The Elbert County tribune., 1913-09-12

believe. They looked at each other.
in the dressingroom. with iheir sad
eyes. without exchanging . word.
Raoul had to restrain himself not to
cry out:
81 am Jeslousi am 1eaIousi 1
am jealousl"
But she heard him all the same.
Then she said:
Come for walk. dear. The air
will do you good"
Raoul thought that she would pro
pose a stroll In the country. far from
that building which he detested as a
prison whose jailer he could feel
walking within the walls the
Jailer Erik. But she took him
to the stage and made him sit on the
wooden curb OF well. In the doubt
full peace and coolness of first scene
set for the evenings performance.
On another day. she wandered with
him. hand In hand. along the desert
ed paths OF garden whose creepers
had been cut out by a decorators
skillful hands. 1t was as though the
real sky, the real flowers, the real
earth we're forbidden her for all time
and she condemned to breathe no
other air than that of the theater.
An occasional fireman passed, watch
ing over their melancholy idyIl from
afar. And she would drag him up
above the clouds. in the magnificent
disorder of the grid, where she loved
to make him giddy by running in
front of him along the frail bridges,
among the thousands OF ropes fast
ened to the pulleys, the windlasses,
the rollers, In the midst OF a regular
forest of yards and masts. II he
hesitated. she said. with an adorable
pout of her lips:
You. a sailor!"
And then they returned to terra
firma. that is to say, to some passage
that led them to the little girls dane
ing-school where brats between six
and ten we're practicing their steps. in
the hope OF becoming great dancers
one day. covered with diamonds"
Meanwhile. Christine gave them
sweets instead.
She took him to the wardrobe and
property-rooms, took him all over her
empire. which was artificial, but i'm
mense. covering seventeen stories
from the groundfoor to the roof and
inhabited by an army of subjects. She
moved among them like a popular
queen. encouraging them in their
labors, sitting down in the workshops,
giving words OF advice to the work
men whose hands hesitated to cut in
to the rich stuffs that we're to clothe
heroes. There were inhabitants of
that country who practiced every
trade. There were cobblers, there
were goldsmiths. All had learned to
know her and to love her, for she al
ways interested herself In all their
troubles and all their little hobbies
She knew unsupported corners that
were secretly occupied by little old
couples. She knocked at their door
and introduced Raoul to them as a
Prince Charming who had asked for
her hand; and the two OF them sit
| ting On some worm-eaten property .
would listen to the legends OF the
| opera. even as, In their childhood.
they had listened to the old Breton
tales. Those old people remembered
nothing outside the opera. They had
lived there for years without number.
Past arrangements had forgotten
them; palace revolutions had taken
no notice of them; the history OF
France had run It's course unknown
to them; and nobody recollected their
existence
The precious days sped in this
| way; and Raoul and Christine. by af-
| fecting excessive interest in outside
| H.
from each other the one thought OF
their hearts. One fact was certain,
that Christine, who until then had
shown herself the stronger OF the
two, became suddenly inexpressibly
| nervous. When on their expeditions.
she would start running without rea-
son or else suddenly stop; and her
hand. turning ice.cold IN a moment,
would hold the young man back.
Sometimes her eyes seemed to pur-
sue imaginary shadows. She cried,
This way" and This way and
This way laughing a breathless
laugh that often ended in tears Then
Raoul tried to speak. to question her,
in spite of his promises. But. even
before he had worded his question.
she answered feverishly;
Nothing / swear 1t is
nothing
Once. when they were passing be
fore an open trapdoor on the stage,
Raoul stopped over the dark cavity.
you have shown me over the up
per part OF your empire, Christine
but there are strange stories told OF
the lower part Shall we go DOWN
She caught him in her arms, as
though she feared to see him disap-
pear down the black hole. and. in a
trembling voice. whispered:
"Neveri . | will not have