Show What Eyes Can Tell I READ a story the other day a a story story- of a a college students student's trip to the Worlds World's Fair a story full of life fun and wild escapades bubbling over with good humor stirring scenes and vivid descriptions de de- a a story one likes to read It takes me back to what seems like ages though in reality only two short years and one by one the souvenirs of those halcyon days of mine rhine spent in the White City staring down at me from my study walls call back old memories tender sweet and sad There is a gentle breeze blowing and it stirs the oriental fan hanging near the fireplace and giving forth at each rustle the lingeringly sweet smell of myrrh Near this hangs a sword made of tiny pentagonal shaped pentagonal shaped coins How well wellI I remember the night I bought it from an old hag haggling ling Turk L down on the Midway Plaisance who wished to charge me five tim times s the actual p price ice of the trinket but who after a long season of bargaining on my part while cousin Tessa looked on and laughed came down to the level of my pocket pocket- book At my elbow on my desk is the therose rose rose jar jar fron from the Moorish Palace full of crumpled rose leaves but in wh which ich the theordor theordor order of Eastern spices completely conceals conceals conceals con con- ceals the seen scent t of the roses Ah around that what tender memories hover It Itis Itis Itis is the very one I gave to Marie at leaving leaving leaving leav leav- ing just two years ago yes ago yes yes two years ago tonight And Marie had said that she would always keep it in memory of that happy evening spent on the Midway with Aunt Peggy Teddie Polly Joe Joeand Joeand Joeand and the rest For Marie was my sweetheart sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- heart though I had not thought so until that night when something in Maries Marie's ees eyes those eloquent brown eyes made my heart beat fast and my voice tremble as I bade her goodnight Why had I not thought of her in that light before I cannot tell unless it was that growing up together since childhood childhood childhood child child- hood our friendship had been heen of such a nature as to shut out all ideas of love love love- at least on my part As for Marie that lightning glance had permitted me to gaze down through the liquid depths of her her brown eyes into her pure heart and though all her secret was not open to my view there was a hint vague and shadowy of love which would awaken at a touch from me Was I conceited in this thought This was the tormenting tormenting torment torment- in ing g question I a asked ked myself all the way home that night and even after I had gone to bed for the hauntingly sweet thought that Marie loved me gave me meno meno meno no rest I longed for and yet dreaded my next meeting with Marie How should I how would she act I foolish fellow entirely overlooked the fact of her knowing knowing knowing know know- ing absolutely nothing of my tion of her glance whose significance perhaps she never dreamed of And so it was with a mixture of feelings feelings feelings feel feel- ings that I went to Pullman next time timeto to see Marie l only to find her gone with her father on a business tri trip p to Colorado My disappointment was intense On my way thither I had pictured to myself myself myself my my- self our meeting how by my hand-clasp hand by my glance by that subtle sympathy between two kindred minds I meant to let her know that I came not as friend but as wooer Now instead of with Marie I talked with her sister Beryle and her dignity impressed me as never before She reminded me of Marie who too in spite of her youth had a sort of gentle dignity which won the respect respect respect re re- of all that knew her Left at the age of sixteen with the care of a large family of children Marie had early learned to rely on her own strength for her father Major Moore heart-broken heart at the death of his beautiful wife had plunged into a vortex of stock-gambling stock and dissipation and could give her little assistance in rearing the small brothers and sisters left in her charge by her angel mother Boryle ryle was just eighteen a II sweet sweet girl graduate and possessed an amount of clear sightedness clear sightedness surprising surprising surprising ing in one so young This dignity which I perceived in her gave me the greatest satisfaction It showed her capable capable capable cap cap- able of taking upon herself the cares that had been Maries Marie's so long and M Marie rie need not hesitate to leave her task to such a one Marie had been gone about three e weeks when I prepared to go again to Pullman I went to the little Forty- Forty third Street Station and was about to board the train when I perceived at the farther end of the platform Major Moore In hastening to meet him I was struck by his terrible appearance His face was bloodless his hollow eyes encircled by dark rings For some time the Major had bad seemed in ill-health ill but today he looked positively ghastly A worse spree than usual thought I with a throb of sympathy for Marie The Major took both my hands in his without saying a word Rather sure surprised surprised sur sur- e at his unusual manner I asked i quickly Where is Marie Mane 7 He nodded toward the train II In In there my boy in there Im I'm bringing her home More likely she is bringing you I thought looking at his figure once soldierly soldierly soldierly sol sol- dierly and erect now stooped and emaciated I was impatient to see Mal Marie ie so