been successful. Miriam recovered herself almost st 1 once. T have come to ask you to do me g favor," said she. "In week or two, you know, l am leaving Rome for the l summer. Now four months hence, un- less you hear from me, I would have you deliver this packet"
 Eilda read the address It was to Sig nore Luca Barboni at the Palazzo Cenci. When Miriam reached the Borghese grounds, Donatello gay and eXuberant with the spirit of spring that haunted the beautiful groves and the fiowery vistas of the venerable and lovely place dropped from the thick leaves of an Hex tree and stood before her suddenly as If he had leaped from the bosom of the green earth. His joy of life infected her. For this one hour" thought she, 'let me be as gay as he is. Tomorrow will be time enough to go back to my real ity."
 Donatello gave a clear call, and a bird came singing and futtering around his handsome head. He gathered garlands of flowers and crowned Miriam and him self. He ran. He laughed aloud in an swer to laughing echoes. Suddenly, as he was about tying her hands with wild flowers, he cried: "Hark!" and drew her along swiftly toward a place whence there came the sound of music
 They burst into a open glade. where party of stroling musicians sat on the stone benches. Donatello snatched the tambourine from one and flourished it above his head, producing music so po- tent as he danced with frisl1y step, still drawing Miriam with him, that people came from everywhere apparently, and after a few minutes of listening joined in the dance