The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-09-15

"Do not distress yourself about me,
child. lam an old man and have been
a selfish one. But thought could
make you happy"
She slipped from her finger the jewel
she had worn there for the past few
months and laid it in his hand, touch
ing it gently with her lips as she did so.
IL was indeed the end.
At that same hour Harrison King
was reading a letter which he had re-
ceived that morning, and laid aside in
differently, though it was from the
woman to whom he was betrothed.
One paragraph ran thus:
''Since / have been in New York |
have heard glowing accounts of Isabel
Vavasseur's successes. Probably you
will hear her sing while you are in
Florence. Perhaps you can also learn
something of Count TurroDi, who is
said to be immensely wealthy and very
fond of Isabel. His son is here in New
York-left Florence year ago on ac-
count ofa quarrel with his father, and
now threatens terrific things in case
the count marries Isabel, as there is
some talk of his doing. Young Turroni
is one of the handsomest and most fas-
cinating men l ever met. New York
promises TO be very gay after the close
of Lent;" etc, etc.
He did not finish the letter, throwing
il aside rs if it wearied him.
He did not go to Rome the next day,
as he had intended. He heard accident
ally of n special service, which had
been for the coming Easter Sunday, at
which Isabel Vavasseur was to sing,
and he waited for a week. She did not
see him among the audience, but he
watched her while he listened to the
familiar words: 81 know that my Re-
deemer livethI' as if she had already
passed into the spiritual life, leaving to
him the darkness and despair of this.
The white-hair Count Turroni, who sat
near by, prayed in his heart that in
some way the peace which she had lost
might be restored to her.
He was in Rome the next day, leaving
it at once for Naples, and going from
thence on hastily planned trip of in
definite length to the Holy Land, in
company with some friends, young and
restless Americans. who, with unlimited
money and leisure, were, like himself,
roaming listlessly about. He made no
arrangements for letters to reach him,
though he wrote home regularly as in
duty bound, and in the months before
he returned to Paris large amount of
correspondence had accumulated at his
bankers. He was totally unprepared
| for the first news that met him, the
defalcation and flight of his business
partner. There were references in the
American papers to his own mysterious
absence from the country, for so long
time; unmistakable hints, at least, OF
his own completely in the fraud. Two
things were made very plain to him,
that he was poor man once more, and
disgraced one in his own country.
There were several letters from his
afiianced. He noticed as he glanced
them over, that they all bore dates pre-
ceeding the disastrous business failure,
all but one which had reached Paris two
days before. He read with interest
every word of that.
81 have wanted for long time to
hear from you. OF course your silence
confirms my expectation that you
would consider your changed circum-
stances sufficient reason for sundering
| the tie between us. In a few days | am
to be married to Manlius Turroni, and
return with him to Florence. His
father, who is anxious for reconcilia-
ton, has sent for him, and you will be
| glad to know that we have every pros
pect of happiness before us. Please ac-
cept my sincere sympathy for your mis-
fortunes. and believe me always your
| friend"
Harrison King laughed outright, then
stood up and shook himself like man
from whom an incubus is lifted. He
was sure she had received his letters.
If it suited her purpose to pretend to
the contrary, it was better for them
both. A few hours later he was on his
way back to America.