The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-03-03
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her dainty. foot upon it,. .,,.-h %
o "What do they do that for7 Be
cause the streets are SO muddy?'' in
quired IN obtuse young woman. Bu
$ nobody volunteered to oDIighten her
"Cannot we 90 to Spain ?" asket
Miss St. Clair. l should like to see
c modern Sir Walter Raleigh" -
"If the scnorita should appear il
our streets they would be strewn witt
mantlcs," said the count gaIlantly.
iP"Would you throw down yours TO
me to step qpon?" 60,
Surely, senorita." 49, / " '@ ."
"I'll come, then. 1t must be ofvcl
> vet, mind" ..a
htYes, studied with jewols.".
1 loved the beautiful youth. Hi
presence was like Q poem in my
life, and ifit ever occurred 70 me tha
the familiar intercourse Of the yonns
:. people must not bo altogether pruden
| I dismissed it with the thought, ho il
only a"boy. >''r -. ....'"'..
There was to be an illumination o
\ The Coliseum We were goiTg. o
course, and Count Alvala begged ths
l would honor him by making use o
his carriage on this occasion, "Thanl
you, but T have already spoken to Pi
ero to come for u.s." .2A@ .. .-
"Oh, bnt wo can send him away
You willsfnd my carriage more com
Portable, and it will:be in every way
pleasanter," he urged bescechingly
but my negative was pcremptory. q,
Eight o'clock came. Miss St. CLAN
and I descended TO the court Of the
hotel. but where was piero? ut is
singular. He was never lato before
but am confdentthat he will be here
presently We haze only 10 wait a
little" "'.g-. .~,.t.,.' I. .,., o.
The minutes went by, and they
were long minutes. It was awkward
waiting in, so public. q pluce. The
count had joined us with his friend
an italian, marquis some thirty years
tof age, with whom we had slight &C.
quaintance., The counts handsome
equipago was tIawn up near US
There was no Piero.
81 really think you had better ac-
cept my young friends carriage. 1t
| would be pity to miss 10 grand q
spectacle said the. marquis. -.
We entered the carriage. The
couptZwrapped us in u magnificent
feather robe, such us the Montezumas
wore, :fornthe April nights in Rome
are chill, 9howeverahot the sunshine.
1t was strangeLo see tho Forum, Or
dinarily solitary aud odesolate, now
thronged with an eager multitude on
foot and with numerous open carri-
ages, in which were seatcd' ladies in
fnll dress as ut Tho opera with us
Arriving at the Coliseum, we, left the
carriage and passed through the. huge
portal The. gloomy arches were OBJ
Securely seen IN the dusky Roman twi-
light, when suddenly, as if by magic
every arch and .ereyiee Of the gigantic
ruiu lglowed, incurDadined, as if dyed
with the blood of the martyrs that
had drenchcd its soil. There were
Esalyos Of artillery, burst of military
music and few vivas from the null
titude., A brilliant spectacle, but the
tender beauty, Of moonlight harmoni-
ICES better with the solcmhiry of'ruins.
|, Rapt in the memories that the
scene awakened, paid little attentions
to the monologuc 81 MY Italian friend
when I was suddenly reused by the
question, ':Didyou eyer see q prettier
couple ?"
"Who?" / asked abscutIy. I'.'
"There," he rejoiped, pointing to
the count and Miss st. Clair, who pre-
ccded us. -,gk5l.Tr-. -
t.He is too young" I replied, but
the question wns asked 50 significant
ly-that it disturbed me a little, and +
resolved to be moro cautious than
heretofore.
The noxt morning Piero appeared
with his carriage TO take us TO the
Baths Of Carucalla: lie hoped mad
ame did not lose the illumination He
was wretehed to 'disappoint madame
he begged thousand pardons. lis
little boy was taken violently i'll ; he
was forced to 90 for the. .docter; mad mad
ame was so, good I ~ Z E@Sg
The truth flashed upon me: sPiero
how much did the countgivc you TO
stay away last night ?" 4.
. A CLEAN OF humor twinkled in hiss.
black eyes, but TWAS speedily .quen-
ched: II dos notH understand what
madame wishes tolsay9"t = VIZ 5S3
It happened thata fl lend ana eot'n,
try-woman at our hotel was taken i'll
with,typhoid fever. and amid the iinx-
ietics OF her sick room 7 the incipicut
love affair, ,wasnImost forgotten. Ino
longer spent tho evenings in the par,
lor.o Ono dag Miss St. Har) showed
me u, tiny, satili bag beau Iifnlly !em-
broidered, with II soft sillseh chain TO
pass around the neck. "What can it
be for?" she asked. |T,fs;3 X, =
."Why, Helen, it is an amulet
Where did you get il?" =
"The count gave to me. FHes had
the lovelicst set Of Byzantine e&fnosaics
and pearls. which hes wished 70 give
me !, and wien. 1 woulaonot accept
them he seemed so hurt tllatI did not
like 10 refuse this trife.v What do you
suppose is init"
|"' IA relic of some saint, without
doubt. He thinks it will protect you
IRON fever perhaps"
Like most Americans, we were de-
sirous of seeing the Pope, and count
AIyala obtained for US tho necessary
permission We were to be received
on q Saturday at eleven o'clock. we
went in the prescribed costume; black !;
silk, with tho picturesque Roman ven
thrown over the head From tho foot
of Scala Regia (Royal. .Stalrcase) one
of the the papal guard, in n motley
suit which seemed one glare OF plack !,
and yellow, escorted us to tho door OF
long corridor, known rs the Losg'a
.of Raphael, where we were received
by higher official in rich array OF
crimson velvet. About seventy per-
sons were seated in rows, facing eacn
other, along this gallery, nearly al
laden with rosaries to be blcssou "
by tho Holy Father. We waited till
my neck acbed with looking up o. Inc
exquisite frescoes, fresh and tender IN
coloring as if new from the hand q
the master, when tho Pope appeared
attended by II cardinal Oh each hand:
We fell on our knees instantly, but
not till had seen an old mans face
so sweet and venerable Us to make
this act of Etiquette n spontaneous no.
mage. He passed slowly down the
line saying i word or two tocach and ID
extending his, hand, white aud soil
like woman's TO DO kissed. & ! =.
sPausiug BY the young count, who
! L.