The citizen., 1914-04-10
alike" he whispered. what is it.

uVliOuieSS Oh HIS arm. Anu suddenly
thought shook him.
1T cannot bel" 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 lifelong affection OF
brother and sister stood before them
changed by a miracle to a 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 while they began to
compare notes of things hidden.
when did you begin-to like me
this way, Pietro?"
81 don't know" answered Pietrc
stupidity. Does it make any differ
ence?"
"a great deal,' Alike insisted. "It's
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 began to-mon dieu-no
Last year! Why, l think it was the
day came and saw you riding Cog"
"Oh, Pietro-if you will talk only
nonsense!" Alixes voice was disap
pointed. "But why, then, didn't yol
ever say so before this? We are boil
a thousand years old now. If you
loved me"-she spoke the word in =;
lower voice-"why, then, were you al
quiet as a mouse about it all these
years."
81 thought you cared for Francois,
Pietro said simply. And added, "Didn'
you?"
Alike considered. ~ don't-think-
ever did, Pietro. Not really.
thought did perhaps. He dazzled mt
-Francois-with his way of doing al
sorts of things brilliantly, and tina
wonderful something about him makes
everybody love him. He believed il
his star; there was around him tht
romance Of the emperor's prophec.
and the romance of the career which
is, we believe, about to begin now
there was always glamour abou
Francois"
"Yes," Pietro agreed "The glamour
of his courage, Alike, of loyalty and un
selfishness; the qualities which make
what people call his charm. Francois
is unlike the rest of the world, l be
lieve, Alike"
Pietro talked on, the silent Pietro
as IL delivering a lecture. He had reaC
much and thought much; 1t was sci
dom he spoke of the speculations which
often filled his scholarly mind; today i
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 g
book! But it is true; something oi
that sort has come to ple. too-whict
| proves 1t to be true. / have felt al
ways that Francois had notes in him
which are not on our pianos" Pietro
smiled, looking at her.
"And yet, Alike, you do not love
Francois, with all these gifts and all
his power over hearts-but only com
monplace me?"
Alike Strengthened against his arm
Monsieur the Marquis Zappi, the gen
tleman I-care for, is not common
place. l thank you not to say it," she
shot at him, and then, melting to a
sudden intensity, she put hand on
each side of his dark face and spoke
earnestly. "Pietro, dear, listen. / be-
lieve I always cared for you. When
was little it hurt me to have Francois
forever the one to do the daring things
Do you remember how l used to scold
at you because you would not fight
him." Pietro smiled again. Then he
was captain of the school and you only
a private, and cried about that when
l was alone at night. And when you
went off to Italy so quietly, with never
word said about the danger, did not
know that you were doing fine deed
Il thought 1t commonplace that you
should go back to your country, till
Francois opened my eyes,"
ats rNn