The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-31 00:00:00

one ma not see him, but after numerous inquiri, s
I lcarnt that he lived in a small town in the south,
and Bianca, informed by me, wrote to him."
"And she concealed this from me. How extra-
ordinary 1' exclaimed Pia.
"She never informed me that she had a sister,"
eplied her visitor, "although I gave her so many
proofs of my regard and devotion. It was only by
chance yesterday that I heard who you were. . . .
She carried her discretion—or rather her reserve
—to excess. Did she ever tell you where elm
lived ?"

"No, although I often asked her."
"I applied," continued the lady, "to the old
woman who keeps a lodging-house in the Eue des
Abbesses, the same who carried some flowers yester-
day to the cemetery, and not even to excellent
Madame Cornu has Bianca spoken of you. W hen
she came to pay you her evening visits she said she
was going for singing lessons. I did not know she
ever went out in the evening, for she came to me
only in tho morning, and talked about her father.
Her only thought was of seeing him."
"But did she not see him asked the young
girl.
"Alas! no; and it was that which killed her."
"What do you say r
"Have they told you how your sister died F"
enquired the lady, after a brief silence.
" TI-oy told me she died suddenly," murmured
Pia, -sr ih tears in her eyes.
"She died from grief."
" How im

"She had a heart disease. She had just heard
that your father refused to receive her—that he
denied the relationship—and the shock kided her."
" Is it possible!" moaned Pia.
"It is too true: To the supplicating letter she
wrote, reminding him that he had two daughters,
he replied coldly, and the poor child had not streng th
to bear the blow."

"It is frightful ! " sobbed the girl, throwing her-
self on a chair which happened to be
,near othpr-
wise she would have fallen as she did once in
Freneure's studio.

The lady raised her hand and wiped away her
tears with a cambric handkerchief, and said gently,
"Do not despair, my child. Men are forgetful, and
your father has doubtless given way to a feeling of
anger at your sister singing for a living; but his
heart may change—it will change, I hope, and he
will not refuse to you what he has to his elder
child ; he will come to your assistance.'
"No, no. I shall ask nothing from him," said
Pia, raising her head. "He shall never hear me
spoken of."
The lady at these words changed countenance.
"I greatly admire your spirit," she said, after a
moment's pause, "and shall not dare to disapprove,
if you persist in your resolution not to seek the help
which your sister was unable to obtain. But it Is
time you should know who I am and why I am come
here. My name is Madam Blanchelaine. My
husband is wealthy. We reside in Paris, but each
year we travel during the fine season. We have
been in Italy three times, and intend to return there,
for we have a great love for your beautiful country.
I have already told you that I made your sister's
acquaintance on one of these excursions, and became
attached to her. The news of her death was a
dreadful shock to me, and I welcomed the news that
my beloved Bianca had a sister, for I vowed to
transfer to that sister all the affection with which
she whom we mourn had inspired me. I learnt from
Madame Cornu where you lived—she ascertained it
yesterday at the cemetery.. I begged her to obtain
particulars of your position, and an artist of her
acquaintance—a Monsieur Binos—told her that your
only resource for a living was to sit as a model in
painters' studios. When I heard that I resolved to
offer you a bettcr life."
"I thank you, madam; but I want nothing
better," murmirwed the girl
"I understand, my child. I know you are sen-
sible and economical, and have conducted yourself
most correctly and saved a little money, but foigive
me for saying so, I see no future for you in your
profession. You will not always be beautiful, and
when you have reached an age when you are no
longer of service as a model--"
"I shall not wait till then. I have determined
not to sit again," said Pia.
"What do you intend to do ?" asked her visitor.
"I shall return to Subiaca, where I was born, and
where my mother died."

"To gubiaco ! What an extraordinary coinci-
dence! My husband and I were there two years
ago. We only passed through it then; but we
found your mountains so charming that we have
decided to go there this spring, and remain until
the end of the summer. Why should you not
aoc‘...mpany us ?"
" If.madam ! You forget I am but a poor 01 !
I am going to resume the occupation I had before
coming to France. I mean to be once more a goat-
herd.'

