Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-03-22

on RQOulB 6nOulueI. luey baL uAe
that for moment, in silence. and
they did not see, did not perceive the
movement at a few steps from them.
of the creeping shadow of two great
black wings, shadow that came
along the roof so near, so near them
that it could have stifled them by
closing over them.
THE next day." Christine contin.
ued, with a sigh, II went back to my
dressing-room in very pensive frame
of mind. The voice was there, spoke
to me with great sadness and told me
plainly that, if I must bestow my
heart on earth, there was nothing for
heaven. And it said this with such
an accent of human sorrow that l
ought then and there to have suspect
ed and begun. to believe that / was
the victim of my deluded senses. But
my faith in the voice, with which
the memory of my father was so
closely intermingled, remained undis.
turbed. l feared nothing so much as
that I might never hear it again; !
had thought about my love for you
and realized all the useless danger OF
it; and l did not even know If you
remembered me. Whatever happened,
your position in society forbade me
to contemplate the possibility of ever
marrying you; and l swore to the
voice that you were no more than
brother to me nor ever would be and
that my heart was incapable of any
earthly love. And that, dear. was
why refused to recognize or see you
when met you OF the stage or In
the passages. Meanwhile, the hours
during which the voice taught me
were spent in divine frenzy, until,
at last. the voice said to me, You can
now, Christine Daae, give to men
little of the music of heaven ! don't
know how it was that Carlotta did not
come to the theater that night nor
why I was called upon to sing in her
stead: but | sang with rapture J
had never known before and felt for
a moment as If my soul were leaving
my body!"
"Oh, Christine" said Raoul, my
heart quivered that night at every &C
cent of your voice. | saw the tears
stream down your cheeks and l wept
with you. How could you sing. sing
like that while crying?'
Il felt myself fainting," said Chris
tine. II closed my eyes. When
opened them. you We're by my side.
But the voice was there also, Raoul!
l was afraid for your sake and again
I would not recognize you and began
to laugh when you reminded me that
you had picked up my scarf In the
sea! Alas, there is no de
ceiving the voice! The voice
recognized you and the voice was
jealous! 1t said that. If l did
not love you, would not avoid you,
but treat you like any other old friend
1t made me scene upon scene. At last
l said to the voice, That will do! J
am going to Perros tomorrow. to pray
on my fathers grave, and shall ask
NJ Raoul de Chagny to go with me.
DO as you please replied the voice,
but shall be at Perros too, for | am
wherever you are, Christine; and. II
you are still worthy Of me, if you have
not lied to me, I will play you The
Resurrection of Lazarus, on the stroke
of midnight. on your fathers tomb
and on your fathers violin That.
dear, was how came to write you
the letter that brought you to Perros
How could l have been so beguiled:
How was 1t, when saw the personal
the selfish point Of view of the voice
that I did not suspect some impostor:
Alas, l was no longer mistress of my
self: had become his thing"
But. after ALL" cried Raoul. you
soon came to know the TRUTH Why
did you not at once rid yourself OF
that abominable nightmare"
Know the truth, Raoul? Rid my
self of that nightmare? But, my poor
boy. was not caught in the night
mare until the day when learned
the truth! Pity me. Raoul
pity me! You remember the
terrible evening when Carlotta thought
that she had been turned into toad
on the stage and the house was sud
denly plunged in darkness through
the chandelier crashing to the floor:
There were killed and wounded that
night and the whole theater rang with
terrified screams. My first thought
was for you and the voice. I was at
once easy, where you were concerned
for I had seen you In your brothers
box and l knew that you were not in
danger. But the voice had told me
that it would be at the performance
and was really afraid for 1t. Just as
II 1t had been an ordinary person who
was capable of dying. thought tc
myself. The chandelier may have
come down upon the voice was
then on the stage and was nearly
running into the house. to look for the
voice among the killed and wounded
when l thought that. il the voice was
safe, 1t would be sure to be In my
dressing-room and I rushed to my
room. The voice was not there.
locked my door and, with tears in my
eyes, besought it, If 1t were still alive
to manifest itself to me- The voice
did not reply. but suddenly l heard
long. beautiful wall which l knew
we'll. 1t is the plant Of Lazarus
| WHITMAN