The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-01-26
XII OMOLA mia" said the blind
scholar, "thou wilt reach
the naeflful Yolumes-thou

scholar, "thou Wilt reach
~ the needful volumes-thou
knowest them-on the fifth shelf Of
the cabinet"
Tito rose at the same moment with
komola, saying, II will reach them. II
you will point them out" and fol-
tcwed. her hastily into the adjoining
small room.
'~There they are" said Romola,
pointing upwaru; "every book is Just
where 1t was when my father ceased
t. see them"
Tito stood W her without Fastening
10 reach the books.
" hope" she continued, turning her
eyes full on Tito. with look Of grave
eonfidence-"I hope he will not weary
you; this work makes him so happy"
"And me too, Romola--if you only
let mo say, love you-if you will only
think me worth loving little"
His speech was the softest murmur.
and the dark beautiful face, nearer to
hers than 1t had ever been before,
was looking at her with beseeching
tenderness.
~ do love you," murmured Romola;
she looked at him with the same sim
pie majesty as ever, but her voice had
never In her life before sunk to that
murmur. It seemed to them both that
they were looking at each other long
while before her lips moved again;
yet It was but moment till she said,
n know now what 1t Is TO be happy"
The faces just met, and the dark
curls mingled for An instant with the
rippling gold. Quick o. lightning after
that, Tito set his foot on projecting
ledge Of the book shelves and reached
down the needful volumes. They were
both contented to be silent and sep
arate. for that FIRST blissful experience
Of mutual consciousness was all the
more exquisite for being unperturbed
BY immediate sensation.
It had all been a. rapid as the ir-
reversible mingling Of waters, for even
the eager and Jealous Bardo had not
become impatient.
+, Whey they told her father, he
wanted time for reflection. "Be patient
my children; you are very young"
~No more could be said. and Ro-
mola's heart was perfectly satisfied.
Not 90 Tito's. II the subtle mixture
Of good and evil prepares suffering for
human truth and purity. there is also
suffering prepared for the wrongdoer
By the same mingled conditions. As
Tito kissed Rom0la ON their parting
that evening the very strength Of the
thrill that moved his whole being at
the sense that this woman, whose
beauty It was hardly possible to think
Of az anything but the necessary con-
sequence of her noble nature, loved
him with all the tenderness that spoke
In her clear eyes. brought strong
reaction Of regret that he had not kept
himself free from that first deceit
which had dragged him into the dan.
ger Of being disgraced before her.
There. was a spring Of bitterness min
gled With that fountain Of sweets"
George Eliot's magnificent study of
character concerns itself with Flor
ence 1t the time when Christopher
Columbus was discovering America,
when 6avonar0la was prior Of Saint
Marks and ruled the city by his
moral energy and his fanaticism, when
his pluus frenzies. his visions, and his
predictions Of heavenly wrath seemed
20 the majority Of his fellow citizens
- coming from q more than mortal
source; when Charles the Eighth OF
France Invaded Italy; when the plague
brought dire dismay; when the city
was distrnught by the struggles Of the
austere devotees Of SavOnarola and
the CAV partisans Of pleasure; when
the mighty ones Of the land were
united against poor distracted Flor
ence; when Piero de- Medici was con
spring to regain the power once hello
By Lorenzo the Magnificent; when I'm
ally Florence turned against Savon
arOla.s and he met his death IL
ignominy or martyrdom. as one viewet
It as foe or partisan. Across the seem
there fit the figures Of Pico deli
Nirandola, Of Fra Bartolommeo. o
D0menico Ghirlandajo, Of Cosslmo d
Piero, Of Poliziano, Of Bernardo de
Nero, OF Strozzis and Tornabuonis, o
epecolo Machiavelli. Of "promlsin