Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-06-03
Continued.

put LQlE LlIuS upon I'LL W DSdI. A1C
lived apart, communing with himself,
and with no confdants but Nature.
As the years rolled on, and he grew
TO manhood, it seemed as if the
shadow had grown lighter, and that it
would not matter much, and he grew
If not contented with his lot, at least
resigned. Let Fate have done what
she might in the past, for the present
there was the sunshine for him as
well as for his fellows. With Nat
ure for his close friend and com
paDion, life promised some show OF
gIadness even for him. Then there
came suddenly. Unexpectedly,
change. a man who had stood by
him and permitted him to live in the
place Of his birth, died. The young
man, deprived Of his protector, was
% leave the place. In wretchedness
and misery, he was taking a farewell
Of it, when there suddenly came be-
fore him, ike a star from heaven, a
flower from the Garden Of Paradise
"a woman"
He paused and drew a long breath,
but did not raise his eyes or move.
Lucille gathered the coat more close
Iy around her, and turned her face
farther away from him.
TIL that moment he had never
given a thought to women; love was a
thing he had read about only to mar
vel at All women we're alike, and
nothing to him. But in this one mo-
ment, something Of which he knew
nothing fell upon him like d spell. She
vas beautiful, more beautiful than
anything he had ever dreamed Of;
but # was not her loneliness that
seemed to strike him and touch his
heart; it was something vague and
underlined, something that he could
not put into words, that seemed to
enter into his life, and take posses
sion of him. 1t was worked, this mir
ace, in an instant He did not know
that it was love; he only knew that
there was standing before him a being
who could draw him after her,
through life or death, with a word, a
look, a smile! Shall I go on?'' he said,
in a low voice.
Lucille murmured a word; it sound
I'd like Yes and he went on.
He found that this beautiful Great
ure, who seemed to him like a goo
dess, was indeed as far removed from
him as a goddess could be. Circum-
stances had made her almost his
mistress; he begged and prayed that
she would let him remain her serv-
ant, and She consented From that
hour his life was changed. Tn place Of
III" peace which he thought he had
found, there was a dull. aching pain
in his heart which never rested day
or night His bOOks-his solitary life
had made him studious-became duh
and meaningless. There was room
for only one thought in his mind,
only one feeling in his heart-the
thought Of her, the longing 10 Do
near her. He was a coward, you
say! Yes, he was a coward: but he
fought hard at first. A hundred times
an hour he told himeIf with savage
force beyond the muddy pool on
which they shine. He told himself
that he was not even as other men:
if he had been like his fellows, equal
even to the IOwliest Of them, he
might have gone into the world and
struggled and fought and climbed I'M
til he reached a place at least be-
side her feet. But ambition was bar
red to him; though he had become
the greatest among men, there would
still be the shadow upon his life-the
shadow which would stand like a tig-
ure clothed in black between him and
her. And, yet, although he knew
his, he could not cast aside his
madness; it grew until it possessed
him like an evil spirit of old, body
and soul! He lived only on one
thought the desire to be near her.
to hear her voice, to drink in the light
that beamed from the lovely eyes
hat had enshrined themselves In his
heart. He was her servant, and ne
saw her now and again. Day by day
his madness grew, until all things
took its color All the world was
represented by the beautiful creature
TO whom he was but a servant. He
treasured every word she spoke TO
him; the dumb things she touched
with her fingers became precious to
him: glove she had worn was as a
thing sacred. and boarded as a miser
boards his gold. And all the time he
knew that the passion he was fighting
against would at last turn and rend
him, that the fire which burned in
his heart must in the end consume it.
Some day one would come, her equal,
who would love her-ah, not as he
bowed, no other could love her like
that. but would come and take her
away. There was no ves,ige OF
hope in his heart, his madness never
reached that pitch; there was only
black despair and helpless rage
against the fate that had dug so deep
pit between them forever and ever"
He paused and stretched out his
hands with deep sigh.
For a time he Rugged his secret.
persuading himself like a fooI that he
could hide it from all eyes. from hers
especially. But at last the time care
when he knew that his strength was
failing him. that his madness would
drive him some day into telling her
her his mistress. his goddess that
her servant. the wretched mar upon
whose life there rested so deep
-Stain-that this mar whom she re-
gaTded little higher than her dog or