Litchfield enquirer., 1881-12-15

left alone in the dark with that man j. my. Tiff was a prison to me. and he my jaifor. Thel came the thought of deliverance-a way out and it fastened op my mind by day and night until what T did seemed scarcely rnaeep req than what had acted out in my thoughts st many times before. should be acting i over still, but that my heart has been too full of love and joy. You stand between me anC my other self Stefano-de not abandon me ' And again she embraced his knees with an up turned face of agony. .'It is past and gone 1t can never be undone aud if Heaven ltsel forgives, why should not you ?" ; 'T forgive, Gioc0nda; nay, you have mort to forgive than I, but his shadow parts us for. evcr Heaven knows it is not for me to rebuke you, but try and repent, poor woman-re- pent and forget me- whoam part of your guilt" = AGg ES2. .I&S v.
 "I do not know how to repent" she said despairingly; "I can never wish him back. have given my soul for you, know no other good" >''' .sYou should speak to the priest" he said, ''he will know better how to help you, and in time when am gone" N !. S f"But you must not go, Stefano, "~she wall. ed, "we need never marry, as you say so. will never ask it of you again. sIEwli never even speak to you, if you desire It, but at least let me see your face sometimes; let me tEink that once in month-ln two months in year, may look upon it even from dis tance This is all my-life."
 No. no. Goconda," he said, "that could never be: we are not of those who could meet and keep apart ; it could have but one ending, and that would be renewed guilt, for no VOWS before the altar could bless a past like ours: You are young and may yet have happiness before you. but not with Stefano. It is bet ter for US both to part at once and forever"
 A low cry broke from her parled lips, and. releasing her clasp of his feet, fell back un- conscious on the ground. He bent over her seeming to think at first that the shock had killed her, but saw she had only tainted. He did not attempt to raise her. and muttered to himself: Were to touch her it were all un- done and should forget all but the old love, Adieu, unhappy one, adieu, forever!"
 He turned to the elder woman and said |: "Filome, you have little cause to wish me well, but we were both born the same year, we were playfellowsas children, and by those memories, if by no others lconjure you be- fore Ego to promise me to keep her secret, to save her from further exposure"
 s'I promise, Stefano," said Filomena, with a wistful. famished look in her eyes as she raised them to his face. But before she had completed the words he had disappeared into the night, and his rapidly retreating footsteps were soon lost In the distance. E
 When Gioconda opened her eyes, she found herself supported in the unlovine arms of her rival, and pushing them aside, she staggered to her feet. and with scared, bewildered look, rushed out of the grotto: When the elder woman triedto follow her, she turned on her like an animal at bay. 'Leave me alone. she said, Tor will kill you, 100. Y
 Fiomena returned within the cavern, and remained some minutes in an attitude of medi- tation, soliloouizing half aloud: II thought he would have yielded" she said, land then should have have had to denounce her to the authorities. Poor fool 1 had her completely in my power; but, alas! what am 1 the better for my triumph? have lost him forever. :" And, throwing herself on the ground, she laid her cheek on the spot where he had stood, and moaned aloud. '.l loved him better than she, yet he left me without a look. Alas! alas !! why cannot the past come back. or our hearts at least grow old with our faces ?" Then, rising to her feet, see took her lamp and went out, leaving the cave iu darkness.
 This singular scene had been enacted in my presence in far less time than it takes to read it; for question and answer, interchanged in the rapid Sorrentine dialect, had followed each other with the vehemence of impassion- ed dialogue, and not more than quarter of hour elapsed from the time Filomena had ap- peared op the scene to her quitting 1t, last of the actors in the brief tragedy. "A strange feeling of unreality came over me when she had gone, leaving me in silence and darkness once more, and 1 half believed that what had seen had been a singularly, vivid dream. Under this impression, improbable as it may seem, fell asleep again, and only woke when the morning light summoned me from my i'm prOmptu couch.
 The sun was shining brightly when Ire. turned to my hotel, much to the relief of my good landlord, who had been in considerable trouble about me.
 The day passed, and though my mind was busy about my strange nocturnal experience, heard nothing that could throw light on it, and seriously began to think it an hallucinatior of disordered fancy. On the following morn. ing, however, Antonio came. to me with 9 troubled face, to announce tragic occurrence attributed to the fog-the death of La Giocon. da della Marinella, whose body had been found floating at the foot of the cliffs near her home. She was supposed to have lost hel way, ,aud missing her footing in the treacherous atmosphere that night when she had disappe, r ed but he shook his head, and said there were other rumors as well. People would talk, anC it was said that Stefano, the sailor, who was to marry her, had returned late that night but had started immediately again for Naples and some people conjectured that there had been a quarrel. and that she had made away with herself m consequence. Don Antonio however, declined to commit himself to any persons opinion on the matter, and when press ed with questions resorted to the invafiablt Italian formula for evading inconvenient in terrogations-a shrug of the shoulders and { chilo SO
 The sad occurrence, on which the scene al which I had involuntarily assisted threw SC lurid light, made profound impression or me; and though the unhappy woman. in he confused and distracted state of mind, migh :. we'll have come by her end accidentally, tn mere death of the erring creature, while stil under the influence of disordered passion aut recent crime, was in itself sufficiently terribl, without the added suspicion of suicide.
 Of the other actors in the drama of gull little remains to be told. Stefano, the hand some sailor, whose manly graces had had s' fatal an influence on the lives of the two wo men, never returned to his native country but settled in America, where he is. believe prosperous. Whether that scene on the beacl of La Marinella ever rises believe him t haunt his memory in the worldsacross the se, may be left to the readers conjecture, but it i at least as likely that the dark past is sub merged if not obliterated, by the fresh curren of new life.
 F1lOmena nVeS on alone m the village 0 Massa Lubrense, soured and prematurel, aged woman. summed by her neighbors be cause they dread in her the sinister power of .jettGtrce. @ s~s- sa.ss gss,.
 And the winter tunnery fishery goes on a usual outside the little cove where the agrea net incloses wlde expanse of glistening wat CT, and the lesser one is drawn from time t time within it, as the boats go and come witt much shouting and gesticuation of thei crews; and the rippling surge laces the rock with blue and silver. but tells no tales of tn blaze of passion it quenched. or the last .agon ized cry of repentance or despair it stilled fol ever, when it closea over the death struggle o La Gioconda della Marlnelia. TTa
 AN INDIAN THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION The following Thanksgiving proclamatio Waa issued hy ID w Rushyhead nrincina