"To our goats, then," said Madame Blanchelaine,
with a kindly smile. "We will buy a herd on pur-
pose. My husband grants all my wishes, and I have
set my heart upon not parting from you—so listen,
my dear Pia. You are all alone in the world, since
your father has repelled Bianca, and you will not
make any effort to touch his heart ?"
't Never !" said Pia, with energy. "He shall
never know of my existence !"
"Well, then, I, who possess nearly everything
necessary to happiness in this world, I yet need one
blessing. I have no children—it is the great grief
of my life. I once indulged a dream, which quickly
vanished. I fondly thought to adopt your sister,
should your father refuse to acknowledge her—to
treat her and to love her as my own daughter. My
husband shared my desire. We should have seen her
married, and some day have left her all our fortune.
But death has taken Bianca from us. You remain;
and it rests with you to restore the hope we have
lost. Pia, my dear Pia, will you accept me as your
mother?" OHAP 2
"My mother !" repeated Pia, drooping her head.
"Alas, I have lost her."

"Let me replace her," said. the lady quickly.
"Your sister, whom I loved so much, would not
have refused me any happiness that was in her
power to grant. I dared not propose to adopt be;
because I believed her:father would receive her; but
when I found he was heartless—that he repelled his
child—my resolution was taken. If Bianca had
lived I should have said to her, Come to us; our
house is open to you. You shall never leave us.'
And I feel sure she would have come."

1‘ My eister would never have deserted me," said
Pia.

_
"Oh, no. She would have spoken to me about you;
she would have led me here. I should have begged
you not to leave her. You could ,not have resisted
my entreaties and hers. You would have consented
to live with her at my house, and I should have had
two daughters instead of one. God has called her
to himself; but you live, Pia. You are like her, an
orphan—alone in the world without friends or rela-
tions, since your father has the barbarity to disavow
his children. You will not fly from the friends who
open their arms to receive you!"
"I thank you for your kindness, madam," mur-
mured the girl, "but as I have said I desire to return
to Italy."
"And I have told you that we—my husband and
myself—are going there; that our ;intention is tc
pass the summer in your native place. Nothing
could suit better than that. We should make the
journey together. When would you like to leave,
my dear Pia ?"
"I know not," sobbed the child.
" We will fix the day that will suit you best."
"You are too good; but I cannot promise to ac-
company you.
"Why not ? Have you not decided to leave
France F"
yes!,

'lt is better you should go as soon as possible,
especially as you have determined not to sit again
in studios. If you remain here your resources will
soon be exhausted."

"I shall not remain. I may possibly leave to-
morrow, but I cannot go until I shall have seen
some one who is coming to bid me adieu 1"
"Thou there is somebody who is interested in you.
lam happy to hear it. I should like to know this
friend,faithful in misfortune, and talk to him about
my plan of going into Italy. I would promise him
to replace his care for you."
"Then !" asked Pia, after a moment's hesitation,
"you do not object to my consulting him ?"
(To be continued.)

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

A new poetess from the West remarks: " If love
you give no more I'll ask," When this poetess has
gained a little more experience she will learn that there
are times when a single cold potato possesses more
intrinsic worth than a whole moonlight evening full
of love.

"Mildred, dear," said Amy to the High School
girl, yesterday, " I am laying the ropes for a new silk
dress." "Not laying your ropes, Amy," replied
Mildred, "but extending your filaments."
Harvard Professor—Gentlemen will please close
their books." After the lapse of a few moments, ob-
serving that his polite command has not been obeyed
by certain juniors on the back row, he adds: "Those
who are not gentlemen will please close their books."
A New York man who was married in the morning
was a maniac before night. Don't get married in the
morning. It gives the bride's mother a whole day to
talk to you.
An Arkansa,w grand-jury has indicted a justica of
the peace for attempting to play on a clarionet. This
will for a time satisfy the country that the grand-
jury system is not an entire failure.
A Michigan man, who was a long time absent in
Indiana, where he went to buy horses, apologised
upon his return by saying that every little town be
passed through the people wanted him to stop and be
president of a bank.
"Pa," said a little boy to his father orqheir arriv4
in Str'flthis, 4,-1- didn't know the fieViiie ni‘thii-Crty
hfaatdhewir.
ng"sT."he'n' WwhinagtsaPre C
thosee rta intlhy
ings that
stick
p lid the
so high?" "Hush, my boy," said the father, in au
undertone; "YOU mustn't speak so lond. Those are
ears."

"Doctor, please cut alOni the se-ain," said an aftec-
tionate wife to a physician, who was cutting open her
apoplwtic husband's shirt,.