The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7857, 27 June 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

I,' THE LAGGARD. y of - August was niflurnr it. ltoldul streams fell io from tile stone waterM&d. Alvak'ado do Menbat;' (titling aw unlit* tatolo Ut'Lurod with tajipts, and greasy cornavelopos of dovoui-ed turishing th« wish of all ha tribei ofoHiKloced wanItreUjy— tfiKt landlords fc in lieu of coin. Contemptuously aUjJut r .vhioh jpA the morrow a" fertifigftt's bir«. He its walls of TuiTy s;oWj| .yellow floftfcr suncilletl Iratfeg Intervals, neither rregubr,, Un» damp't | ick tby 'dirttilluakeß to a formation, the gabled l). woodoL mattress, covoarss .red tjlankcl, and Wardrobe, wtiosa dwors y Insisted, oil falling opj secrets 'of scantiness out. on ths corridjor MMr tn&, sagging iron the peet did now in his oBA couM look post the Eiterfcv crouched in th<y riag out into the rain}., limpae at th» atnect beJ: . wae, scant satisfactiiott ifl, 4pr there is no drearIs tfc* Mexican street ■arrow, mutiny street ras»&, dtffoiisil so lytg*vosk! .tc»d» to be a uld b» ttogj» .the Joss It were the dreary " tfao street received its ig : time ago, on just suchwould soon settle over s X«cuona, sums' ni hast*, found that ;®ny had returned to its tfaiHUiea body for shivvlliaßt youag prelate was tlite I'sKodi to. a simple I of the church, with, fihongk to .perform its exclaimed the poet in i r te a! ftr must .move, or I ' a* - witless as Padre U» Uendoza was bandit/curtain deficate, undent type, common in jctfuofc ot the struggling > wear shoes without 1 starve on sis; coursj «» u rs« a, spiced dab ol i Alvarado recalled rein his fathers ! wt he, commonly dined s worth of coarse Bidef." lie was waiting for I rtun« to seek him out " ol Padre IAo bis desk and stujaJculating .eye a penny WcSveljatjea I,+aF.s cafofearing sandalled footCorridor, ho tunned to te girl with a. flat basheari. Her unconfinud aad Buff-curling, f c u "■ her fa(fe in attendant "great dark eyw . anc( tyowq rfcin, j»ith «hocdaftout ttii# brows and, m, would have nva*. m days ol MentoBo critical of femn*,t£s poet, found her on the floor, . Urn Wu « rebozo that » lawiderodH garniMits n. aiftl spread it chr&- !&» fool' of the bfcd to Wteri -out the clothes, dollars fell from their Cheerily „ poB t hg 'e Pays better thaa mine MJRwt the youth m. your other patrons f rent, ifenWt. 1-31 tUtf wanted you to find it w months' rent natter." w you Hwe toilod tor t it, but only as a **> Pay you buck tenPy to serre the Benor.." >M tricklod irom i |, en tper lC ° S * tirt ' Poet i Alejandra." i|, senor/' She rested Sating oo tie edge ,of y we must give ourtogether, you and oag, beautiful . day in ft . •senor -! But your h-! " ho edhbed 1 wttfi SB-! '' VWieite have I a than you 1 & is too kind,"' she tftiseidly. » a green hillside, i and ck flowers I shall comto you, thfr&giueen ■ of familiarity ds Mind; to y- X delight in a pubuilt liko i, Greek temiOa faung with flowers, inouirtaiu water laving -wtaere kneel the brownl-

j armed NaisecaaSs). But I will await your dia de fiesta tyefore inditing the Tpoem." ■" They say that the saints give each. person just ope perfect (lay. . That will be mine." "Mine," he answered, '"will betha day when I first see- the woman I 1 am to- love for all time. There will ' be other days, but none so free from •dross as that first." " No," she said, '"it must be sivert to be loved, but loving is very sad. Prai against it, senor." "Aye, love is too often sad for suck as you," fee murmured, com- ' passionately. During th» ensuing rflence, the poet ' turned over -thoughtfully the manuscripts on tile table. The lavandena's bumble presence hunianiwid the ch«jrless robin aSI changed into a happy lilt the doleful trickle of the waterspouts "I believe I stay here by myself tpo rouci?/' toe bpg&n. <" I write of lile, death, and the universe as faraway abstractions when they are all Contained in the heart of a simple Inditiai like jioursfeii. I must share human experience and emotions'. Tomorrow I shall sit in the Alameda and be a harp for the b'reeifes of humanity to play upon." Thq sienor, is very wise, and it is not for me to understand! I must go now, or my mot,her will worry. She is blind and has only ine." : ; '•* Idp not know htonv to thank you, ami-ga," He . rose and iheld her shapely brown liantts with careless affection, unconscious how they thrilled and quivered, in his clasp. "In thee do I salute the spirit of our humanity, whjich is~, after all, apura flame of love and good-wiU." With whimsical solemnity be kissed Alo jandra's fingers as he released them. The lavamdera darted out into the rain, her whole self ol.iyj tWrob of pain and joy. The love that gives all, craves all, asks nothing, is so bitter that no one lifts the cup voluntarily, anid yet, if the sweetness of it could be distilled, prosperous lova would regard it enviously aw'd kings seek it on foot.

Long tree-shadows atill lay athwart the flower-beds when the poet kept tryst with himself in the Alameda. the following morning. p a le seedy students paced tfnje walks, muttering from bllack tomes and ignoring the early batries. Tlhe bright feathered foreigners in the bind-houHo screeched cheerfully; while bronzo Neptuna grasped his trident as if he) had a wind to spear the barelegged peones filling the birds' drinking-cups in the fountain pfool about his throne. i The porlic,) of the fanciful octagonal Moorish pavilion was strewn with fluttering white paper, worthless after oompar,ison with the prizedrawing numbers in 'the lottery bulletin beside the arched entrance. "Ah ! " exclaimed the poet beneath his bfreath, "j n the (jl'dless cycle ot death and life, what human dust may not be miWgled in , these fallen loaves of Nope—perhaps Midasand the beggarly poet unhoded at his gate, iJoth still tossed hither and yon by the breezes of aestiny." (To be continued').