Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-23

nave been quite natural If she had
said, Poor Raoul," after what had
happened between them. But, shak-
ing her head. she repeated, "Pooz
Erik"
What had this Erik to do with
Christine's signs and why was she
plying Erik when Raoul was so IN
happy?
Christine began to write, deliberate
~, calmly and so piacidly that Raoul.
who was still trembling from the eff
fects OF the tragedy that separated
them, was painfully impressed.
What coGiness!' he said to him.
self.
She wrote on, filing two. three, four
sheets. Suddenly, she raised her
head and hid the sheets in her bodice.
She seemed to be listening.
Raoul also listened.
Whence came that strange sound, that
distant rhythm? A faint sing
ing seemed to issue from the walls
yes, it was as though the walls
themselves were singing! The
song became palmer he
words were now distinguishable
he heard voice. a very beautiful,
very soft, very captivating voice
but, for all its softness, it re-
manned a male voice. The voice
came nearer and nearer It
came through the wall II ap-
preached and now the voice
was in the room, in front of Christine.
Christine rose and addressed the
voice, as though speaking to some
one:
Here 1 am, Erik she said. 81 am
ready. But you are late"
Raoul, peeping from behind til, cur
tain, could not believe his eyes. which
showed him nothing. Christine's face
lit up. A smile OF happiness appeared
upon her bloodless lips.
The voice without body went on
singing; and certainly Raoul had
never in his life heard anything more
absolutely and heroically sweet, more
] gloriously insidious, more delicate,
more powerful, in short, more irresis-
| tibly triumphant. He listened to 1t
in a fever and he now began to I'M
derstand how Christine Daae was able
to appear one evening. before the
stupefied audience, with accents of
beauty hitherto unknown, of super
! human exaltation, while doubtless still
under the influence of the mysterious
and invisible master.
The voice was singing the Wedding
night Song from Romeo and Juliet.
Raoul saw Christine stretch out her
arms to the voice as she had done, in
Perros churchyard, to the invisible
violin playing The Resurrection OF
Lazarus. And nothing could describe
the passion with which the voice
sang:
"Fate links thee to me for ever and a
dayI'
The strains went through Raours
heart Struggling against the charm
that seemed to deprive him of all his
will and all his energy and OF almost
all his lucidity at the moment when
he needed them most, he succeeded
in drawing back the curtain that hid
him and he walked to where Christine
stood. She herself was moving to the
back of the room, the whole wall OF
that reflected her image, but not his
for he was just behind her and en-
tirely covered by her.
''Fate links thee to me for ever and g
dayr
Christine walked toward her image
,, in the glass and the image came to
ward her. The two Christines-the
; real one and the refiection-ended by
touching; and Raoul put out his arms
: to clasp the two in one embrace. But
by sort of dazzling miracle that sent
him staggering, Raoul was suddenly
flung back, while an icy blast swept
over his face; he saw, not two, but
four, eight, twenty Christines spinning
round him, laughing at him and fee
ing so swiftly that he could not touch
one of them. At last, everything
stood still again; and he saw himself
in the glass. But Christine had disap
peared.
He rushed up to the glass. He
l struck at the walls. Nobody! Ant
meanwhile the room still echoed will
distant passionate singing:
> "Fate links thee to me for ever and Z
/ day"
! Which way, which way had Chris
! tine gone? Which way would
she return?
Would she return? Alas, had sh'
net declared to him that everything
was finished? .Anc was the voice no
: repeating.
; Fate links thee to mo for ever and ;
!, day.
a To me? To whom?
q Then, worn out, beaten, empty
+ Drained, he sat down on the chat
which Christine had just left. Lik
+ her, he let his head fall into his hands
q When he raised it, the tears wer
3 streaming down his young cheeks
8 real. heavy tears like those whicl
q jealous children shed, tears that wep
II for a sorrow which was In no wa
: ianciful, but which is common to al
y the lovers on earth and which he ez
n pressed aloud:
n Who Is this Erik?" he said.