Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-09-05

wife would spend houls by the bedside.
l ventured to demonstrate, and got a
severe snubblng for my pains.
One evening, about a week after the
catastrophe, while I was waiting for
her at q spot hard by the sanctuary
where we often sat, she came up to me
IN the most excited frame of mind. |
was really alarmed; | had never seen
her equal temperament so disturbed.
80, Walter" she exclaimed, 81
have just come from the poor woman,
and / have had such a shock! She has
regained consciousness, but not her
senses. which the good frate who
watches her always, tells me frequently
happens in such cases"
But what of that? why should it
excite you 90" | asked, quite mysti-
fled ut my my vines words.
"Ah, / don't know: | can not tell
you; my hopes my beliefs have hardly
taken form yet; only come quickly
with me up to the house. 0, Walter,
it Is all so wonderful! Come, let us get
on faster. | want so to get back that
YOU and | may both listen to Lucia
Nianero'S broken words. prove their
meaning and so clear up a doubt
that"
"What do you mean?" [ cried.
"What can she have said to so strange
ly move you ?" and Iinwardly thought,
-" Oh that had never consented to her
holiday"
81 will tell you, if you will only
hurry on as fast as you can. Signs of
animation set in about an hour ago,
and the first words were, PaolO, Pao-
limo held the boy up to her, but she
took no heed of him, and went on
murmuring another name over and
over again SO often that | felt quite
mysteriously affected. 1t was" But
here reaching the door Of the chalet,
my wife hurried me to the bedside
The old monk held up a warning
finger as we entered; we hardly dared
to draw q breath as we listened to
Lucia's low, unconscious tones.
| "Giorgio, Giorgio MO-" she was
saying, in Italian, like one who
talks in a dream; never tell of our
marriage; they will not love me:
they will neglect me. Hide it, and
the little one too; do not let them
see him; they would break his heart
with GOODNESS; they would not even
own him! Yes, perhaps your sister
might, for she loved you, Giorgio
mio you have told me so. She felt
for you and wept for you, and knew
why you went away and came to live
in the midst of sunny skies and beauti-
ful pictures. All, well, you can tell her
if you like; she would love Paolino for
your sake. Look at him, Giorgio. Kiss
himw
Here she seemed once more to lapse
into inconsistencies, and the good
frate SAID:
"Ah, poor Lucia, her mind wanders
back to her marriage, and mingling
past and present, she speaks of what
never was; the father never saw the
child"
did you know her husband. then Y'
inquired my wife in Italian.
The trQte shook his head; Only the
circumstances of the marriage"
Tell me what were they ?" she ex-
claimed, clasping her hands in agony
Of excitement.
Simple, very simple" said the holy
man, quite unmoved, and struggling
his ample shoulders; A young English
man, an artist, living in Florence, and
who had made Italy the land of his
adoption, and who took an Italian
name, fell in love with Lucia, who was
his model, and married her; not an
unusual occurrence among your cOun-
trymen, believe" he added turning
to me.
was bewildered; l did not know in
the least what to make of all this, and
[ have no doubt [ looked as stupidity
helpless as [ felt.
And then?" eagerly inquired my
wife, selling the frate's arm, and look
ing into his face, after casting a glance
of unutterable scorn upon me.
He made little home for her, and
everything promised we'll for their hap
piness, when he was taken suddenly
i'll, broke a blood vessel, and died in
! Lucia's arms"
Do You know what his English
name was ?" here again hur1iedly in
quired my wife.
What can you possibly want to
know that for?" [ interposed III English,
quite in the dark Us to what she was
driving at.
go, Walter, Walter! how stupid you
are!' she answered throwing more and
more contempt into her words and man
ner; does nothing suggest itself to you !?
Can't you guess what am thinking Of?
Tell me-" she said, again repeating her
question in Italian, and turning to the
monk. 6 tell me the English name Of
Lucia's husband do you know what it
was ?"
Isl, Signora, 81; but I can not reveal
it; it was made known to me under the
seal of confession"
Seeing that she was again about to
urge the frate to grant her request, [
enmeated her to be silent, and to look
after little Paolo, who was climbing up
to his mother and trying to make her
play with him.
"Ah" she then exclaimed, "dear
little fellow; do look at him, Walter, and
then think of his fathers assumed
Italian name-Vianero, think what its
English equivalent means"
More beWildered than ever, / obeyed
her command, and began to think,
while she, once more in Italian, earnestly
entreated the frate to tell her the name.
For mercy sake, let me know" she
said, 81 am not asking out Of idle
curiosity, but only that love and service
may be rendered to the memory of the
dead. l feel that am on the point of
a discovery; tell ne, am [ not right in
believing that his name was George
Blackway?"
The old man started at these words,
and so did [; for this was the name of
my wife's only brother, whose death
was the piece of family sorrow referred
to at starting.
A bit of a scapegrace, with a strong