The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1909-11-26
a MODERN ROMEO AND JULIET
(BY MAURICE MoNrEeUr.)


each others hands, looking into each
others eyes.
She was tall, slender and pale, dressed
a la grecque in large white peplos
Her hair, dressed with ribbons, framed
her regular features and concealed her
ears, as you have seen in our photo
graphs of the sanity looking Cleo de
Merode.
Her expression was sad and her eyes
full of tears as she looked at her lover,
who was also pale, rather stout prema-
turely bald. Both were about thirty
years of age.
After long silence he said in hol-
low voice, that sounded as if it came
from far away:
So tits all settled, Lame? You have
thought it all over and considered every
thing? You are still frm?''
Il have considered everything,
thought of everything, and nothing can
shake my resolution" she whispered
almost inaudibly. 1t is all settled. "
He sighed as do the ghosts in the long
corridors of haunted castles:
And still it seems SO hard that you
should die, you who are SO young and
strong and beautiful. =
1t is true, Jacques; it is true" " But
ten times rather die than live without
YOU. Think of what we have been to
each other during these last three years!
We have shown the world an example
of true love, true constancy.
we have been admired by all, point
ed out as models. We have become
proverbial as Romeo and Juliet, as
Paulo and francesca. Like these low
ers of old, we have been tormented and
prosecuted by evil gods. Your parents
want to force you to marry a rich wild
ow with cold feet, and thus tear you
away from me, and I can do nothing
but mourn and weep.
But since you have not the courage
to brave the anger of your father, the
selfshness of your mother, there is
nothing for us to do but to die together,
confident that our souls will meet be-
yond the gates of death. Let us leave
behind this world of misery, and fly to
the happy stars, where no power is
strong enough to keep two loving hearts
apart. Let us die now in each others
arms, by poison or dagger"
He looked at her uneasily and seemed
to hesitate and shudder at the brink of
the abyss.
Lame" he SAID, II cannot bear the
thought that you should see me die,
look upon my disfigured face, con-
vulsed with the pain of death. | am
strong. / can not bear the sight of see
ing you dying in my arms. You must
die first. -"
oh, my beloved, you do not know
the strength of woman who loves.
But perhaps you are right; let us spare
each other the CHASTITY sight. Let us
saw goodbye to each other and part
with smile on our lips 1t is now
four o'clock. At five | will put an end
to myself in my own room, alone.
Follow my example, Lame. f"
4 will, l will, jacques, my beloved.
The clock on the mantlepiece is just
now striking four, when again it strikes
the hour my soul will follow yours into
the great unknown. y
Goodbye, then, darling. This part
ing is not death; it is life that begins. "
She threw herself into his arms, and
into the last embrace they threw all the
passion Of their hearts.
Three minutes later Jacques was in
the street below walking quickly to.
ward Care st. Lazare, where he had
sent his trunks.
''What narrow escape he said to
himself. She was superb, though. |
wonder if she thinks am going to kin
myself? And she, who can tell?
Poor LANE! She adored me, and
never would have consented to let me
free. She would have killed me, | am
sure, at the altar, before she would
surrender me to another. Not for a
moment did she suspect | had grown
tired of her..
As the clock struck five, Jacques,
sitting comfortably in irst-class COM
partment, rolled out from Care st. La
care. He opened the window, threw a
kiss into the air and said gaily, 'Adieu,
Lame. Then he picked up an even
ing paper and began to read.
At the same moment, in her flat,