The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-06-04

| some yOu0& m10 O0kUS I0S0 me otuol(
, with . bunch ofviolsss in his hand.
''Signorits Elisabstta, he cried, with
out noticing her father and their visito1
''look here! here u . grsseiDg from ami
ing spring, who win nos II you renal
forever within tAsss 1oaf walls, for her
, you will never learn The meaning ofths Iii
. lie word love. Come out under the broe,
heavens. in the bright nseaday sun
there, and there only, yoa viii under
stand what my eyes say. IN vain, to yo'
daily"
Eiisabetta took the bunch Of ' iolets. in
hailed there perfume for . moment, aut
then laid them on the easement OF thu
open window, 90 she pointed to pic
ture Just begun. snd said, smiling:
my Saint Antonio win not allow il
and there yonder 10 Q Cupid, who swaitl
the fnisting touches. You must excuse
me. to-day, Marco"
"How can you paint . Cupid-you,
who know nothing OF his artsr' said the
young man, ill-humoredly, and turned
away. On the threshhold he overlook
Signor Mslvezzi, who sAid to him:
$50 you, too, love the heartless Elisa
bettsr How can you b such . fool!
Come with me, know, or, If do not, |
can perhaps devise, some means 70 cure
you Of your lnfatuetion. Bee there" he
continued, pointing to The window of
the studio before which, O the ground,
lay Marcos bouquet; 'yous flowers were
accepted only to be thrown away. Her dis.
dsinful ladyship cares - little, itseems for
violets % she does for emsfalds. Let 40
seek to console each other, 0r-What
would, perhsps. bs better-lei % sesk to
be mutually avenged. She must learn
that Malvezzi 10 not to BE- rejected IKE
a school-boy. 6ign0rita Elisabetta, you
will, perhaps, pay dearly for the honor OF
once having had II In your power 70 be-
come signora Malvezzi!" be added, but.
as he looked for his companion. whom
he supposed to be an attentive listner, he
found himself alone.
Marco Sessi had turned bach, and, creep
ing along the court.wall, had picked up
his dispfized violsta.
"They have been halloWed BY her
touch" he Whispered, and, concealing
them in his bosom, he made his way 10
the street unobssrved:
The grand dining room Of the Pslazso
Tassoni vas filed with . Joyous asssmb.
lage. Shouts of almost boisterous laugh.
ter, the clinking of glasses, tossts and
songs, were heard on every hand. Sig.
nor Simone 1'assoni gave banquet and
his guests were the merry disciples Of
Saint Lucas, poets, and Dusiciana Ne
wonder, therefore, that there was more
mirth and hilarity here than at the stiff
bauquets of the exeluaive patricians.
The few ofthis proud c1sss who were
present were connoisooaS and patrons
Of the art.
Oddly enough it looked to zee, in the
middle of the long, richly. furnished u.
BILE single female 6gure-thst Of Eliss-
BETA Sirsni. She appeared like white
dove, among the darker heads of the
other sex that surrounded her, - che
looked out, almost timidly, from under
the crown Of white roses which her two
neighbors, the poet Bianchini. and the
composer Mauritio Cazzati. had placed
upon her blonde head, and yet she was
the queen of the fete, Il having been
given by Tassoni in her honor.
Amid universal plaudfts her last work,
'Saint Antonio In Padua," had that
morning been placed In the family chap
ell OF the Tassoni, and al Bologns re.
sounded once moro with her praise.
One toast afler another was drunk to
her by her colleagues and admirers; the
poet Picinardi recited . sonnet which he
had written in her praise, and the art
critic Malvssia gave her ~ this VENT z
the aopellation BY which She is still re-
membered, "The Art-WOndcr,"
Elissbetta's checks gl0wed, a. eli
these holors, one after the a...sr, we.e
conferred on her. She LEFT Lsr est only
once, then, radiant with Geiieh e col
den goblet in her hand, she app, cached
her father, who sat at the end of :he ia
bic on the right Of the host. and said 10
him, in tone full Of Significance.
Ecrra the liberty of art 10 it not
beautiful, fatherl"
And the old man embraced his daugh>
ter with fearful emotion.
There were only two Of all those pre-.
sent who did not seem to share the spirit
that animated the joyous assemblsge.
The face Of Signor Beppo Malvezzi wore
dark, hostile expressiOn, while Marco |
Sessissat absorbed in apparently melsn- |
choly reflections.
So beautiful - TO day with her flushed |
checks that mirrored her inward Joy,
Elisabetta had never appeared to him;
and the thought Of the hopelessness OF |
his love had never before driven him 90
near the verge Of despair. At each |
word that Ms:ve4zi, prompted BY his |
malice, whispered In his ear, he Bit his |
lip harder. % though By physical pain |
he would lessen his mental suffering.
1--WE ALL" said the painter Aatteo |
Borboni, in concluding Q little speech |
preparatory to toast-''We all call our
selves, with pride, the pupils and fol. |
lowers of the immortal Guido; the one
possesses this, the other that quality.
of the great master, but none Of %, cave |
Eiisabetta, possesses them al; she alone
ia his worthy successor-she 10 our mis-
tress, and the greatest Of US all. To
her. comrades, let 10 empty our cupsr'
And Ill their cups we're instantly
raised arms lssgsh except Aelvezzi's. |
"Holdp' no cried, "allow me Q word.
1t will not be Get down to Jealousy, for l
am not a painter, II ! express . doubt
with regard to the truth Of Borboni's
assertion. In kignorita Eiisabstta's on
ginal pictures We find much that re-
minds Us of Guido Reoi-that I do not
deny; but have you essayed q contest
with the maestro himself! I mean. have
you ever copied one Of his pictures with
her, and seen whether che 10 capable of
II successfully, and wheth-
er the pencil Of some one Of you would
not, perhaps, REPRODUCE him with equal,
or POSSIBLY, with greater success!"
At first there was . general nuPmur,
and for Q moment 10 seemed doubtful
whether thsre would b any one to -
cond the proposition then ons or two
voices made thsnselves heard.
"Qite night, quite right, that would
bss test" said one, and The faces Of the
envious few wore malicious smile.
"Let u, mako the trial." said s1Other
''let M oil enter the listA."
And now arose 0iovanui Sirani, and
spoke with almost youthful fire.
"Mak the trial, all Of you" he cried,
''in order that you may all learn TO bow
10 Elisabetta's genius, whose mastery
you question only because she 10 . wo-
man. Follow the sugees:ion Of eienor
Malvezzi, who il filed with angsr and
hatred because my child preferred her
art to being SienoEs 1alVezxi. Make
The trial, and l swear to you that will
give her hand to him who surpaSses
her,"
For . moment all the blood appeared
TO leave Eiisabetts's cheeks, and her
large eyes filed with tears; bat, % she
raised them 70 heaven, and her hand in
Grasped. the cross upon her
breast, abe seemed suddenly to b COM
forted. The cross va her talismsn, the
~;e, ~. hAp Av3nn unane~H anA sh> f.ls |