Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-19


man IN supera u dance. By aud by / threw
away my cigar end, aud strolIed back to-
wtFd the two Italians The old man was
sleep with his chin on is chest. Toe girl
was awake, very wide awake, with a book
across her lap.
"Do you read Engllsh?n 1 asked, with
some surprise, going up to her, aud seeing
that the book ia question was a Tauchnitz
copy of Miss Thacleray's .'Nillage on the
Cl1f.' IL is not often that an Italian girl
even of the highest classes, such a. some
how judged this one to be, becomes prof.
cient in a language which priests, and still
more convent authorities, regard as some
how tainted with heresy.
az can read it a little, signore,r she an
swered, modestly. "He likes me TO learn it,
you see Indicating wi tn peculiar, unger
ing. sing song accent the sleeping man by
her side). HE is so clever himself, aud he
thinks have little talent for languages.
so = al last winter, in Venice, 1 studied
English IL Is beautiful language, aud this
Is beautiful book. The signore Iuglese has
read IL, of course?"
shook my head. The "signore IngIesey
mad read IL, OF course, and admired 1t
greatly; but then-she looked SO pretty when
she talked.
Tell me about it," said l.
1T IL ABOUT ~ girl who marries a man she
oes not care for much at first, but who In
the end she learns TO love quite passionately.
Ana yet, at Que time, she thought she loved
some one else, you know. But one can al
ways learn 10 love what is good and noble,
and true, can one nOtP That is as sure as
the nils. And she lifted up her clear, blue
eyes, and looked at those solemn darkening
nights with long, lingering, wistful gaze.
do you come from the hills?" 1 asked,
watching her. L was puzzled as to her ma
uonallty. Altogether Italian she could not
ne She spoke the language prettily eaough,
but somewhat hesitatingly: and besides
her thoughts seemed to Outrun her words
AID the Italian ladies had met hitherto had
mostly erred In the opposite direction Ger
man she might possibly have b5en, but then
the Oh M An evidently lad not understood
sIIigle word o, All that torrent OF apologies
poured upon him By the Offending Teuton at
tue plaik None was Enthusiastically an ItaI-
laD. HIS speech, his manner, his narrow
thin, high-featurel face, the sudden way in
whlch his dim, dark eyes would light up
DOW ana tnen, like stars flashing out TN rOuyh
mist, all betrayed him. Bat he might
have married foreigner-an Austrian, per
maps since he came from Venice. Aud it
would be from her mother that the girl hid
inherited those lucid blue ewes. and that
sweet, slow, hesitattng speech of hers.
AND So when said, 'Do you come from
the nils" L intended to make a discovery.
But all the answer got was a quick, start
Ing murmur:
Eve have come-from VenIce-lastu
But you are fond of the hills?" urged
"Fond or them! Ali" she said with a lit
tle gasp You see, down here in the plains,
IL Is All very beautiful; so warm, and sun
grow OF themselves without any trouble
ana the people live well, because there is
pIehty OF corn, and oil, and wine. But up
III i
bleak and cold, and the winter lasts nine
months OF the year, and the birds die in the
snow, and the people starve sometimes. And
yet. somehow. 1T seems to me better to be up
mere, among The poor, hard working people
VINO are so brave and hardy, than do VIA here
among the folks who do nothing but enjoy
ne, JUST because they cannot help enjoying
lie. One seems to breathe purer air II % ther-.
one feels AT least so much nearer heaven F."
looked at her astonishel. These were
most daring democratic sentiments to be
FfaI hue rr0k1
What would Miss Brooke have said
You have a strong feeling for the pao-
pie remarked; $50 have L. Bat do 40.
agree agree w, win you about the mountains. 1
OF some OF them, aud did not feel half SO
near heaven then as do now" It was toe
sIiupInest 9ind OF compliment TO pay, bat IL
glanced OIL her as harnIessly as a poisoned
arrow off a magic shield.
1t is just as one-knows," she replied,
quietly. And then she looked up at the dark
mountains again; and, somehow, "a she
IOoSed, 1t seemed to me tina: the light faded
out OF her eyes and the glow from her cheeks
anu mat her lips parted with a little sign.
the hills? "
"F'rona!" said an Old, quaveriag voice.
rather sleepily. What are you doing, c1riaa?
unklnd, only 1t sounded rather harsh and
Earring a. that moment. And indeed. how
should an old man like that ever be able to
enter into the feelings OF so young a girl.
even though she happened TO be his own
daughter?
at is too dark to read" said F'rona.
IIn,eeKIy. "Besldes, we are getting very near
BaVeno now" And at Baveao they landed
SO did L; had forgotten altogether the con
CecLon between Stresa aud dinner, and 1
am n not sure that il would have made much
uiHerence even If had remembered.
All that nj ght, seemed to be dreaming of
T roma The lame WAS an Old one but I
uKed ~, somehow. There was som athing
II mn oil oh
dreamt OF her ol the mountain tops, with
ne llgnt OF the SKY In her eyes and the breeze
lIllng her hair, aud blowing 1t all about her
sweet. sunny, rosy face. l dreamt of her in
the midst OF gay world, all deckei out in
J Weis and gold, and beautiful, trailing mist
4 ke dresses, but with the same INNOCENT.
e ey@iide,ed' earnest gaze In her great, blue
mountains; that was the right background
lor her, after all. and pictured her trO.tinp
II, II anu OUT OF the quaint little Romansch
houses, with their balconies and small round
wlndows and big, wooden doors, and talking
20 lhe peasants, and relieving their wants,
ara wondering over their brave, hardy
ways. An, no, not wondering; she must un-
derstand them, ] think. She had known
IaeIn' she said. That was the strangest part
i did not see her at all, the NEXT dav. They
told US in the hotel that an invalid gentle
n an had arrived, the night before, and beg
z, as TO make as little noise as possible In
tie passages. The invalid's name was Mar
chese Sam Giorgio. He came from Venice.
ana was great man in his own country.
NJ y perspicacity was not at fault, you see
Ravencesis famous for itslchestnut woods,
Ihey rise all around 1t, thick and sh adv.
hiding away among the shadows the pretty
LITTLE parse that lie nesting on the hills.
Ihere are innumerable paths winding
through the woods, funny little paved STONY
ways, bounded by low, gray walls. All day
long, people go up and down them on their
pare, Drown feet, men, women and children
Win long, deep baskets on their backs.
stuffed full OF chestnu Is, or apples, or grapes
Ihey move very slowly in peculiar, sway
ing, swinging motion of their own and thew
rest their baskets on the walls as you pass.
ana stare at you with great, melancholy,
dark eyes. They have the greatest respect
Ior the stranger English" but they marvel
at MS power of lOcomotion. "Did the sig
more walk all the way from England here!,
lney ask wondering. Nothing Short of an
earthquake or thunder storm seems 10
iety. -
There was such storm, one day.-one
night; should say, rather. All through the
dark hours, had heard IL raging round and
round the hotel, now shaking the Dersie7n s.
now tapping at the windows as II to b, let
In, now bursting into torrents of rain, or
flashing out sudden tongues of fire, and
nnalIy growing away In the distance like
an angry, disappointed beast of prey. When
the morning came, however, all traces OF The