Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-03-28

|..z
tHtt| IS ~ sl oote
q tel YOU that, 4 " does not hear
me sing tomorrow, i van cnrne him
INFINITE pain"
sIt 10 difhcuIt not 20 cause him pain
and yet 10 escape from him for GOOD.
@You are right in that Haoui. Tor
certainly he will die OF my flight
And she added in q dull voice, but
then It counts both ways ~. Tor
we risk his killing US"
"Does he love you so muchf"
"He would commit murder for me-"
"But one can md out where he
lives. One can go in search OF him.
Now that we know that Erik is not
A ghost, one can speak to him ana
force him 10 answer"
Christine shook her head.
"No. mol There is nothing to DO
done with Erik except to run
away"
"Then why, when you were able to
run away, did you go back to him?"
because I had to. And you viii
understand that when tell you how
left him."
"oh, / hate him!" cried RaouI.
"And you, Christine. tell me. do you
hate him too?
mo-" said Christine simply.
mo, of course not. Why,
you love him! Your fear, your ter
ror. all Of that is just love and love
OF the most exquisite kind, the kind
which people do not admit even to
themselves" said Raoul bitterly. THE
kind that gives you q thrill. when you
think of Il. Picture IL man
who lives in a palace underground"
And he gave a leer.
Then you want me to go back
there?" said the young girl cruelty.
take care, Raoul; have told you: l
should never return!"
Thena was an appalling silence be-
tween the three of them; the two
who spoke and the shadow that list
ened, behind them.
Before answering that" said Raoul,
at last, speaking very slowly. II should
like to know with what feeling he In
spires you, since you do not hate
him."
with horrori" she said. "That is
the terrible thing about 1t. He nils
me with horror and do not hate him.
How can hate him, Raoul? Think
of Erik at my feet, in the house on
the lake, underground. He accuses
himself, he curses himself, he I'M
plores my forgiveness! :. He
confesses his cheat. He loves me!
He lays at my feet an immense and
tragic love. He has carried
me OF for Lowell He has Inn"
prisoned me with him, underground,
for love! But he respects me;
he crawls, he means, he weeps! Z.
And, when stood up, Raoul, and told
him that could only despise him II
he did not, then and there, give me
my liberty he offered 1t
he offered to show me the
mysterious road Only {.
only he rose too and was
made to remember that, though he
was net an angel, nor ghost, nor .
genius, he remained the voice HI. /.
for he sang And listened !.
and stayed! r.. That night, We
did not exchange another word. He
sang me tolsleep. 3 sSsssSSs's
When I woke up. was alone, ly-
ing on sofa In q simply furnished
little bedroom, with an ordinary ma
hogany bedstead, lit by q lamp stand.
ing ON the marble top Of an old Louis
Philippe chest Of drawers. soon dis
covered that was prisoner and that
the only outlet from my room led to
a very comfortable bathroom, On re.
turning to the bedroom, saw on the
chest of drawers q note, in red ink,
which said, My dear Christine, you
need have no concern as to your rate.
You have no better nor more respect
full friend in the world than myself.
You are alone, at present, In this
home which is yours. ! am going out
shopping to fetch you all the things
that you can need felt sure that l
had fallen into the hands of a mad
man. / ran round my little apart
ment, looking for a way OF escape
which / could not md. upbraided
myself for my absurd superstition,
which had caused me to fall into the
trap. felt inclined to laugh and to
cry at the same time.
"This was the state Of mind in
which Erik found me. After giving
three taps on the wan, he walked In
quietly through q door which had
not noticed and which he left open.
He had his arms full Of boxes and
parcels and arranged them on the bed.
in q Ieisurely fashion. while ! over.
whelmed him with abuse and called
upon him to take on his mask, II II
covered the face Of an honest man.
He replied serenely, You shah never
So HriNsn faNa.s And he reproached