Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31

| POSSIBLY. Tome, MISS w ellSley.
The girl stopped gathered up the petals of
her rose, then let them filter slowly through her
| fingers.
"Then am to dissolve in moonlight" she
| said gravely and walked past Griscom to the
steps Neither of them spoke as they crossed
| the garden and passed into the shadow of the
| live oaks.
| How dark it isl" Miss Wellesley looked
furtively about her and edged little closer to
| Griscom. There is no danger of my being
dissolved in moonlight here" She gave little
| laugh, nervous and quickly hushed. 1T is
much more likely that shall be melted up in
| the perfume of the orange blossoms.
That would be sufficiently esthetic fate,
| said Griscom.
Too much So I'd rather be moonlight.
The perfume is getting stronger every minute,
and it makes me feel queer"
Disagreeably so?"
Il can't tell. love it and hate it, and feel
as if it were trying to tell me something do not
wish to hear"
% wish it would tell me where the path is.
| said Griscom, and if in answer to his word
| the desire was fulfilled; for the perfume grew
even more intense, and broad band of moon
| light splashing through an opening in the trees
| in front of them revealed a narrow path on the
other side of which was massed profusion of
orange trees in full flower, the blossoms shm
| mering white and waxv in the moonlight.
My world" said Griscom, but the odor is
| bit overwhelming! Be careful not to dissolve.
| The girl drew in her breath deeply. Il
| know this place" she said in a hushed voice.
| Il have seen it just like this with the moon on
| those gttering leaves and the black shadows
| behind them and the silvery edges of those big
/ not nearly so far away
perhaps that is because the moon and the
| shadows and the orange trees are just the
| same" said Griscom.
| Perhaps. | wish the petals had not dropped
| from my rose.
| Never mind; l will get you another tails
man. They bloom on every wall.
HE stepped across the path, broke off spray
- of orange blossoms and turned to his COM
| panon and as he did so his consciousness was
| flooded with the emotion now growing so fire.
quently recurrent-the absolute conviction of
| having performed exactly the same act and in
the same circumstances. So vivid was the I'M
preston that for moment the flood of recol-
lection seemed to inundate the present, to an
initiate time and space, that for an instant
| the clear sense of his surroundings was logged
| and he stood confused bewildered, holding the
spray of orange blossoms in front of him.
| AS usual the impression vanished. leaving
nothing to which his mind could fasten. He
looked up at Miss Wellesley. The girl was stand
ing motionless as statue. one hand extended
to take the flowers while the other clutched at
her throat Griscom leaned slightly forward
and looked into her face.
"Ahn' said he gently. You felt it tool
She nodded and her hands fell to her side.
Would you like these flowers-or IS the per-
fume too strong!"
Thank YOU She took the spray and
slipped it through her belt
II think this path will take us out" said
Griscom.
Yes" she answered absently. This is the
way"
They moved slowly along the unkempt path
with the mounting ruins of Tiberius' palace on
one side and on the other the luscious foliage
and bright star-shaped orange blossoms dis
| tilling their fragrance in the warm moonlight.
Presently the path stopped abruptly, a bench
drawn across it as though to arrest the pass
erbv.
Bother" said Griscom. cit can't stop
here; there's no reason for it. If you wait a
moment l will go on and explore. Do you
mind?"
mo. I'm little tired. l will sit on the
bench"
I'll not be long" He pushed his way
through the bushes, to find as he expected that
the path continued on the other side. A little
farther it stopped at what appeared to be a
gardeners Toulouse.
Griscom hurried back. I'VE had better re-
turn the way we came" he began as he parted
the bushes to rejoin Miss Wellesley. Hello!
Where are your"
HE glanced quickly about. The girl had dis
~ appeared; but as Griscom looked down
the path his eye was caught by moving object
L -