The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-09-17
motionIess on his arm. And suddenly
a Thought shook him
TT can not bel" he gasped.

a thought shook him.
TT can not bel" he gasped.
And Alike lifted her face. and the
exaggerated black ashes lifted, and
Pietro's black hair bent down where
the light shone on the silver lines
through 1t. Up flashed her hand i'm
pulsively. gently-as Alike did things.
and touched the thick lock with an
infinitely delicate caress. "Your hair
is all turning gray" she whispered
In two quick breaths, and at that. in
some occult fashion Pietro knew.
1t makes little difference of what
wood the match Is made which sets
fire to the mine: it makes little differ
ence what words are spoken when
that tale is telling. Anything says it.
At a certain moment a man might re-
mark that grass was green, and a
woman might answer that it appeared
pink to her-and it would be love-
the very atmosphere about would do
the work; words are a detail. So does
the soul out-fy its slow vehicle OF
speech when the rushing mighty wind
OF such a feeling lifts and speeds it..
Pietro knew; for all his self-dfstrust
he drew her into his arms and held
her without one shadow of doubt that
she loved him and belonged to him.
For moments they had no need of
that n1aGeshift language; the great
mouse was very quiet. and one heard
the horses stamping in the paved
U 90 sa.a ana the groom singing. and
yet one did not hear it. Distant sounds
came from the village. but one only
knew that long after, in remembering
tLat morning. AL they knew was that
the CHEST OF a lifelong affection Of
erother and sister stood before them.
angel into whose face. for thesa srst
moments, they dared not look. Then
Slowly. exquiSftely, courage carna ava
hahd close in hand. they looked at each
other astonished. glad. It was Pietro
anu alike still. the ancient play-fel-
dear familiarity was there vet
pu! no longer were they brother
ana sister. And then, after a while
me began to compare notes Of things
When did you begin-to like me-
this way. P~ietro?"
I don't know" answered Pietro
stupidly. Does it make any differ
ence?" 49, u'hAef-
"A great deal Alike insisted. TITS
'm tRnt MT It's historical"
AihAa' however, returned tc the
charge. Last year," ~
Last year-what?' Pietro asked: he
mad already forgotten the question ..Ob
-laat L began to-Mon Dieu-no. Last
year! Why. I think it was the day I
came ano saw you riding Cog"
nonsense!" Alixe's voice was disany
pointed. But why, then. didn't Tor
ever say SO before this? We are both
a years old now. If you
loved me'-she spoke the word in a
loWer Volce-why, then, were you as
years" onese
II thought you cared for Francois"
you?" o'on :
Alike considered. st don't-thinkl
did perhaps. He dazzled me~Fran-
cois-wtthh his way Of doing all sorts Of
things brilliantly. and that wonderful
something about him which makes
everybody love him. He believed in
MS star; there was around him the ro-
nance OF the Emperors prophecy and
the romance Of the career which is. we
believe about to begin now: there was
always a glamour about Francois
Yes" Pietro agreed. "The glamour
OF MS courage, Alike, of loyalty and un-
~selftshness; the qualities which make
what people call his charm. Francois
is unlike the rest Of the world. I he.
lieve, Alike
Pietro stopped, then went on with an
unaccustomed e]loquence.
Whatever may be the hbers from
WITCH souIS are woven, InOSe OF Fran
co.'s We're SO adjusted from his birth
that things hard to most Of us are
easy to him. 1t has never been an ef-
fort for Francois to love and
to believe the best Of every one. Also.
things unreal to most are his realities.
he lives very close to that line over
which is inspiration or madness-men
call 1T either, according as 1t succeeds
or fails in this world. There are oues-
tlons yet to be understood, I believe,
which will account for Francois trick
Of vision-seeing. Perhaps a hundred
will know things about the human
mind which may make clear that
strange gift Of his. 1t may be that
there are powers Of the mind not now
understood. There may be a world of
mental possibility beneath conscious
ness"
Pietro talked on the silent Pietro, as
II delivering a lecture. He a read
much and thought much; it was seldom
he spoke Of the speculations which
often filled his scholarly mind; today it
seemed easy to talk of everything. Joy
had set wide all h doors Of his be-
ing. Alike opened her eyes in astonish
ment-
"Pietro!" You are-talking like a
book! But It is true: something Of
that sort has come to me, too-Which
proves 1t to be true. / nave felt always
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 w over hearts-but only COM
monplace meT"
Alike Strengthened against his arm.
Monsieur b Marquis Zappi, the gen.
tleman care for, is not commonplace.
thank you not to say it." she shot at
him, n hen melting to a sudden in
tensity. b put q hand on each side Of
his dark face and spoke earnestly.
"Pietro. dear, listen. I believe I always
cared for you. When I was little IL hurt
me to have Francois forever the one to
do the daring things. Do you remember
how I 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 I
cried about that when I was alone at
night And when you went off to Italy
so quietly, with never a word said
about the danger, I did not know that
you were doing a fine deed thought
it a commonplace that you should 90
back to your country. till Francois
opened my eyes,"
Francois? 2" Ptetro asked