Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-09-15

The tone she spoke in startled him
he looked at her in alarm.
81 know have treated you shabbily,'
he replied, depreciatingly. "I ought
to have been here more, know"
"Stop! !" exclaimed Alma, interrupt
ing him. You ought to have done
nothing which your heart did not i'm
pei you to. l should scorn to hold you
to me by your sense of duty. Now
that have lost your love, 1 give you
back your word. Go your way and let
me go mine"
Donna Sanchica is only friend"
he attempted to explain. "Why
should you be angry because she ad-
mires me?"
II am not angry at anything which
passed between you and that woman"
she answered, with a touch of irrita-
ton. Neither is she your friend. A
woman can see deeper into the soul of
one of her sex than man. I see that
hers is black and evil; I see that she
does not love you, however s6illfully
she affects it. She will ruin your hap
piness and embitter your whole life.
Oh, my poor Godfrey, can you not see
where she is leading your
''You wrong her." answered Godfrey,
taking refuge from his own conscience
In a pretence of anger. "She is noble
woman and you are jealous Of her"
She turned and looked at him silent
" with an expression of contempt;
then, without a word, walked quiet
ly out Of the room. But when alone
she burst into tears, and wept long and
bitterly over her sore heart and broken
hopes.
As for Godfrey Kendall, he stood for
a moment bewildered with conflicting
remorse, shame and repentance, hoping
that she would return. But she did
not, and in very miserable frame Of
mind he left the house and sought the
compsn of Donna Sanchica
''Ah ~ cried the estimable lady, run
ming to meet him with both hands ex,
tended, ''you have returned, my friend
Behold me happy, independent. But
what have happened, senior? Your
face is chalk and has agony in it"
II am very unhappy" responded
Kendall, gloomily. Il have been i'll
treated"
$50" cried the lady, striking dra-
matte attitude and grinding her white
teeth. "Who has insulted my friend a?
Tell me his name and I'll have his
hearts blood Carai !"
mo MATTER" said Kendall, with a
vague PERCEPTION of something false
and grotesque in all this extravaganza;
''it's all over, and ] come to you for
comfort"
"Ah!" said the donna, suddenly alb
andoning her fierce air for anguish
ing one ''it is sweet to have the oppor-
tunity to comfort my dear friend
All, Dios ! would not die for you ?
Il believe you would" cried poor
Kendall, looking into her dark eyes,
where he fancied he saw unutterable
things. Here is a woman who loves
me-" he thought "Alma has discard
ed newly not secure the happiness
in my power" So on the impulse Of
the moment he spoke.
TO have witnessed the woman's face
at that moment would have been q
treat to d cynic. She looked modestly
down. She managed to get blush to
her yellow cheek; her bosom heaved
rapidly, and a tremendous sigh escap-
ed it. Yet all the while the traces Of a
malignant smile of triumph rested up
on her lips.
At last she looked up with some
skillfully evoked tears in her eyes.
mo, senor," she replied, 81 cannot.
Oh, the heavens ! what agony for me to
say it :"
"Why not p cried Kendall aghast.
Do you not love me?"
"Ah, idol" she cried, "as my own
soul All, misery But let me confess.
We are poor, sen0T-my brother and
|. We are exiles from our own count
ry. Because we ere noble and pure we
cannot live among our equal. We
leave our home and wander like the
Arab"
"What difference does that make ?"
said Kendall, in generous glow. 81
have enough for both"
But my poor brother" cunningly
interposed the donna.
"And for him as WELL" answered
Kendall. "Will he not be my brother,
too 2"
"Santissima ?" screeched the lady,
fiinging her robust person against him
with such force that he reeled against
the wall. ''What noble ! What SUI
perb [ adore you! Yes-yes, [ will
be your wife, and my brother shall be
your brother-eh?"
'Of course" assented Kendall
And so the matter was settled. If
the devil has a sense of humor he must
have held his sides with laughter at
this mad moclery of the sweetest and
hottest of the human emotions. Things
took their natural course. The poor
but noble Don Canals was to take Ken
dali into his favor, and, being given the
utterances of the highest sentiments,
soon won the young mans perfect con
fidence.
There were times when Kendall's
heart misgave him, when even his
dull perceptions were troubled with a
vague distrust. At these times Donna
Sanchica's passionate protestations
sickened him and the brothers POM
pous air maddened him. At such
times the memory Of the days when
Alma's love was all to him would smite
him with miserable headache. He
would compare her sweet, pure pres
ence with the lurid and unhealthy in
fluence of the Spanish woman and
wonder at his own blindness.
But Donna Sanchica was diplomatic.
She knew how to deal with his dark
moods so as to profit by them. At
such moments she would look at him