without further words walked M toward the passenger coach N Not ot there man he said hoarsely f but pointing to the baggage car II in in l there t What can he mean II I asked myself as I walked toward the car indicated Marie surely cannot be in there Oh shall I ever forget the rude shock I experienced at seeing on the floor of the baggage car baggage car with all its dread significance a long coffin shaped box A deadly mountain-fever mountain in one of the mining-camps mining she had visited with her father had seized her in its fatal grasp and in a few hours there remained nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing of the bright beautiful Marie I had known save the cold waxen figure in that narrow gloomy prison And that was the end of my fond dream I should never on earth know the meaning of that glance never win from her lips the sweet confession for which her eyes had bade me hope I was overcome by the thought Gods God's decree seemed pitiless t and I felt there was nothing left to live for But I was compelled to forget my myown myown myown own grief in my effort to assuage that of the stricken family 1 I made it my duty to console as best I could old Maj Major or Moore now thoroughly overcome by despair but to my joy he dia not plunge deeper into the whirl of I tion in which he had before tried to drown his sorrow but realizing the youth and inexperience of Beryle now left to be a mother to her doubly doubly- doubly bereaved bereaved brothers and sisters he spent most of his time at home and for the first time since their mothers mother's death the children felt the real tenderness of a watchful parents parent's care Beryle at first seemed crushed by the blow then rallying at the imperative call of duty with that gentle dignity and steadfastness of purpose that I admired so so much i in her took her place in the household and tried to fill the void left by her sister It became my greatest joy if joy it could be called with that sense of incompleteness in my heart to spend the long Sunday afternoons talking talking talking talk talk- ing with Beryle in the little room which used to be Maries Marie's sanctum filled with her books her music and innumerable little trinkets many of which I myself had given her All these seemed to speak of her and as I sat there with Beryle so much was the living sister like the dead that I seemed to be with my old old old- shall I call her sweet-heart sweet or friend Not that Beryle was like Marie in looks for she was light while Marie had been dark her eyes blue whereas Maries Marie's were brown but there was the same sweet character shining out of her expressive expressive expressive ex ex- eyes as had shown out out of the eyes of my Marie These days of sweet companionship were inexpressibly dear to me Our mutual love ove for the dead seemed to have linked us in a bond closer than that of brother and sister for it was one forged by affection alone The weeks passed on and the anniversary anniversary anniversary anni anni- of Maries Marie's death came round Beryle and I walked out to the cemetery and back again our hearts too full for speech and then in the twilight sitting at Maries Marie's little piano in her sweet silvery tones Beryle sang the song Marie had loved the best that old old song Under the Daisies II and its significance significance significance cance never felt before now thrilled me through and through as I tried to make myself feel the truth of those last sad lines tl And so better to have lived as we did The summer of love together And that one of us tired and lay down to rest Eer the coming of winter weather For the saddest of love is love grown cold And one of its sure surest t phases v So I bless my lot though with breaking heart heartt For that grave with daisies The beautiful beautiful daisies The snowy snowy daisies When her soft voice ceased there was wasa a deep silence in the room I sat with my head buried in my hands Beryle took a seat near me and toyed with the little rose-jar rose I had given Marie sifting through her fingers the spicy petals It was wa then that I told her what I had never breathed before of my love for Marie She listened attentively with her eyes on my face and when I asked her if she thought me conceited in interpreting Maries Marie's look as I had she said softly No Harry you were right Marie told me she loved you Ah what happiness to know at last And now you understand why I love loveto to come here so much I continued being her sister you seem almost like mine and you will be my dear little sister will you not Beryle Was it the word sister where she had thought for another which wrung that look from her A look which once before had startled me from a womans woman's eyes But this time a look of keenest pain back of which one could read read but but why speak of that sacred secret which was revealed to me by that sudden glance which opened a vista of undreamed undreamed undreamed un un- dreamed of happiness before my wondering wondering wondering wonder wonder- ing eyes There a breeze is blowing again the wood sandal-wood fan wafts its perfume down downto to me and the sweet scent from the rose- rose jar seems to float weirdly round the pic pic- ture of of- Marie on the easel and I ga gaze gaze- long at the beautiful portrait Yes those eyes were eloquent liquid but now they gaze meaninglessly at me from the canvas canyas and I turn quickly at a light step on the threshold to look with the utmost tenderness into the violet love love- lit orbs of my my wife Edyth Ellerbeck 1 r 9 |