Litchfield enquirer., 1876-02-24

She looked up at me with a smile, but what smile-frank, shy, copfiding, ques- tion1ngs artlssss guileless, bashful. beau tiful all at once. lived on that smile for 'days. -
 I think 1t was abouta week after this adventure thatI received a little note from my yaung lady. It was funny lit tie note, stif1y written, and very stifiy ex- pressed It was merely to the effect that the marchese desired the honor of a visit from me at stated time on the following afternoon. It was signed Veronica San Giorgio.l l. was 8 little surprised, but promised attendance, of course,
 An hour or two before the eyenfful in- terview, strolled out into the hotel gar den. sVeronica San Grorgio was there T had seen her from my bedroom window. She was sitting on the low wall that di- vides the garden from the lake. She was. I think. gazing at the hills as usual. She had bunch of blue flowers on her lap.
 She started up when she heard my step on the gravel, and came to meet me with her eager smile. Then something (was 1t something in my face or her own heart?) suddenly checked her; she blushed lit7 tie, and began listlessly pulling the flower
 "Do1Pt destroy your nanesakes. "said l. catching some of the blue fragments be- tween my hands; fit seems canpibal-iike. Do you know, was wondering what your real name could be? F'rona is 8 pretty pet name. but Veronica is far prettier, i think. ."as 5ag ll.v N fss se. .5.s Q <.5 za1A t}(t
 Do you think soS' she said indifferent- ly. "He does not like it. ec, feeling nettIea. know not why. E
 She turned upon me thatlshy, question ing smile again.
 ''He did notgive, it me. 7 she said slow ly. though he was my godfather. It seems so strange to think of him as
 ''As your own father" said I hastily supplying the blank Parents do some times act as sponsors to their children, believe. astf tssl
 'As my husband" she softly and mus ingly, and letting the words die away in a sigh. la.' S-z5N 2 sat
 Her rthusband-that old man that fee- ble, tottering old grandfather It. seem ed too horrible to be true. 1 could not utter word. but fear my face expressed my feelings. 4 ss.-f s". ''., -s1as sI,ors
 ''Yes-my husband" she repeated, soft ly. Did you not know? Are you. very much surprised ? Shall tell you how 1t happened? You see, we lived on the ulOuuLdluS1 duo 11y 4dbucI was d Cuh1Ol6- hunter, and once saved the rnarchese's life in the snow After that the marchese never forgot us, but came back. year after year, generally living in our house, because there were not many hotels in the Engad. inc then. But one year, when he came Git was only year ago), my father could not go out with him because he was ill, and things had gone badly with us, and we were very poor, because there were so many little ones at home now to be fed, l and Cousin Bertol besides and my fath- CT said : The signor marchese would do we'll to go to the Kuhn hotel; he will fare better there than here But the signor marchese would not go the Kuhn hotel he would stay with us. He had some thing to say to my father. He had seen me grow mp, and he wanted to marry me and he promised to provide for the little brothers, and give portions to the little sister, If would only do so. But I must clare honestly that I never cared for any one else. So made the declaration easi- ly enough, for was only fifteen then, ,and whom else couldrI have seen to care for in that way. And thenamy father thanked me. and said had made it easy for him to die ; and the little brothers and sisters danced for joy, and everybody seemed 1 pleased but Cousin Bertol. But the mar chese kept his word, and gave him a piece of land for a farm, ,and sent all the little | ones to good schools And he was very kind to me,and qearried me away to a l beautiful palace by the sea, and gave me pretty dresses to wear, and jewels and lace, and everythingI fancied. But, do you know, was very wicked and ungrnte- full, and after d hile I grew tired of all these beautiful things, and even of thel marcliese' s kindness, too, sometimes. and longed-oh how longed for sight of . mountain storm, or 0 cross look from Cousin Bertol And then, the marchese's relations did not like mo, and called me a stupid little COntadiia, and so he took me travelling, and said had better not tell anybody exactly who had been. But but l could not help telling you, because -" And here she stopped short sud denly-stifed, as it were, by burning blush. aW9EkEHs @aErS @esa Basaf
 "Because-what ?" ask, almost fierce ly. I had listened to every word she said and it seemed hard to be baked of two or three more,. and those, perhaps, the most important of all El1 rEf '~ rEI
 But she flew. past me, "like a flash of light.Pk She ran along the gardeh-patil into the hotel. A little line of blue veron- lea petals marked her track. I saw no more.
 After all, mysinterview with the rnars. cheSe never came off. I went to Stresa that very afternoon. But. strange to say, though I retured to England almost inn mediately afterward, I was. never able to give Dr. Brooke any lucid information concerning the dinner, at the famous Hes