The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-10-15

NShe need not be alone nor unprotec-
ted. Gioyanna Sirani. If you will bring
me simple yes from your daughter
nv household shall acknowledge her as
mistress where | command she shall
command, what is mine shall be hers
l. Beppo Malvezzi, offer myself as
suitor for the hand of Elisabetta ST.
raniw
The old painter shaded his eyes with
his hand, the better to see the speaker,
and finally stammered;
"YOu-you--a patrician, marry the
daughter of poor painter2"
lead me TO Elisabetta, that | may re-
peat my proposal to her, if you doubt
my sincerity. | have, indeed, brought
the bridal ornaments. Look at them
and tell me if they are not worthy of
the future Signora Malvezzi." And he
opened a rich ihlaid casket he carried in
his hand, and displayed TO the astonish-
ell old man number of brooches and
bracelets, that served as the settings for
a still greater number of precious stones.
Then he offered the aged maestro his arm
and led him into the house.
Elisabetta was in her studio, at work
on her great picture, "rhe Baptism OF
Christ"
She looked up astonished at the un-
expected visit, and at her fathers joyous
manner.
al mio tresore!" he cried, pressing his
daughter to his bosom, Chou light and
solace of my old age. The happiness OF
this day is too great for my small de-
serts."
Elisabetta raised her head and turned
her large eyes with an inquiring glance
toward Signor Malyezzi, as if she would
have an explanation from him, but 81
rani motioned him to remain silent.
81 myself will announce to you your
good fortune, fila mia, yours and mine.
Signor Malvezzi, whom all Bolagna es-
teens and admires, is suitor for your
hand, which l give him with all my
heart"
Elisabetta became as pale as a marble
statue, which, however, neither of the
men seemed to notice. yet there WAS
something in her meln that robbed the
suitor of the power of speech; he, there
fore, opened quickly the casket, as if he
had more confidence in the influence OF
ornament on her woman's heart than of
his own powers of persuasion. The tri.
umphant smile the features of Malvezzi
wore were destined to be short-liyed.
1t began to disappear as the young girl
began to reply, and with it went Gioyan-
nj Sirani's exultation. Elisabetta lost
her self-contrOl but moment, then she
smiled with a girlish modesty, yet more
of womanly resolve, and said:
"Have you not always told me, father
that art alone makes us entirely free?
And, as | have ever believed it, have
resolved TO be one of the faithful My
great maestro loved nothing on earth
but his art; in his noble heart there
was no room for the love of woman.
And mine will never feel or know any
love other than my love for our sublime
art. There is many a rich and noble
woman in Bologna, Signor Malvezzi,
who would be proud and happy to be-
come the mistress of your stately man
sion-a position in which the humble
daughter of poor painter would, am
sure, acquit herself but very inditfer-
emily"
Neither of the two men, in their
amazement made any immediate reply.
During the momentary silence, Il hand
some young man burst into the studio,
with a bunch of yiolets in his hand.
''Signorina Elisabettaw he cried, with
out noticing her father and their visi-
tor, "look herel Here is greeting from
smiling spring, who will not let you re-
main forever within these four walls,
for here you will never learn the mean
ing of the little word love Come out
under the broad heavens, in the bright
noon-day sun-there, and there only,
you will understand what my eyes say,
in vain, TO you daily"
Elisabetta took the bunch of viOlets,
inhaled their perfume for moment, and
then laid them down on the easement of
the open window, as she pointed to a
picture just begun, and said:
"My Saint Antonio will not allow it,
and there yonder is a Cupid, who awaits
the finishing touches. You must excuse
me to-day, Marco"
"How can you paint Cupid-you,
who know nothing of his artsl" said the
young man, ill-humoredly, and turned
away. On the Threshold he overlook
Signor Malvezzi, who said to him:
$50 you, too, love the heartless Elisa
BETA? How can you be such fool?
Come with me. | know, or, if l do not,
l can devise, some means to cure your
infatuation. See therep he continued,
pointing to the window of the studio,
before which, on the ground, lay Marcos
boquet; "your flowers were accepted
only to be thrown away. Her disdain-
full ladyship cares as little, it seems, for
violets as she does for emeralds: Let us
seek to console, or, wha would per-
haps be better, let us seek to be mutu-
ally avenged. She must learn that a
Malvezzi is not to be rejected like a
school-boy. SgnOrina Elisabetta, you
will perhaps pay dearly for the honor of
once having it in your power to become
Signora Malvezzil" he added, but as he
looked for his companion, whom he
supposed to be an attentive listener, he
found himself alone.
Marco Sessi had turned back, and,
creeping along the court-wall had picked
up his disprized yiolets.
"They have been hallOwed by heI
touchW he whispered, and, concealinG
them in his bosom, he made his way to
the street unobserved.
The grand dining-room of the PalazzC
Tassoni was filled with a joyous assemb
lage. Shouts of almost boisterous laugh
ter, the clinking of glasses, toasts anC
, songs, were heard on every hand. Sig
nor Simone TassOni gave a banquet, anC
his guests were the merry disciples o
Saint Luces, poets and musicians. Nc
wonder, that there was more mirth anC
: hilarity here than at the stiff banquetl
I, of the exclusive patricians The few o
! this proud class who were present were
q connoisseurs aud patrons of the art.
Oddly enough it looked to see, in tht
/, middle of the long, richly-furnished ta
y BILE, a single female fgure-that of Ellis
q al haffa 10 .