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THE HESPERIAN
Wna tbio his love his Laura ? The features
wore hers and the soft lines of the face and
the golden hair. "Who but she had such
hair? And the ring on the hand behold?
Ho well know that ring. Ho bont forward
and pressed the kiss on his bride's lips.
Then ho drew the silken veil back over her
face as one might lay a handkerchief over
the face of the dead. And the wedding
party left the church; and the young man
took his bride to their homo; and tho people
went their way and talked.
What had he felt? What seen? Per
haps ho himself could not have said at first.
But after long days haunted by a white,
listless face with gray, faded lips and eyes
whence never camo the soul's light, a face
framed in a floss of unliving gold; and after
long days when he know the horror of lying
beside a still, dead thing, a dead thing that
had once been dearer than life to him then
he could toll. And as the days and the
nights glided ghost-like away, she was ever
the same. Not once was a smile on her
lips. Not once a gleam of life hi hoi eyes.
III.
On a couch in tho midst of a tapestry
hung room lay a beautiful woman. The
crimson light from tho rod-curtained windows
hovered softly about her revealing the fair
ness of her dark-hued face and the charm
of her serpent grace.
A curtain was drawn aside and a young
man entered. Tho woman smiled and half
rose on the couch. "I knew you would
come," she said, and her voice was silver
toned. "Have you wearied of tho dead
and are come seeking tho living? am
alive."
Tho young man stepped unsteadily toward
her. His face was whito and wan a pitiful
face.
"Give me back my Laura," he cried
huskily. "Give her to mo again. My
Laura !"
Tho woman's eyes glittered. She started
up passionately. Thon she laughed her
low, cruel hyena laughter.
"Take
a quick
"Have you lost your Laura?" she asked
mockingly. "Is tho dead thing gone?
That is too bad. But why come to me for
her? Do I steal corpses?" Her voice had
become a contemptuous hiss.
A bright savago light was born in the
young man's oyes. His face hardened.
"No; damn you," he cried, "you do not
steal corpses. But you steal souls. You
have stolen hers, am7, unless you give it back
your life shall pay for it." There was
menace in his tone and a knife gleamed in
his hand.
Tho woman smiled gently. She leaned
back on tho cushioned couch and drew back
the robe from her shapely bosom. "Strike,"
she said. Now her voice was low and
sweet. "You have all there over was of
your Laura a dead body. I can give you
no more. Strike, if you wish."
"You lie," screamed tho man.
that, you she-devil !" Ho dealt
blow full on tho shapely bosom while the
dark oyes still turned to him smiling. Then
ho raiaed tho curtain and was gone.
On tho cushioned couch lay the woman's
form in all its reptilian graco. On her dark
face its own dark smile was fixed by death.
The red glare rented on hor blood-colored
robe and on the scarlet stream flowing from
her breast. After a while night came and
swallowed all in its gloom.
IV.
People had talked about tho peculiar con
duct of a certain young man on his wodding
day. At first it bafllod explanation, bat
soon came hints and rumors that his marriod
life was not all joy. It was said his wife
wua iiiHimo. But now this was changed and
pooplo were wondering again. Tho wife
had unexpectedly recovered. Suroly no ono
knew a more pleasing hostess or companion
than alio. Always she was bright and witty
and talked as sanely as anyone. She seemed
to live entirely for hor husband. She was a
model of wifely devotion. Yet despite all
this ho was more gloomy and morose than
before. Nay, worse; it was known that ho
