Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-01-15

Americana, some one spoke my name.
Looking up. my wandering eyes met
those of Herman Clay. My thoughts
had been SO full of him for weeks that
my instant impression was, his ghost
has appeared to upbraid me-, but in q
trice he grasped my hands and kissed
my cheeks.
"Our foreign language shielded us
from the people about us, and we held
each others hands and talked to and
looked at each other and went while
the impressionable and sympathetic
Italians crossed themselves and show er-
ed Christmas pensions upon US. We
had sense enough to say 'good-by' final
ly, and as | turned to go | stood face to
face with my husband. His usually
ford face was sallow white,
and I very we'll knew that he had heard
all that had been said | had not ex-
pected him until the next day, and be-
holding him there by my side, on the
old Ponte Vecchio, among those quaint
jewelry shops. my surprise was over
whelming and complete. Mr.. Mont
gomery greeted me with his odd, old
fashioned politeness, and instantly in
troduced himself to Herman. He then
entered the jewelers. shop, and after a
brief negotiation bought at an enOr-
nous price the wonderful clock which
had brought us all that hour to that
place, as a pleasant reminder Of our
wedding trip, particularly our visit to
Florence he said. ....,,..
l. 4 II Il, IL
accompany us to our hotel to dinner
The two remained during the evening
and then departed together. Mr.. Mont
gomery saying to me, You are to be re-
turn to America tomorrow, under the
escort of courier whom / will provide
| shall Immediately return to Lucca,
there to take the same sailing vessel
which brought me over. He also in
structed me to remain at the st. Nicho-
las after my arrival in New York until
he should meet me. III.
1--WE duly arrived here at the 'manse.'
My husband divided the queer old house
between us, giving me the pleasantest
southeast chambers. We met only at
table, and at those weird midnight
clock receptions on which occasions
he insisted / should always be richly
and tastefully dressed. He never di-
rectly reproached me, but [ was not al
lowed to forget my confessions to Her
man in the heat and hurry of that first
surprise, when / told him that | had
married a rich old curmudgeon, whom
| should never love, that | might have
the chance to make Christmas pill
tn l.
the very stones of the streets that my
lovers feet had trodden, and look upon
the winding. shining Arno, which had
borne his precious form to the pitiless
sea.
"Now, Mr.. .Hungerlord, that these
facts have been made known to you,
can you wonder that am sup erstitious
about the stopping of that clock the
very moment that my husbands life
went out; or that | should always feel
that Christmas day sways with it a
strange fatality for me?"
The reasonings and expostulation of
the old counselor awaited nothing in
the premises The young widow per-
sisted in her whimsically monotonous
mode of life, and everything in the
great house was kept just as Jacob
Montgomery had left it. She continued
to so down to the huge cavernous hall
at midnight and stare at the Florentian
clock until she came to hold the implicit
belief that the next Christmas would be
her last day on the eartn.
The morning of that day was ushered
in gray and cold. Mrs. Montgomery
had not slept at ali the preceding night
and rose with retributive self-imposed
oppression crowding at her heart. She
stood all the morning at her windows
| looking down at the shifting crowds in
he street below. Suddenly her cal
caught the strain of familiar italian
air, and presently there appeared on
the sidewalk beneath her, man with a
hand-organ, a boy with a violin and q
girl with harp. The young widow
notwithstanding her very gloomy fore
holdings, was touched by the appealing
chances of the shivering child-musicians
as they looked up at her, and driven by
a strange impulse she ran down to
the great hall door, opened it, ran
around the corner of the house and
brought the benumbed ,astonished group
down before the blazing canne]-coal fire
Still kept from her morbid thoughts by
the real pleasure she drew from the
grateful demeanor of the little Italians
over the glowing warmth they found
themselves in, she left them standing in
the curious apartment and ran up tc
the kitchen to get them a basket oil
food. ..s5
Is On her return, as she opened the
door at the top of the long, winding
stairs, the clock of St. Marks began tc
strike the hour Of r. Standing with
one hand on the knob of the open door
and with the other holding the basket
containing the Christmas benefaction OIL
food for the poor creatures in waiting
below, while yet the last reverberation
from the great bell opposite was trem.
bling in the cold, gray air, the clear,
silvery sound Of that wedding march
SO ominously silent for just one year,
broke upon her ears from the depths
| beneath her. Though faint from the