Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-28
THE EVENING STORY
One of WorId-Famous Works of Literature

'You shall not dier she cried. "You
shall marry me after ALL
you seem to think, madam" replied
Denis, that I stand much in fear OF
death"
"Oh, no. nor she said. 1T see you
are no poltroon. 1t is for my own sake
could not bear to have you slain for
such a scruple."
Il am afraid" returned Denis, "that
you underrate the difficulty, madam
What you may be too generous to re-
fuse may be too proud to accept. In
a moment of noble feeling you forget
what you perhaps owe to others"
He had the decency to keep his eyes
upon the floor as he said this She
stood silent for moment, then walked
| suddenly away, and, sitting down in a
chair, fairly burst out sobbing. Denis
was in the acme of embarrassment. He
look around as If to seek for inspira-
ton, and, seeing stool, pumped down
upon it. There he sat and waited for
the dawn.
Oftener and oftener as the time went
on did his glance settle on the girl Her
face was bowed forward and covered
with her hands, and she was shaken at
intervals by the convulsive shakings of
grief, Even thus she was not an UNI
pleasant object to dwell upon, so plump
skin and the most beautiful hair, Denis
thought, in the whole world of woman
kind. Her hands looked infinitely soft
and careSsing. He remembered her
blue eyes, covered now. And the more
he dwelt on her perfection the uglier
death looked and the more deeply was
he smitten with penitence at her con-
tinued tears. Now he felt that no man
could have the courage to leave a world
which contained so beautiful a crea-
ture, and now he would have given 40
minutes of his last hour to have I'M
said his cruel speech.
Come hither to the window" he
said with sigh. Here is the dawn"
The daylight kept flooding insensibly
out of the East, which was soon to grow
incandescent and cast up that red-hot
cannon ball, the rising sun.
Denis looked out over all this with a
bit of a shiver. He had taken Blanche's
hand-they had somehow grown closer
to each other during their mostly silent
communion there the two long hours
his almost unconsciously.
Has the day begun already?" she
said. And then. illogically enough
The night has been so long! Alas!
What shall we say to my uncle when he
returns?"
What you will" said Denis. And he
pressed her fingers in his. She was
silent.
Blanche" he said with a swift, I'M
certain, passionate utterance, you
have seen whether 1 fear death. You
must know we'll enough that 1 would as
gladly leap out of that window into the
empty air as lay finger on you with
out your free and full consent. But IL
you care for me at all, do not let me
lose my lie IN misrepresentation, for
love you better than the whole world.
And, though I will die for you blithely,
1t would be like all the joys of Paradise
TO live on and spend my life in your
service"
AS he stopped speaking a bell began
to ring loudly in the interior of the
house, and a clatter of armor in the
corridor showed that the men-at-arms
were returning to prevent Denis es-
cape, and the time was at an end.
After all that you have heard?" she
whispered, leaning toward him with her
lips and eyes.
Il have heard nothing" he replied.
And your pride?"
1T is a small love that SHES at a
little PRIDE"
The captains name was Florimond
de Champdievers," she said in his ear.
Il did not hear it." he answered.
taking her supple body in his arms and
covering her wet face with kisses.
A melodious chirping was audible be-
hind, followed by beautiful chuckle.
and the voice of the Sire de Maletroit
wished his new nenheuy q oo0d y,,or,,i,,or