FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  
been dead," said Violet slowly. "I've just come to life." "My darling!" Olga said. "Yes. Isn't it queer? It was so strange, Allegro. I went right up to the very door of Paradise. But I suffered a lot first. I suffered--horribly. And when I got there--the door was shut in my face." Violet uttered a curious little laugh that had in it a note of pain. "That was when I died," she said. Olga stooped to kiss her. "It was a dream," she said. "Oh, but it wasn't," said Violet. She threw her arms unexpectedly around Olga's neck, and held her very tightly, as if she were afraid. "Allegro," she said under her breath, "I believe I left my soul behind. It's up there, waiting for the door to open. I hope it won't get lost." The words sent a sharp chill through Olga. She held her friend closely, protectingly. "Darling, I don't think you are quite awake yet," she said very tenderly. "Stay in bed for a little while, and I'll dress and get your breakfast." "Oh, no! Oh, no! I'm going to get up!" Quickly Violet made reply, almost feverishly. "I couldn't possibly lie still and do nothing. I've got to find the way out. It's very dark, but I daresay I shall manage. Blind people learn to, don't they? And that's what has happened to me, really. I've gone blind, Allegro, blind inside." She put Olga from her, and prepared to rise. Her eyes were very bright, but there was a curiously furtive look about them. They seemed afraid to look. "Wait anyhow till you have had some tea," urged Olga. "I'll run down and order it." "No, don't go, Allegro! Don't leave me! I don't want to be alone." Impetuously Violet stretched out her hands to her. "Don't go!" she pleaded. "I'm so afraid--he--will come. And I don't want him to know anything about it. You won't tell him? Promise, Allegro!" "Who, dear?" Olga asked the question though she knew the inevitable answer. She was becoming seriously uneasy, though she sought to reassure herself with the thought that Violet's nerves were of the high-strung order and could scarcely have failed to suffer from the strain they had undergone. Violet answered her with obvious impatience. "Why, Max, of course! Who else? Promise you won't tell him, Allegro!" "Tell him what, dear?" questioned Olga. Violet started up from her bed and sprang to the open door. She closed it and stood facing Olga with arms outstretched across it. Her breath came pantingly through dilated nostrils. "You're not to tell him
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Violet
 

Allegro

 

afraid

 
breath
 

Promise

 

suffered

 

outstretched

 

started

 

questioned

 

sprang


closed

 
facing
 

nostrils

 
dilated
 
prepared
 

inside

 

bright

 

curiously

 

furtive

 

pantingly


Impetuously

 

failed

 

scarcely

 

suffer

 

answer

 
strain
 

inevitable

 

uneasy

 

nerves

 

reassure


strung

 

sought

 
question
 

undergone

 

pleaded

 

thought

 

stretched

 

obvious

 

answered

 

impatience


unexpectedly
 
stooped
 

waiting

 

tightly

 

curious

 
darling
 

slowly

 
strange
 
horribly
 

uttered