Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-05
Saturday, Short Story

stairs, where she sank down, hiding
her face in her arms.
| As for him, he was terribly shaken;
he strove to speak, to reason with
her, with himself, but stupor
chained body and mind. and he only
leaned there on the newell post,
vaguely aware of his own helpless
ness.
| Far away in the night the bells of
a church began striking the hour
one, two, three, four. Presently the
distant rattle of a wagon sounded.
The city stirred in its slumbers.
He found himself bending beside
her. her passive hands in his once
more. and he was saying: "As a
matter of fact all this Is quite
capable of an explanation. Don't be
distressed-please don't be frightened
or sad. We've both had some sort
of hallucination, that's all-really
that is ALL"
IT am not frightened now" she
said dreamily. II am quite sure that
that 1 am not dead. I am only
asleep in my hammock. When l
awake
Again, in spite of himself. he
shiyered.
Twill you do one more thing for
me?" she asked.
"Yes-a million"
"Only one 1t is unreasonable. 1t
is perhaps silly and I have no right
TO ask"
| ASK it." he begged.
| a. Y0xxr
Brook? Now?"
"Now?" he repeated blankly.
Eyes" She looked at him with a
smile touching lips and eyes. "I am
asleep in the hammock: sleep very
soundly-and very late into the MORN
ling. They may not find me there for
long while. So would you mind go
ing to Willow Brook to awaken me?"
"I-I-but you do not expect me to
leave you here and find you in West
chester!' he stammered.
"You need not CO." she said
quietly. IF you will telephone to
the house and ask somebody to go
out to the pergola-"
mo-" he said, II will go; I will go
anywhere on earth for you"
He stood up, his senses in a whirl.
She rose, too. leaning lightly on the
balustrade.
THANK you," she said sweetly.
| "When you awake me give me this"
I She held out the Signum Veneris;
and he took 1t and raised 1t to his
lips.
1t was almost morning when he
found himself in car, clutching his
ticket in one hand, her ring In the
other.
"It is I who am mad. not She he
muttered. 1t is l who am mad
love mad!" he whispered as the
whistle aroused him and sent him
stumbling out into the soft, fresh
morning air at Willow Brook.
The rising sun smote him full In
the eyes as he came in sight of the
clubhouse and the dew on the lawn
flashed like the gems of the Signum
veneris on sthe ring he held SO
tightly.
Across the clubhouse lawn stood
lanother house circled with gardens
in full bloom; and to the left, among
young trees, the white columns of a
pergola glistened.
| There was not a soul astir as he
crossed the lawn and entered the
garden. brushing dew from over
weighted blossoms as he passed.
Suddenly, at turn in the path. he
came upon the pergola, and saw a
brilliant hammock hanging in the
shadow.
over the hammock's fringe some
thing light and fluffy fell in folds like
the billowy frills Of ball gown. He
stumbled forward, daZed, incredulous,
and stood trembling for an instant.
Then, speeches., he sank down be-
side her, and dropped the ring into
the palm of her half-closed and I'M
conscious hand!
| A ray of sunlight fell across her
hair; slowly her blue eyes unclosed
smiling divinely.
And in her partly open palm the
Sign of Venus glimmered like dew
silvering a budding rose!
/