The Arvada enterprise., 1913-08-07


room. Unfortunately, the voice was
there before me and soon noticed, by
my air, that something had happened
III asked what was the matter and
saw no reason for keeping our story
secret or concealing the place which
you filled in my heart. Then the
voice was silent. called to it. but It
did not reply; | begged and entreated,
but In vain. | was terrified lest It
had gone for good. / wish to heaven
1t had, dear! That night, |
went home In desperate condition.
told Mamma Valerius, who said.
Why, of course, the voice is jealous!
And that, dear, first revealed to me
that loved you"
Christine stopped and laid her head
on Raoul's shoulder. They sat like
that Tor 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. shadow that came
along the roof so near, so near ahem
that 1t could have stitled them by
closing over them.
The next day." Christine contin-
ued, with sigh. 81 went back to my
| dressing-room in very pensive frame
of mind. The voice was there, spoke
to me with great sadness and told me
plainly that, If | 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 it again; |
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 ! 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
49, no
know how 1t was that Carlotta did not
come to the theater that night nor
why was called upon to sing in her
stead; but ! sang with rapture
had never known before and felt for
a moment as If my soul were leaving
my body!"
'Oh, Christine" said Raoul, my
heart quivered that night at every &C.
cent of your voice. saw the tears
stream down your cheeks and wept
with you. How could you sing sing
like that while crying?"
Il felt myself fainting," said Chris.
tine. Il closed my eyes. When I
opened them. you were by my side.
But the voice was there also, Raoul.
| 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
ceiying the voice! The voice
recognized you and the voice was
| Jealous! 1t said that, If ! did
not love you, ] would not avoid you.
but treat you like any other old friend.
1t made me scene upon scene At last.
| said to the voice. That will do! |
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 TO 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 Impostor?
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 nightmare"
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 toad
on the stage and the house was sud.
| denly plunged in darkness through
| the chandelier crashing to the foory
| There were killed and wounded that
night and the whole theater rang with