New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-11

whose boughs bend under the weight Of the
apples. Beneath them stands blond maiden,
who also gazes wistfully down the road She
writes me that she knows | cannot come up
that road just yet. Still she must stand there
every evening and look down the highway"
"She. too?" exclaimed Simone ut is strah-e.
When Alfred was gone couldn't keep out Of
sight Of the highway. / stood there always
and kept my eyes fixed on the road by which
he would return to me-"
at is strange" sighed.
"And why didn't you stay back there in your
white houses and with your blond maidens!
Why must you come and take everything away
from us? What has one, then-a little happi-
ness, and even that is taken away"
81 don't know l groaned. Perhaps that
the white houses over there and the old women
in their cosey corners and the maidens under
the apple trees might be little safer"
"And we can perishl" said Smone gloomily.
The moon had again emerged from the
shadow Of the clouds and shone brightly on US.
"Oh, now you can see him." she cried. "How
beautiful he is, and how calmly he sleeps"
With an effort raised myself little and
saw Il TOuIu, pdle, UOylSH IdCt Inc eyes "Sie
closed, the white lips little relaxed, as though
they smiled On the lower part of the brow
was a black spot Smone wept Her tears
fell on the white cheek of the dead youth and
sparkled there.
"How beautiful he isl" Simone went on. "He
looked like that the last night l saw him. I
couldn't sleep. | was tortured by the thought
that should never see Alfred again. I stole
out of my room and up the little staircase to
Alfred's ROOM I was afraid. The moon shone
so bright the steps of the staircase creaked and
on the wall shadow followed me, black
silent figure.
Sup in his room he lay in his bed asleep.
The moonlight fell on his face It seemed to
me as calm and pale as see it now. | did
not dare to waken him. | stood there, gazed
at him and wept, and felt as if my heart
would break. Then stole down again to my
ROOM"
eyes, he is beautiful" said, in order to
please Simone.
She lifted her eyes and looked sharply at me.
How young are you?" she asked. "As
young as Alfred and as pale as Alfred"
| sank back YEARLY and made no reply.
mo" answered, 81 don't think it is hard.
1t takes us off quickly enough-if only there
was no pain and no freezing and no thirst"
Simone fumbed at her Dress drew out some
thing and handed it to me.
"Herel" she said. 81 brought it for Alfred.
Now it doesn't matter. Alfred will pardon me-"
| saw a small wine bottle | took it, put 1t
to nv lips and drank the sourish wine greedily.
When it was empty I handed the bottle back
to her and said
Il thank you. You are very kind "
Kind" exclaimed Simone in her deep but
now less irritated voice. when we ought to
be kind we can't be, and it's the same way
when we ought to be unkind. 1t is our
nature"
The drink had refreshed me. Yet | felt
suddenly great weakness The moon over
head seemed to grow dim. Black shadows
fitted over the moonlit ground.
as that death?" I thought.
tried to speak, but could utter only dis
connected, meaningless words: "Bitter-bitter
we are-young and pae-some day the
others-they will be happy-white houses
sunlt mills-the green country with the yell
low roads"
Everything grew dark before my eyes My
senses left me. I only had an indstnct feel
ing as if something warm was being spread
about me.
The next morning the ambulance corps men
found me there wrapped in Smone's black
cloak.