Out of the Past — page 56: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Out of the Past. 53 Spring was in her heart again. The love of beauty flooded over her sorrow like a freshening tide over blis- tering rocks. Seated in the concert hall, the first stroke of the drums in the orchestra was a gladdening shock and fillip to her imagination, which stirred a host of thoughts that en- livened her face to exquisite beauty. Robert came into the box and sat back in the shadow where he could watch the audience. But no lover of. beauty could look beyond Rose to the host of ordinary faces crowding the circular audience chamber. He thought he could adore such a face, or, better still, could worship before it as before a shrine and make it the in- termediary between his soul and heaven. What unex- pected waves of expression passed over its lovely con- tours ; how sweet were its soft lines and its brilliant eyes; how exceedingly the soul within must rejoice in its taber- nacle. Rose was leaning over the balustrade of the box with parted lips and eager solicitude when Robert stood out upon the small dais which was placed well before the orchestra and nearly in the centre of the auditorium. She smiled upon him—and that was how Robert Dins- more stormed the audience at his debut with Lamoureux. CONNIE OOO Sri