New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-12

| to go back again and again, with eyer-in-
creasing affection. r.,,..a :.
St Peters TO hear, in the eanon's chapel,
! the music of Plestrina. While listening 10
| rbe chanting. I happened to glance mp at
opa Of the Drivate galleries on the le1G, ana
! saw there a woman's face, so wrapt, so ex-
| allied that for the time she looked like one
of Fra Angelica's angels,
at woa't do" said my friend, Charley
Harorave. putting his arm into mine, when
fine Congregation was dispensing. Il saw
whom YOU were looking at, but she's above
even your reach She's been the belle of
the season, my dear fellow, and has had
lots of earls and counts disputing her
smiles. Stop, here she comes and Prince
BOrgia is with her, to whom many say she
is engaged
outside AS the lady passed she looked up,
as if some instinct had told her she was the
subject of our conversation. For one mo-
inent our eyes met. A thrill went through
me. Never before had known what love
was, but from that moment l was hope
lessly lost.
WHO is she 2" l stammered, when she
and her escort had passed out Of hearing
"Miss VOnberg, great heiress."
German ~
"No, american, though of German de-
scent, as the name shows. The gossip of
the last week. that she has finally made her
choice, must be true; for that was Prince
BOrgia, as / said before; and only some in
fiuential person, one of the POpes guard,
as he is, for example, could have got a per-
NIT to that gallery. The stately old dame
with them, too, was his mother; the other
was Miss VOnberg's chaperon, for she is an
orphan You'd have known all this if you
had been here through the winter, as have
been. Why, the young English swells used
to crowd to the table dhOte at Miss Won
berg's hotel in the COrsOjust to catch a sight
of her at dinner. At last she had to move
to private apartments in the Palazza Col
dOna, to avoid being stared out of cOunte-
nance
WHY was it that, notwithstanding this
friendly warning, / went back to my hotel
to think of Miss VOnberg Was / mis-
taken in fancying that, in passing, she had
looked at me with evident interest All
that day her image was before me. At
night dreamed of her; dreamed she had
made me happy, and woke to find out my
delusiOn, aud TO wish ! could have slept on
forever, with dreams so blissful.
But sleep would not come again. Be
sides had an engagement with an old di-
plomatic friend to accompany him, his
wife and his wifes neither on a drive out
on the Campagna. There had been some
remarkable excavations made lately at the
Scava, which he wished me to see. So
dressed, breakfasted and joined my friend.
We had finished our Investigations, and
were about to re-enter our barOuche, when
l heard shrieks and the rush of wheels,
and, CHANGING up the road, saw a carriage
approaching at full gallOp. In vain The
cOachman tugged at the frightened steeds.
On on they tore, the barouche bounding
from side to side behind them, threatening
the lives of the two ladies WHO seemed to be
the only occupants of the carriage, and
from one of whom came the shrieks.
1t was but the work of an instant for
me to rush forward, seize the nigh horse,
twist the bit until threw ham against his
fellow, and stop the carriage with lurch
that snapped the pole and sent tie coach
man reeling from his seat. In another
instant my friend had come to my aid,
the traces had been cut and all danger was
over.
l stepped to the door, hat in hand, to as
sist the ladies to alight. The one nearest
me, an elderly woman, whose shrleks had
rent the air, fairly tumbled into my arms.
1t took both my friend and myself, she was
SO helpless, to carry her to the bank by the
roadside, where we put her down. Then,
leaving my companion and the ladies of the
party to attend to her. hurried back to the
barOuche. But before / could reach 1t the
other occupant, springing lightly out, had
met me half way. Apparently, she was as
cool and composed as II IN her drawing room
at home. As | began to apologize for my
DELAY she threw back her veil and smiled,
revealing the face of Miss Vonberg.
] felt as if walked on air.
How can we thank you sufficiently :"
she said, in the sOftest, most musical of
voices. 81 had given ourselves up for lost,
when you rushed forward so bravely."
Never shall forget the emphasis on these
last words, or her looks as she spoke them.
1T was nothing" yet my heart beat high
and proud. Nothing more than any other
would have DONE"
Pardon me-" she answered, II do not
think so. II was an even chance that the
horse would trample you to death, and only
heroes take such risks as that" Her great
JunO-like eyes blazed as she uttered these
words.
She had stopped in her enthusiasm. But
now, as if sensible she had been too frank,
she cOlOred violently and moved quickly
forward, saying, Excuse me, but aunt,
perceive, is calling ma"
How shall we ever get back to Rome 3,
cried the poor old lady, who had recovered
from her faint. II never, never can trust
myself behind those horses again"
''If you will accept them, the seats of
my friend and myself are at your service
said.
But you will have to walk back to
Rome"
THAT is trihe," l replied.
THE distance must be four or five miles. |
But for my aunt l could not think of ac- |
cepting." She hesitated. II suppose there |
is no other alternative. How can we ever |
repay your She gave me her hand in part
ing, smiling bewitchingly.
The long miles back TO the LatearB gate |
for Fufar I yua 81 nj fah
with happiness.
Intoxicated with happiness, and with |
dres ms that l soon found to be, alas hope !
less ones; for, calling the next day at the |
Palazza GOldona, the first person l saw in /
the saloon was Prince BOrgia, to whom |
Miss Vonberg introduced me. He had |
heard of the event of the day before, and /
he scowled at me as If had interfered vito |
him. Miss VOnberg herself was i'll at ease. !
She watched the Prince anxiOusly-so
anxiouslv that in little while l rose to 90. /
think / never was so angry. Miss Won
berg was evidently engaged TO the Prince,
and, moreover, was afraid OF him. She was |
as different in his presence from the bright, |
frank, enthusiastic girl Of the Campagna as
1t was possible to be. Another sacrlnce 10 |
rank, !" ] said, wrathfully. "What fools our |
American girls make of themselves !" You |
see, l had gone there expecting warm well
come, dreaming impossible dreams, and this /
was my revenge.
Now came days and weeks of intOlerable |
misery. Angry as l was | could not get rid |
of Miss Vonberg's image. Her blushing, |
eager face, as she thanked me on the Cam
pagna, was rising up before me constantly; |
and at every recurrence of that seductive /
vision was more madly in love than eyer. /
More than this, whenever l happened to
find her alone she was graciousness itself,
natural, frank, sympathetic and charming
beyond words But if the Prince happened /