Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-03-17
what have I dOne?"

what have I done?"
But the brown waves of hair with
the blue ribbon tied around them lay
motionless on his arm. And suddenly
thought shook him.
1T cannot be-" he gasped.
And Alike lifted her face, and the
exaggerated black lashes lifted, and
the blue glance lifted and rested on
Pietro's black hair bent down where
the light shone on the silver lines
through it, Up flashed her hand i'm
pulsively, gently-as Alike did things,
and touched the thick lock with an in
finitely delicate caress. Your hair
is all turning gray" she whispered in
two quick breaths, and at that, in some
occult fashion Pietro knew.
For moments they had no need Of
that makeshift, language; the great
house was very quiet, and one heard
the horses stamping in the paved
courtyard and the grooms singing, and
yet one did not hear it. Distant sounds
came from the village, but one only
knew that long after, in remembering
that morning. All they knew was that
the ghost of a lifelong affection of
brother and sister stood before them,
changed by miracle to shining
angel into whose face, for these first
moments, they dared not look Then
slowly, exquisitely, courage came and,
hand close in hand, they looked at
each other astonished, glad. 1t was
Pietro and Alike still, the ancient play
fellows, the childhood friends-all the
dear familiarity was there yet, but nc
longer were they brother and sister.
And then, after a while they began to
compare notes of things hidden.
when did you begin-to like me
this way, Pietro?"
II don't know" answered Pietro
stupidity. Does it make any differ
ence?"
"A great DEAL" Alike insisted. tits
important. It's historical"
"But this isn't history" said Pietro.
Alike, however, returned to the
charge. Last year,"
Last year-what?" Pietro asked;
he had already forgotten the question.
"Oh-that I began to-mon dieu-no.
Last year! Why, think 1t was the
day came and saw you riding Co.."
"Oh, Pietro--if you will talk only
nonsense!" Alixe's voice was disap-
pointed. "But why, then, didn't you
ever say so before this? We are both
a thousand years old now. If you-
loved me"-she spoke the word in
lower voice-"why, then, were you az
auiet as a mouse about it all these
years?"
81 thought you cared for Francois"
Pfetro said simply. And added, Didn't
you?"
Alike considered Il don't--think-
I ever did, Pietro. Not really. I
thought did perhaps. He dazzled me
-Francois-with his way of doing all
sorts of things brilliantly, and that
wonderful something about him makes
everybody love him. He believed In
his star; there was around him the
romance Of the emperor's prophecy
and the romance If the career which
10, We UC1AoVc, SOOAS " UO6A hO"s
there was always glamour about
Francois"
"Yes," Pietro agreed. "The glamour
Of his courage. Alike, OF loyalty and I'M
selfishness; the qualities which make
what people call his charm. Francois
is unlike the rest Of the world. be-
lieve, Alike" .....
Pietro talked on, the silent Pietro.
as If delivering a lecture. He had read
much and thought much; 1t was sell
dom he spoke of the speculations which
often filed his scholarly mind; today 1t
seemed easy to talk Of everything. Joy
had set wide all the doors of his be-
ing. Alike opened her eyes in aston
ishment.
"Pietro! You are-talking like
book! But 1t is true; something Of
that sort has come to me, too-which