The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-08-10


should oyermaster him.
Evidently the man had been awaiting
the signal that she was alone. And this
was the woman. he had trusted-this
was the woman to whom, in few more
weeks, he would have given his proud
old name!
All night he stayed out in the open
air. In the early dawn he returned to
his own hotel, and then sent her few
hurried lines, saying that if by noon she
could send him an explanation of that
which naught but the evidence of his
own senses would have led him to be-
lieve, all bonds between them would be
broken. His messenger brought him
her answer.
''It is best" she wrote, ''that VIC
part. Goodbye, and may Heaven bless
your
Not until he read the few short words,
which were SO full of import, did he
realise the full force of the blow.
Accompanying them was a package,
containing her betrothal-ring and all bis
gifts. His notes and letters she had re-
tanned
And she asked Heaven to bless him!
Had he made a prayer, would it not
have been to call curses not blessings on
her headp
She attempted no explanations; she
expressed no regret. She accepted his
fiat as though it lifted weight from her
breast.
Almost mad with agony, he called a
carriage and drove to her house. As he
reached it, the front door opened TO ad-
init man. He caught but glimpse
of him, but that sufficed- 1t was the
man whom he had learned to look upon
as his rival.
Returning to the hotel he hastily
packed his scattered belongings. There
was steamer left Civita Vecchia for
Genoa that afternoon. A few minutes
before the hour he was aboard of her.
Standing upon the deck and survey
ing the city, the scene to him of exquis-
ite happiness and exquisite pain, he
smiled bitter smile. as he made to his
own soul solemn oath-henceforth he
would believe in woman never again!
There was little danger of his breaking e
it. The only danger was to himself, in
the daily, hourly torture that time, it
seemed to him could not assuage.
Night and day the lovely face of Ca
rita rose before him; night and day the
sweet, musical accents of her voice
rang in his ears-the voice, the beauty
which had lured him and betrayed
him.
Twelve months passed, and his suf-
fering was as keen as in that moment
when he had read her farewell.
He told himself he had learned to hate
her, but his hate was as ever-present
with him as had been his love.
One evening returning to his rooms,
he found a packet-a thick letter and a
paper. The letter bore the signature,
''Luigo Cortez;" the paper marked
notice of Luigo Cortez's death. The
writing of the letter and the name af-
fixed, were in different hand. 1t ran
thus:
81 am dying, but before die 1 wish to atone
for wrong. / loved Carita with love such
as you cold-blooded Englishmen cannot feel.
This love she never suspected until after your
betrothal to her. l do not know that she would
ever have suspected it, since was in no con-
dtion to marry her, but that you forbade her
to see me. She was my only friend, my child
playmate and sweetheart, the one ray of sun
L
were engaged in a conspiracy, that your de-
clared object I'm visiting Rome for health was
pretence; that | could win from the authori-
ties my own pardon by giving up these proofs;
that your imprisonment. if not your life, would
be the result. She refused at first to believe
me. OF course, had not gone into her pres
ence without forged papers. produced these
She pleaded then for mercy, and begged me to
confide the proofs to her. In mad, burning
words poured out then the story of my long
repressed love.
''Hush!' she cried. II am betrothed! YOur
words are insult.'
"'You shall never marry this manT' 1 said
Unless you swear this solemnly to me tonight
this very night will betray himl
s. i must think, she answered. Give me
until to-morrow-only until tomorrow
Her prayer was so piteous could not refuse
it, but.when saw her next day, started to see
the awful change in her.
"'You need evoke from me no OATH" she
said '.It has been decided for me. tits he who
has broken our troth.
'Then she turned away and left me.
What had l gained? Her misery and my
own. But one drop of balm remained for me
1t was the knowledge that you shared our suf
fering. thought, remembering this, that
should still be strong-but dying men view
things differently. In this hour my love con
quers hate. On the altar of the love bear tC
her, sacrifice the cruel hatred have nurset
toward you. i shall not live to see the fruit Of
my sacrifice. am dying of the fever, and i
| Is she who, angel-like in her forgiveness, ha.
come to me and nursed me to the end. Yor
would scarcely know her."
And it was the woman whom he had
thought he had ceased to love. He coulC
not write; paper could not hold his
burning utterances. He must look into
her ewes once more, and looking tell the
story through. 1t was only the days
and hours that lay between which he
thought Of
But these at last were passed. The
l, I, I.
ton. Nor time nor distance could long
er separate him from his heart desires
With beating heart he stood before hel
door, nor noticed that the bell he rang
was muffied.
'.Signora Corsi! Is she at home?' ht
| asked the servant, who started back a
| him.
You do not know, sir?'' she gasped
"The signora is dying of the fever. She
caught it of some one whom she would
go to nurse. When she came back to US
knew that she was doomed"
'.She shall not dier' he said. Take
me to her."
mo one is permitted" the woman
began; but he motioned with his hand
and there was something in the stern
1 Soli4llldutt SlS osil GU uOb olSOUCy
At the entrance to the room sht
paused, but he, looking neither to the
right nor left, went in, and kneeling be.
side the led, lifted the slight, fever
stricken figure in his strong, tender
arms.
my own dear lover' he whispered
''Look up-take courage! / have come
back! You viii live, darling-live fol
loves own sake! Hush! hush!' for ever
in her weakness she would have spoken
Il know all. 1t was hate which parted
us; it is love which unites us. Not ever
deaths cold hand shall again thrust Us
from the otherr'
The others thought that he was mad
but he never doubted. through the long
after-days and nights. when the life hi
| guarded held by but feeble thread.
''She belongs to you indeed" tht
| physician said, when at last the crisis
had passed, '.for you have saved her.
'.She has belonged to me alwaysr
was the proud, triumphant answer.
Banjo playing is becoming fashion
. Ok IL ~