MAY-FLOWERS.
��«3
��spair, for Linda surely seemed a reality ; had lie given his heart to a being that would ever float only in the wavering mists of dream, more unattainable than his former ideal, whom at least he could see ? The thought was madness, and he strode back in bitter grief to the rock where the vision of bliss had visited him. " Ah," he cried wildly, '•'the glow of Pygmalion's desire could never have been fiercer than this ; but even Pygmalion had a stone to clasp, and I can clasp nothing but vacant air." He threw himself violently upon the ground in a transport of despair. There were the very flowers that she had seemed to kiss, and he could al- most see the white folds of her virgin dress on the leaves. " Oh, Linda, Linda," he cried, " shall I never see you again !" antl he buried his face in the moss and leaves, moaning griev- ously.
A soft hand touched his shoulder ; he looked up ; it was'Linda. 'i'hrilled with an awful rapture, like one who sees a lost darling brought back from beyond the gates of the grave, Edgar Somerton struggled to his feet and looked at her with a wild ligh: in his eyes ; yes, it was truly she, and with- out a word he held out his arms, and clasped the white-robed maiden to his bosom. Instead of struggling, Linda laid her beautiful, fair head upon his convulsed breast, and he held her. oh, so close in his arms, till he felt the (juick heaving of her gentle bosom, and the pulses of her fluttering heart. " Oh, darling, darling," his voice was almost drowned in an agony of pas- sion, — '■ I thought you were lost, that t should never see you again," and he ])ressed her head closer to his breast with his hand.
•■ Oh, why did \ou not come yester- day?" she said, turning uj) her fi.ice so that he saw the bright tears upon her eyelashes and her cheek.
" Oh, you will never, never leave me again," he cried.
•• I would not," she replied tearfully, as she nestled in his arms, '•' but the
��time is short, the flowers are growing brown already."
"Yes, but you shall show me where you live : you shall go with me, and never, never leave me again."
" I do not think you understand," she said. " but I will come again."
" \Vhv do you say again ? " he cried reproaciifullv ; "you shall never go at all."
Ah, you know I must, the flowers fade so soon," she said wistfully.
" P)Ut our love need never fade," he said, and kissed her again and again.
They sat down upon a mossy stone, and talked a long time, though it would have been hard to say what they talked about. A voice rang through the wood, " Linda, Linda." '• I must go," she said ; " I can not come again until to- morrow, you know."
" If you go, 1 will go with you," he said.
"No. no. vou don't understand; come to-morrow." She pressed into his hand the cluster of May-flowers that had adorned her hair, and was gone. Edgar wished to follow, but he did not know which way to turn ; his limbs seemed to fail him, and he sank to the ground in a half-stupor. After a while he rose despondently ; but hope came back with the thought of the morrow. He had drop])ed the flowers that Linda had given him. and now he looked for them a long time in vain. They could not be lost, he thought ; he had not moved a step since she left him, and the ground was clear and even about him. It Ijegan to grow dusk, and he was forced to abandon the search. A sudden thought made him shudder : " Is this, too, a dream?" he muttered, but the feeling quickly .passed away, for he knew now that Linda, however mysterious, was at least a reality.
V.
A storm had been gathering in the warm May air, and when Edgar Som- erton awoke the next morning, he found the day cold and rainy. Too eager, however, to heed wind or
�� �
