The Elbert County tribune., 1913-09-19


light when reached my dressing
room. Unfortunately, the voice was
there before me and soon noticed. by
my air that something had happened
1t asked what was the matter and |
saw no reason for keeping our story
secret or conceaIing the place which
you filled in my heart. Then the
voice was silent. called to 1t, but It
did not reply; | begged and entreated,
but In vain. / was terrified lest 1t
had gone for good. / wish to heaven
II had, deari >. That night,
went home in a desperate condition.
told Mamma Valerius. who said,
Why. OF course, the voice is jeaiousi'
And that. dear. first revealed to me
that loved you"
Christine stopped and laid her head
on RaouPs shoulder They sat like
that for moment. in silence, and
they did not see, did not perceive the
movement, at few steps from them,
OF the creeping shadow OF two great
black wings, a shadow that came
along the roof so near, so near them
that It could have stifed them by
closing over them.
The next day." Christine contin-
ued. with a sigh. 81 went back to my
dressing-room In a very pensive frame
OF mind. The voice was there, spoke
to me with great sadness and told me
plainly that, II ! must bestow my
heart on earth. there was nothing for
the voice to do but to go back to
heaven. And 1t said this with such
an accent of human sorrow that /
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. / feared nothing SO much as
that ] might never hear 1t again; l
had thought about my love for you
and realized all the useless danger OF
1t; and did not even know II 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 a
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 on 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 a
little OF the music of heaven don't
know how It was that Carlotta did not
come to the theater that night nor
why was called upon to Sing in her
stead: but | sang with a rapture |
had never known before and | felt for
moment as If my soul were leaving
my body!"
"Oh, Christine" said Raoui my
heart quivered that night at every ac-
cent OF your voice. | saw the tears
stream down your cheeks and wept
with you. How could you sing. sing
like that while crying?"
81 felt myself fainting," said Chris
tine. 81 closed my eyes When |
opened them. you were by my side.
But the voice was there also, RaouI.
was afraid for your sake and again
! would not recognize you and began
to laugh when you reminded me that
you had picked UP my scarf in the
seal Alas, there Is no de-
ceiving the voicel The voice
recognized you and the voice was
Jealous, 1t said that. II | did
not love you. | would not avoid you.
but treat you like any other old friend.
1t made me scene upon scene At last,
I Cath IN hn 4
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, II you have
not lied to me, ! 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 10 write you
the letter that brought you to Perros.
How could ! have been 30 beguiled ?
How was 1t. when ! saw the personal.
the selfish point of view of the voice,
that did not suspect some impostorY
Alas, 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 nightmare7"
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 mel You remember the
terrible evening when Carlotta thought
that she had been turned into a toad
on the stage and the house was sud
denly plunged In darkness through
the chandelier crashing to the floor