Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-20
SILVER-THISTLES.

for1a. and looked about her. At the lefG hand
nesge Of Gy ta na
was as yet only light cloud. At the right was
She chose to look at this wall In passing, to
build it up between her and thought which she
had come out to escape. For though but twen-
ty-five years OF age, Nina had learned inward as
well as outward self-control. She had been
since her childhood the fatherless support of an
invalid mother, for more than year the patient
wife of an Old man, and for three years a faith
full and dignitied widow. She considered her
self an old woman.
And indeed she could scarcely recollect time
when she had felt young, 1t was so many years
since the touch OF her dead fathers hand upon
her lips had stopped her gtrlish laughter. There
fore, when new trouble sets itself before her,
she protected herself from it as best she might
using that discretion which Is the better paro VI
yalor. Distraction, and distraction, ana away .
distraction: this was her version OF pdhOoi
motto.
climb was worth looking at II was pullI ol
stones, and had been covered Will Ceil ,
painted yellow. But one-half the cement mad
soft. o!d-coiored clouds. like glints of reflected
sunshine. Then there were Spots vi such green
velvet as nature made before Genoa put up ner
looms to initiate it. AMI Towering pants in tn
creviCes OF the Stones and, set irregularly, frag
men.s OF Sculpture-a Lowell. bit OF cornice, with
mouldings rs white as newly laid eggs, curved
leaf from the capital OF df5crOwned column,
an inscription or the arm or foot of vanished
figure. over it all was a deep. blue cloudles
sky, too brilliant 10 look at.
Need we say that this was in Rome?
The wall was passt d; there were some houses
then the Colosseum. And there, walking slow
iy along the green Sward, was Luigi Fontana,
ner sometime lover. and her present very good
friend
For on separating they had both dec AIRED tina.
tney should always wish each other every hap
pineSs. should be pleased to meet frequently,
and should always retain for each other a pro-
found respect. Nothing could have been more
sensible, polite, and decisive than their man.
heT OF unty1ng that foolish knot in which they
Blanca
Moonlight does have an odd effect on the I'M
aglnatlOn sometimes and balconies are about
the worst places in the world for prudence to
thrive II. 1t is really wonderful the amount of
nonsense that moon-lighted balcony will Sug-
gest to the human mind.
While these thoughts passed through Mrs
Breton's mind. her carriage was rapidly near
Ing tall gentleman who walked in the same
direction with a proud and measured step
learned from his toged ancestors; and she was
making swift reckoning of the precise mo-
ment when, the carriage passing him, he would
probably raise his bent head and look at her.
OF course he would take his hat quite of. and
make her dignifled and graceful bow in that
nne, serious way OF his. Romans do not think
II necessary to smile when they salute an ac-
The moment came, but he did not look up, or
ne looked TOO late. Not for worlds would she
have turned her head half an inch to let him
know that she had recognized him.
There could not have been the slightest inten-
tlon on MS part 10 ignore her presence; for he
eonia as little have expected to see her taking
see MN taxing solitary walk In the same
direction. Yet Ntna's eyes filled with tears
hope that was not disagreeable when we
last spoke together" she thought, and began to
recall for the twentieth time the words she had
uttered in that brief parting Interview. She
certainly had not told him that he was tyran-
meal and exactlng to degree that no free-born
American woman pOu1d b,,t, ho
had inferred something of the kind. Neither
had he said that submission and obedience are
becoming In woman, and that She was indie
pendent to an extent that no well-regulated
Roman could permit; but she had certainly
received the impression that such was his
meaning. AT all events, they had agreed that
there was an incompatibility OF disposition
between them which rendered their marriage
undesirable, and they had taken leave of each
Other win the most dfgnlfied compliments and
kind. VI '''
And, oh, what dreadful thing is incompat-
ioility"' thought Nina, and swallowed down
sob, and winked of from her long eyelaShes two
tears that were making of the port1co OF St.
John Lateran very blotchy wall, and setting
the Apostles On the FACADE dancing in most
Itwas one of the last days of March, with hot
sun. and fresh breeze from the snowy Sabines
me grass was thick and bright. the air rustled
with birds. and the field between st. Jonn
Lateran and The Holy Cross was delicately
fecked with slim-petaled marguerites. some OF
blush.
"Drive outside the gate; get over the first par.
OF the road as quickly as you can; then drive
slowly again when we approach the aqueducts.
Thus Mrs. Breton to her coachman. ssPaSS rap
Idly any one we may meet, and slacken up when
there Is no one by she added. % l don't wan
to be stared at, she remarked to herself, as sh
leaned back, and felt the cool shadows of the
gate fall over her.
She was pleasant object to stare at, how
ever: not brilliant nor striking, but lovely with
q IInr hnjfr
dunn; her figure pretty; she had curly golden
hair and exqu1sitely fair, cOlorless skin, asweet
mouth, and limpid gray eyes, Her manners, too,
were quite as pleasing as her person. an almost
pathetic chilGlshness looking out through the
dignity which she considered becoming to her
years and state.
Imagine this young woman clad in costume
OF different shades OF brown, from the deep
hued velvet that Ornamented her dress and hat,
and lay In band around her head up to the
family clouded amber Tip of the lightest in a
tuft OF shaded feathers. For high fights there
were her golden hair and certain solicitations
which came occasionally from her eyes.
81 like pretty combination Of colors in a
toilette" She would say, land am rdculously
fond of reds. But what can one do when nature
insists on putting yellow into every toilette
that one wears? Fortunately 1 am old enough
1t must be observed that fashion, alias
taste has changed since this little speech was
James drove as his mistress directed him.
making Ltghtfoot fly over the ugly part OF the
road outside the gate, and drawing him up
when the view began TO open.
The c0achman was, in fact sympathetic as
well as obedient. He knew perfectly we'll as all
the servants did-for what else are key holes
made, pray?-that there were q pair or lovers
IN the house. and that they had Quarrelled and
ne lelt hEnSen an actor In the play. He was
young and romantic, and his own heart had
been blighted. He had extled himself forever
from Old England on account of lovely lady's
maid who had Tilted him; and though he did not
now care fig for her, he still could sympathize
with sentimental woes He had no doubt that
his beautiful young mistress was at this mo-
ment suffering what he would have called
.'hanguish," and he had been trying to console
her as well as he could. He had almost convinc-
ed himself that she must have understood him.
That rapid flight outside the gate, the dintiitu-
rhG0 In solitary places, the swift yet smooth
creSCend0 when he saw carriage approaching,
the dreamy pace when there was nothing be
fore them but aqueductS and mountains, all that
artistic variation which made Lightfoots small
ho0fS beat such music on the old road-waS
this merely obedience to orders? Besides, could
she fall TO see that he had carefully refrained
from looking into her face, thus leaving her free
10 indulge her emotions unobServed?
Mrs. Breton, in blissful ignorance of the SYM
pathzing heart on her carriage box tried to ad-
mire the beauties OF nature. But a sore heart
and dim eyes are great obstacles in such obser
tallon. Under all her industrious looking about
sne was thinking that she did not wonder at
Luigi giving her up so quickly. She had lived
lie OF repression for so many years. and had
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