The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-05

81 know that well enough. But where
can she find that human love which
could replace the glory, the excitement,
the ineffable JOY art alone bestows ON its
favorite children? l do not know whom
the Barberini married; | have once been
| told her husband was an American
banker. If so she is now probably very
rich and living amid the most exquisite
luxury; and yet-well, | am sure she
/ feels dull and miserable, and bitterly re-
grets the time when she possessed moth
ing in the world but her voice, and that
voice alone suficed to bring the whole
world to her feet"
The lady answered not word. A
dark frown had settled on her brow
while the old man spoke. When he had
ended she sprang from her chair and
walked quickly out of the room, slam
ming the door behind her.
The old man looked in speechless Won
der from Annette to Jean.
"What is the matter?" he at length ut
tered. "Who is this ladyT
"Well, old gentleman" retorted the
young soubrctte, with mischievous
smile, "you have made nice mess of it!
DO you know who the lady is you have
spoken to? No other than Adelini Bar
berini hcrself-now Mrs. Henry Thorn
dixie Van Puyten.
The poor old tiddler's CONSERVATION
may be easier imagined than described.
At first he insisted on going up stairs and
imploring the ''Signora's' pardon, but
yielding at length TO the voice of reason
and after muttering countless invocations
to all the saints whose names he could
muster, he left the house, heavily laden
with victuals of every description with
which the good-natured Annette had
stuffed his pockets.
If he could have witnessed the effect
his words had produced on the lady of
the house the old soldiers distress would
have been still greater. On leaving her
protege Mrs. Van Puyten returned into
the paror and sat down on a low stool
near the fire. With heaving bosom her
brows contracted and her beautiful black
eyes shining with tears she sat there for
a long while, looking steadily into the
flames
Her whole past life appeared to her as
in mirror She again saw the brilliantly
Illuminated, crowded house; she heard
the storm Of applause rising around her;
she felt once more the atmosphere of
thrilling, feverish excitement which how
ers about the mysterious and picturesque
world of the stage. 1t was there she
made the acquaintance of her present
husband, who was one of her most ar
dent admirers. Frequent greetings in
society ripened the acquaintance to init
macy and at length-to love, or, at least,
to what might have been easily mistaken
for love. He loved in her his own vani-
ty, the proud satisfaction of having at
tracted the notice of woman at whose
feet the richest potentates of the fnan-
cial and aristocratic world had lain in
vain. She had been captivated by his
youth, his original wit, and last, but not
least, by the dazzling prospect OF n life
full of social triumphs, Of all the luxu-
rics which millions caI purchase.
They were married and came to live in
New York. Two years had passed since
two years of the bittcrest disappont-
ment. Her husband AZ well as the life
of those circles of New York society
which she naturally entered, proved, on
closer acquaintance, to be widely differ
ent from the brilliant picture the ci-
devant Barberini had drawn of both
while the "charm Of the unknown" still
surrounded them. II. Thorndike van
der Puyten (of the name Thorndikc and
of his unquestionably Knickerbocker de-
, scent he was immcasurably proud) was
what one is apt to call Capital fellow"
A thorough sportsman, a careful and
experienced business man, he possessed all
those qualities which render life en-
joyablc in a quiet, everyday fashion,
without ever becoming uncomfortable or
clashing with the ways and manners of
the ao-called "world." In the limits pre-
scribed by fashion he found all that his
heart or his imagination could desire; all
interests and pursuits lying beyond these
limits were put down as eccentric or "inl-
proper"
That the passionate italian prima don.
. m, accustomed from her earliest youth
to the hustle and freedom of stage life,
should feel from day to day more miscra-
Bile in this narrow sphere of barren social
. conventionalties, was not more than
, might have been expected. Gradually
, her temper changed; she grew fretful,
melancholy; violent scenes between hus.
band and wife became daily more fre-
| quent, and were the more bitter as nei-
ther Of the parties felt to be in the
wrong. Little by little poor Thorndike
/ came to consider his home as the very re-
verse of paradise, and was happy when
, business afforded him the welcome pre-.
!, text for more or less prolonged absence.
0 Just now he had gone as far as San Fran.
| cisco to inspect mine he had an i'm
portant interest in. This forced solitude
v had still more embittered the Signora's
e temper for she loved her husband still,
/, and though tormenting him when he was
Y present missed him painfully when he
e left her She had no intimate frienlt
r and derived no pleasure from superb
cial intercourse with the fashionable
q "set' to whom her husband had intro