The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-02-24

ouAS ofo hNh>S
torrid. Sometimes he rode past the
villa Ariadne, but he never stopped.
1t was In the middle Of June that
one afternoon the concierge handed
him a telegram. 1t contained but three
words:
"Villa Serbelloni, B%ellaggio."
The Villa Serbelloni, now a hotel,
stands on a wooded ~promontory among
the Alps and between the lakes. at
Bellaggio, and all day long the warm
sunshine floods It's walls and terraces.
and glances from the polished leaves
Of the tropical plants.
The G o'clock boat from Como puffed
up noisily and SMOKEY to the quay.
churning her side paddles. Hillard
stepped ashore impatiently. What a
long day 1t had been! How white the
villa Serbelloni seemed up there on
tho little hilltop. He gave his luggage
to the porter from the Grand and fol-
lowed him on foot to the hotel. He
dressed quickly, and in less than an
hour he stepped forth from the gar
dens and took the path up to the villa.
Altar he saw a table spread under
the great oak. A woman sat by 1t.
1t was still daylight, and he would
have known that head Of hair among
the ten thousand houris OF heaven.
She did not rise, but she extended her
hand, a grave inquiry In her slum-
brous eyes. With equal gravity he
clasped the hand, but held back the
impulse to kiss 1t. He sat down oppo-
site her and, smiling, whimsically In
CURED:
"Now, where did we leave Off"
At first she did not understand.
He enlightened her. 81 refer to that
Arabian Nights entertainment In New
York. Where did we leave off that in
teresting discussion"
She smiled brightly. 1--WE shall take
up the thread Of that discourse with
the coffee"
why not countermand the order
for dinner? I am not hungry"
"But 1 am" she replied. She was
wholly herself now. The tact with
which he began his address disembar-
raised her. For two days since she
dispatched the telegram she had lived
In a kind Of ecstatic terror. She had
ever regretted the message once 1t
was beyond recall. 81 am human
enough to be hungry sometimes" She
summoned the waiter.
The dinner was excellent, but Hill
lard scarcely knew what this or that
plate was. And when the waiter
brought the coffee and fingered for
further orders 1t was Hillard who dis
missed him rather CURLY.
He said %musingly: 1--WE had agreed
that 1t would be best never to meet
again, that to keep the memory Of
that night fresh in our minds, a SOU
venir for old age, 1t were wisest to
part then. Well, we can keep the
memory of it for our old age. 1t will
be q little secret between us, and we
shall talk it over on just such nights
as this"
He reached for her hand, which lay
upon the cover, but without apparent
notice Of his movement she drew it
back. A fash of pain crossed Hillard's
face.
II have waited patiently for weeks"
She faced him with an enigmatical
smile, lighted a match, blew it out and
drew a line across the center Of the
table.
He laughed. what! Again?"
"Observe."
AS a rejoinder he smoothed out the
telegram she had sent to him. "Why
did you send this to me?"
Her lips had no answer ready.
There can be but one reason" he
pursued.
Friendship"
The beginning OF the night was cool,
but the fire Of the worlds desire burn
ed In her cheeks, and she was afraid.
She stepped to the railing, faced the
purpling mountains and sang die
Zauberfote." Hillard dared not touch
her till the last note was gone.
81 did not come here because Of
friendship" he said. "Only one thing
brought me-love and the hope Of
love-"
She stared at him, her hand at her
throat.
Then he took her in his arms sud-
denly, hungrily, even roughly. "You
are mine, mine, and nothing In the
world shall take you from my arms
again, Sonia"
She pressed her palms against him
and stood away. She looked hravely
into his eyes now
II sent the message because I want
ed you, because l Am tired Of lying to
my heart. because I have q right to be
happy, because-because I love you!
Take me and, oh. be gOod and kind to
me. for I have been very lonely and
unhappy. Kiss me!' with a touch of
the old imperiousness. i,
She clasped him fondly to herself.
"See Naples and die" she whispered,
"but the spirit will come to Bellaggio."
THE END.