Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-03-12


Marchesa stayed there too. She told her
self that she could not leave her poor
friends husband in his despsiriug sorrow
besides she had filled the places of his
runaway servants with her own, 50 that IL
seemed like home TO her.
In the depths of her heart she knew
that her only home now was beside Gil
bert Stretton. Among her Italian friends
she was called cold, naughty, indifferent;
to him she was as humble and devoted rs
an Indian.
AT first he seemed 10 shrink from her
kind care, and to resist any attempt at
considering him an invalid hut the shock
had been too sudden, and his lassitude and
weakness increased every day.
Giulia grew alarmed but Mr. Stretton
steadily refused to consult an Italian
doctor.
"Therc is nothing really the matter
with me-" he said.
She looked at him earnestly:
my friend, II you saw your changed
face with my eyes you would let me send
for DR.. Litta."
The thrill in her voice attracted him
he saw that her eyes were full of tears
Once more he took the slender white
fingers in his own and put them to his lips,
huu inlS ItulO HdhN 10y wal ia anu
trembling in his, without an effort to with
draw it.
"You are too anxious about me-" he
said, "worse than l am. am injecting
you with my sadness"
He looked up smiling.
There met him in the dark eyes bending
over his couch passionate glance Of love,
and the strange, chill foreboding returned
which his first meeting with the Marchesa
had created. He let Giulia's hand fall,
and pressed his own to his eyes.
The Marchesa moved away, and it
seemed to Stretton that his coldness had
panied her. How devoted her care of him
had been Lillian even could scarcely have
surpassed il.
Raising himself on his elbow, he looked
round at her. Yes, she was going out of
the sdld, her queenly head bent, an inde-
Unable expression of humiliation, at least
so he thought, in her whole figure. He
felt keen pang of self.reproach. If dur.
ing his illness this Italian mad learned to
love him, ought not her devotion to de-
mand his pity and gratitude rather than
his condemnation? He had always known
that the temperament of Southern women
were not to be judged by those of their
English sisters; he ought 10 show her all
the more tender consideration because he
had no love to offer. In few days he
should leave Naples forever; why should
not this short time be made happy to this
woman, who had done so much for him
And meantime, ,whilea month had passed
since Lilian's death, and while Gilbert
Stretton had been lingering, broken
spirited and unnerved, at the Villa Bur
cano, all around him had been in state
of ferment. A rising was expected daily
and all sorts of unoffending travellers were
constantly brought into Naples as Carl
baldian SPIES At any other time Giulis
would have been deeply interested. Sht
| detested the Liberal movement, and woult
have joined ardently in opposing it; bu
| Gilbert Stretton was her all now, of life
or country, or creed.
His softened manner, the tenderness o
his thanks, fed her hopes every hour sh
WAS becoming intoxicated with her ap
preaching Joy, for she had not thought h
would so soon forget Lilian-and surel.
he had almost forgotten her.
But the rising was coming-it was clos
at hand.
Far away in a convent at Milan, fai
young English wife was already weepinI
over the fate of her husband; she had jus
got the news that he had been found il
arms as q Garibaldian, and had been sho
without mercy. Poor little weeping Eng
lish girl when first she learned that he
husband was with the Garibaldians, sh
had fed from her Italian home in the hop
of joining him; but her escort ha
proved either stupid or faithless, and hat
conducted her to Milan, instead of takin
ber to one of the towns nearer Rome. Sh
kew friend of the Superior of the relig
Gus house to which her guide led her, an
she soon arranged to stay there till she corl
learn definitely where her husband Nigh
be found. But within these quiet wall
news came long after it was known elsC
where, and before any public rumor {
open strife had reached the convent,
friendly letter had told her husbands fat,
, Now PROSTATE before a crucifiX in he
, plain, whjtewashed room, her eyes stream
ing with the tears caused by the open le
ter beside her, she was taking farewell {
the outer world, and all its pomps an
pleasures, and vowing herself in though
to dwell forever in the quiet, mercifl
home she had found with the good 81
ters. She took up the letter again, an
read II carefully; it was written in W,
} mans hand, aud it was signed "Giulia
This time the tears did not gush fort
.
she rose up from her knees and stoo
| thinking.
. AZ will do nothing hastily" she sal
= "He and long, shuddering sigh bur
:, through her words-"always told me Ii
to act on impulse, and 1 will obey hi
! now. will wait q little, till these tidin
5 can be confirmed by some outward proof
: and then-Well, if am alive then," al
! sobs burst forth unrestrainedly, az W
ask the Superior to admit me into the 81
( terhood."
1t was Just such an evening as that {
5 which we last saw Gilbert Stretton. III
light was not quite the same the foilsj
: of the clinging vines had changed
glorious tints of orange and crimso
, FURNISHED now into almost metallic rae
! anoe as the late intense sunlight touch,
T them; in all ways the year was sou
weeks older, but to Marchesa it seemed
I If time had gone back. She looked yea
. younger; her beauty had lost the sts
4 uesque paleness that It had possessed {
4 her visit to the Villa Burcano life al
r love danced in every look and movemeI
' She had been sitting in the veranda
/. waiting for Gilbert. He always sat the
& with her in the evening, and she had n
!. ticed joyfully that for more than WEI
he had not spoken Of Lillian. She cou
\ hear her heart beating as he came throul
!. the entrance into the SalG which ran alol
|. the back of the house. have said befo
. that 1t fronted the garden and the terra
q oVerhAnging the shore. ...
Mr.. Sretton's step sounded less weal
!. than usual, and Giulia saw almost the @
Il light in his eyes.
!. She had looked in his face with wal
4 welcome glowing in her own; but his I'll
Il Words stupefed her-seemed TO make b
heart stand still with sudden terror.
"Going TO England |" Had she hea
him rightly9 She pushed back her hi
II with both hands and gazed straiRingly
j him as If she would reach the tru
d Something of consciousness in his "a
I. puzzled her. "Ahr and the sudd
n thought came, "he is trying me-he is Z
d sure Of my love !" and with the thoIgl
I. the horrible agony Of losing him from a
d mistake-any want OF openness betwe
L.. AIazA