Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-06-12

tutions of my country the more. Blu: be-
fore | returned to America | went to
Rome on a farewell visit To me, as tc
many others, that wonderful city was the
one city of the world to which to 60 back
again and again, with ever increasing al
fection.
The morning after arrived, l walked
to st. Peters to the chanting. happened
to glance up at one of the private gale
ries and saw there a womans face, SC
enrapt so exalted. that for the time she
tooked like one Of Ira Angelica's angels
1t won't do, said my friend, Charley
uargrave, putting his arm into nine, when
the congregation was dispensing. saw
whom you were looking at, but she IS even
beyond 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 they say she
is engaged.
We had by this time reached the aisle
outside. As the lady passed she looked
up as if some instinct had told her she
was the subject of our conversation and
our eyes met 4 thrill went through me.
/ Never before had known what love was
but from that moment was hopelessly
/ lost
/ Who Is she - | stammered. when she
and her escort passed out of hearing.
" Miss Nonberg, great heiress.'
German p"
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 influential person, one of the Pope's
guard as ne is, for example, could have
got permit to that gallery. The stately
old dame with them, too, was his mother !;
the other was Miss Nonberg'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 swel.s used to crowd to the ta5Le
di1ts at Miss Nonberg's hotel in the Cor
80 Just to catch a sight Of her at dinner.
: At last she had to move to private apart
mcnts In the Palazzl GoldOna, To avoid
being stared out of countenance.
The mex, day | had an engagement
with an old ipomatjc friend TO accom-
pany him, his wife aud his wites mother
on a drive out on the Campagna. There
had been some remarkable excavations
made to see - l dressed breaktaste3,
and Joined my friend.
We had finished our investigations, and
were about to rc-enter our barouche, when
heard shricks and the rush Of wheels,
and, glaocing up the road, saw a carriage
l.. t5,1l lu m IN
cJlchmAn tu1ged 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 rusl forward. seize the nigh horse,
twist the bit until threw him against his
fellow, anI stop the carriage with lurch
that snapped the pole and sent the coach
man reeling from his seat. In another in
slant my friend had come TO my aid, the
traces had been cut, and all danger was
over
stepped to the door, hat in hand, TO
assist the ladies TO ahght. The one near
est me, an elderly woman, whose shrieks
had rent the air fairly tumbled into my
arms. 1t took both my friend and myself,
She was 50 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 barouehe
But before | could reach it the other
occupant, springiug lightly out. had met
me half way. Apparently she was as cool
and composed as II IN her drawing-room at
home As | began 10 apologize for my
delay she threw back her veil and smiled,
revealing the face of Miss Nonberg.
How can we thank you sufficiently +
she said, in the sottest, most musical Of
voices 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 beats
high and proud " Nothing more than any
other would have done
d" Pardon me, she answered, do not
think So l. was an even chance that the
horses would trample you to death, and
only heroes take such risks as that" Her
great Juno-like eyes blazed As she uttered
these words.
How shall we ever get back TO Rome -
cried the poor old lady, who had recovered
from her faint ." never, never can trust
myself behind those horses again.
F." If you will accept them, the seats Of
my friend and myself are at your service, "
| answered.
The distance must be four or five
miles But for my aunt l could not think
Of accepting" She hesitated. " l suppose
there is no other alternative How can
we ever repay you?" She gave me her
hand in parting, smiling bewitchingly.
Intoxicated with happiness and with
dreams that | 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
with him. Miss Vonberg herself was i'll
at ease. She watched the Prince so nnx-
iously, that in a little while l rose to 60,
Now came days and weeks of intolerable
misery. Angry as | was | could not get
rid of Miss Vonberg's image Her blush
ing, eager face, as she thanked me on the
Campagna, was rising up before me con-
stantly; and at every recurrence of that
seductive vision was more madly in love
than ever More than this. Whenever
happened to find her alone she was gra-
ciousness itself, natural, frank, sympathet
ic and charming beyond words. But if
the Prince happened to come in, she froze
towards me at once. Was she firt Ev-
erything contradicted this idea No she