Evening star., 1926-03-23

|
crimson cloak. and Padralc
! ~ sprang forward to assist her.
! She had on one of her tilmy
gowns, shading from sea green 10
! white. and on her head was u curious
! Persian headdress Of plant silver.
| Her eyelids. heavy from the unshed
tears of last night. gave new mystery
to her slanting eyes.
You are not a river witch. but a
mermaid" said Padraic. in a low voice
as he took the great. ruby cloak from
her shoulders. Holding 1t crushed
against his breast he continued:
I ''On the coast of Ireland, where my
| home is, the sea women wear just
such cloaks as this. and If they leave
one on the rocks while playing in the
shallow water. and if a mortal finds 1t
! the mermaid will have to follow him
! and do all his will
! His voice shook in uttering the last
words. With a sudden gesture he
! tossed the cloak aside, with another
caught and held her crushed against
| him in its place.
| Il have your crimson cloak-YOu
must do my will love you-You
must love me-
! His face was close TO hers-his
! breath upon her-lIis dark. brilliant
eyes, so near her own looked enor-
nous, and there was a glare in them
that seemed more like the glare of
| hatred than of love to her aghast be-
wilderment.
! Straining back her long throat,
rearing back her head aside and away
! from his. she tried to curve back her
body also in his fierce hold. and she
! kept gasping:
/ "No-no-no-no-" like n child
caught in a cataleptic nightmare.
! Love me--love me" Padraic went
! on repeating. his eyes devouring hers,
! forcing them TO look from side to side
, in order 10 escape that eating stare
of his. Shr w; afraid to close them
! lest the implied surrender might lead
| him to touch her mouth with his. She
| thought that if be fastened his lips on
! hers she would die then and there. If
| this was love it was unspeakably terri
| flying. A scrap from some chaos Of
words fioated back to her-"Love is
| a dread Cod
i But Padraic did not kiss her. He
would kiss no woman against her will.
She found herself released. guided to
a low chair. Into this she trembled
down. not feeling her own limbs under
her. her heart racing. the hair wet
upon her forehead.
And now Padraic was crOuched
beside her his face hidden against
her knees He was trembling too. and
his clutching hands burnt through her
filmy gown. But their flame sent no
thrill along her nerves, though she
had the oldest sensa ton of dissolving
INTO ashes beneath them. of becoming
bodily light as fluff. with a pin point
Of consciousness somewhere. deep
down and far away. that kept con.
tracing g-contracting-~W withdrawing
Withdra wing -1eeper--farther-1t was
a quite new and dreadful feeling.
Could she be going to faint? Padraic's
voice reused her.
She literally could not speak. Her
lips were dry, her throat was dry, it
was as If she were withered by some
unearthly. invisible ray.
AT least tell me YOU don't hate
me he muttered on. You looked
as if YOU hated me Just now"
She managed to say huskily:
II do not hate you"
He had his arms about her at once
still kneeling beside her. his face
lifted imploringly to hers. His eyes
were no longer fierce and glaring.
They were wet. and the blue fame in
them had died down to a. soft glow.
Forgive me for being so rough" he
pleaded Starving men are apt to
be violent. VIII you forgive me?'
Celia felt regretful tenderness well
ing suddenly in her breast. This was
love. and she had hated it. No man
had ever really loved her before, and
she had met his love with repulsion.
There is nothing to forgive"
she said. her voice still husky.
"And you don't hate me-"
''How could hate your
"Will you love me them
Her body gave a sort of restrained
culver as though longing to leap clear
of his arms. She murmured, very
low:
How can | tell?"
"Oh, Melusine.' groaned Padraic,
again. hiding his impassiOned face
from her, You are indeed half a.
The Irish in him wanted to say "half
a fish," for he was a little angry with