Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-05-22

men ol lValian beauty OF the Leonard0.d
Ninci school as | ever saw. | must say tha
as gazed on the poor girl did not look OF
her future prospects without some misgiv
lngs. The marriage had been concocted NJ
doubt by her friends from the worldly ad
vantages union with so wealthy maj
would bring with it, rather than out of AM
consideration for the poor girls happiness
Should Smith, after his marriage, again re
turn to his drunken habits, what lif,
would she lead-if, in fact, she could live
under the treatment she might possibly ther
receive. The affair was, however, conclud-
ed, and all interference on my part would
have been useless, so | remained silent or
the subject
The dispensation at last arrived bril-
liant marriage took place in one of the prin-
cipal churches of the city and the cere-
mony over, Smith started on wedding trip
for Venice. About a week afterwards |
left y for Rome where remained with
out receiving any intelligence of the bride
and bridegroom for more than three months.
| then returned to Y, and made inquir-
leS Of a mutual friend respecting Smith,
how he had conducted himself during my
absence.
"Oh, its all over with him." he replied.
"lle behaved very well for the first five
weeks, when his old habit broke out again.
and he committed more than one terrible
assault on his wife. Her family were at
last obliged to interfere, and they were
separated. She has returned to her mother
and they are now living in Turin and
smith has been informed by the police that
il in any manner he attempts to interfere
with her or annoy her he viii be arrest
ed
now called on Smith in his new abode.
and found him at home His appearance
was very different from what it had been at
the time left him. lie was then in good
| health and spirits but now, on the con-
trary, he appeared low-spirited and miser-
able. Pretending had heard nothing,
inquired after his wife. For some moments
he made no reply, and then, the tears start
/ ed to his eyes, he said to me
My dear fellow. its of no use my con
cealins matters from You. My wife has left
me
assumed look of great surprise, bnt
made no remark
Its all my own fault" he continued
Il cannot blame her for it. dear girl. |
must, however. get you to play the part of
peacc-mkcr between us. know she has
great respect for you, AMI if any one can do
it Won can
"Candidly, smith, said, Il don't ike
interfering, and that for both your sakes.
In one of your drunken fits You might either
Kill her or indict on her same serious injury.
lou must be perfectly well aware You are
not master Of your actions on those occa-
SONS. and strong rs your determination mt
the present time TO remain sober may be it
Is no guarantee that you viii keep 50. and
| would rather not interfere in the mat
ter.
DO not give me positive refusal" he
said. but try what YOU can do If peace Is
not made between Us it will break my heart.
or, what is still more probable, induce me
to commit seli-dc,tructiOn, for cannot i've
without her"
But consider the consequences, '' said.
There is no fear this time he replied. |
Il give you my word of honor that for the |
last fortnight have not touched one drop of |
wine or spirits
But you have often kept sober for as
long as that before, and had not the courage |
to continue it, | remarked.
1t i different with me in the present in |
stance, he said. Nothing shall ever in
duce me 10 take to the habit again.
Poor Smith pleaded 50 earnestly with me
to be peacemaker between him and his wife
that at last made a conditional promise /
told him | was about to leave N-lor
Switzerland, and should be absent about a
month. and that if on my return | found he
had kept his promise-and | would accept
his word as proof without further inquiry
would try to make peace between him and
hi- wife. lie willingly accepted these con-
litons, and the following day | started on
my journey To Switzerland.
On my return to Y at the time speci-
he'd ! called on Smith lie certainly looked
in better health and more cheerful than
when left. lie told me he had scrupu-
lu>ly kept his word, and that it was more
than six weeks since he had tasted either
wine or spirits, and he now called on me to
fulfil my promise.
unhesitatingly agreed to do 50, but on
inquiry found his wife would return to "
in about fortnight's time, and thinking
could better intercede with her by personal
interview than by letter, to which she might
reply under control of her friends. pro-
posed to wait till she arrived, and this did
the more readily as it would give Smith an
'lHtI tth VA y Ut ~ 10 lldttlDc Hl9 H'HIitt -
10 this proposition he agreed. and we said
no more on the subject.
And now | want to speak to you" he
said, Ion another matter. You are ac-
luainted with the head Of the police, and
wish you would call on him and implore
him to take away a spy he has placed over
ne. The fellow almost drives me mad.
Wherever 20 | see him with his eye fixed
IN me, watching my every movement, |
suppose they are afraid should quit "
md crossing the frontiers, visit my wife in
Turin, where | should be from their control.
You may assure them have no intention of
loing anything of the sort, and it would be
m act Of kindness to relieve me from this
ntolerabe surveillance.
promised Smith would do as he wish
ed, and calling on Count Nelletri, the head
Of the police, told him my mission.
Your friend, '' said he in reply, "is under
some great mistake No police officer has
been set to follow him. nor do wish in any
way to annoy him. All | require is that he
shall not insult OF injure his wife, and that
almost as much for his own sake a hers. -
! gave this reply to Smith, who said it
was untrue, and that the spy was perpetu-
ally following him.
few days afterwards he spent the even
ing with me, and accompanied him home
to large, rambling sort of half palace, half
dwelling house, in the outskirts of the town,
in which he occupied apartments on the
ground floor: General R, cOmmandant
of the troops in the district. having apart
on the first floor; and with the ex-
ception of the sergeant's guard always on
duty, whose quarters were in the rear of the
house, there were no other inhabitants. On
our way home Smith conversed volubly,
sometimes on matters connected with his
wife, at Others on the infamous behavior Of
the police in setting spy to watch him.
Presently, on entering broad, straight
street, brilliantly lighted by an Italian full
moon, Smith suddenly stopped, and clasp
ing me by the arm, whispered
There the fellow is Now lets catch
him -
Il see no one, said. -'You must make
a mistake
ale darted into this passage" he said;
come here and we shall find him"
We now went into a narrow passage
through doorway, and closed at the end 50
that no one one could have escaped, but he
was not there.
The idea then first crossed my mind that
Smith was laboring under a delusion. |
asked him what sort of n man the spy was,
and he replied that he was tall and thin,
with pale face, and cold, CLASSY eyes;
that he was dressed in black. had three
black studs in his shirt, and always carried
a black glove in his right hand This i'm
tended to convince me that Smith
was laboring under delusion, endeavoring
to prove to him that he was in error. lie
firm, however, to his conclusion,
and finding it was useless to argue the mat
ter with him, gave it up for the moment,
to watch him narrowly, and
find out whether or no a spy followed him
in the manner he described