The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-19
SIGN0RINA LESSEE.
A Sketch from Life.

prettlest backWaters on the Thames,
was taken, so ii was said in MuloraVe,
not only for the summer but for good,
by widowed lady with two daughters
In one important respect, however, this
report was inaccurate; for the two girls
proved to be neither Mrs Ingram 5
daughters nor sisters to one another
The curiosity aroused in the neimhbor,
hood by the singular discovery that all
three ladies bore different names was
soon gratified, as the newcomers were
frank. friendly people. with nothing in
their history to conceal or make mys-
terry of. The youngest of the girls was
the daughter of Mrs. Migrants sister,
who had married an italian gentleman,
and died soon after the birth of her only
child. Little Alessandra Veeli0 had
spent her early childhood in Italy, but
had passed on her fathers death, when
she was only fourteen, into the guardian
ship of her aunt, then residing in
Dresden. Mrs. Ingram was the kindest
of women, and Leslie, or the Signorina,
as she was often called, was happy
enough, studying diligently under val'i-
GUS foreign masters, and thoroughly
enjoying the summer months, during
which it was her aunt's habit to travel
about the Continent
The second winter. in Dresden, a
singing mistress was engaged for her in
the person of a young English girl, one
of a large and poor family, and the pos
SCISSOR of an exquisite voice, which had
undergone training for the profession at
Il first rate Conservative. There was
no trace of poor birth or poor upbring-
ing about Marion Ellis; her face and
figure were those of a delicately-nur-
tured aristocrat; her manners self-pos-
sessed, graceful, and exceedingly fasci-
mating; her voice was low and musical;
her speech refined. Mrs. Ingram liter
ally fell in love with her, and it was not
long before her infatuation reached such
q pitch, that nothing would content her
short OF h:iE.i1r tie GIRL to live with her
always. Poor Leslie found herself sud
denly Of no account. for Marion became
to all infcnts and purposes the mistress
of the establishment. She might invite
friends. order the carriage, dismiss SER
wants lust as she chose; and though her
manner lent Il charm to everything she
did, Leslie was not happy under the
new administration.
Marion was never reluctant to tell her
story, and she had a pretty way of al
luding 10 her own absolute poverty as
compared with Lessie's easy means, and
to the vast debt of gratitude she owed
III -. Ingram. Only one thing about
herself she was careful to keep secret
from her Muigraye acquaintance, and
this was her engagement to Mr.. Austin
Longworth, whom she met at Dresden.
He was man of good family. and al
ready devoting himself with 50 much
energy and success to political life, that
his parents had refused their consent 10
his marriage with the penniless Marion,
whom they deemed unworthy of the po-
sition TO which their son would raise
her. While the matter remained thus
in allowance, it was only natural that
the girl should not care to make it pub
lie
To outsiders it seemed as if Marion
and Lessie must be the greatest of
friends. Yet such was very far from
being the case. Attractive as Marion
was, she lacked the real warmth ofheart,
the unseliishness, and especially the sin
cerity, which nature like Lessie's de-
manded The sensitive Italian girl,
embarrassed in company by the shyness
of her temperament and by the con-
seriousness of an incurable though slight
foreign accent, formed the greatest pos
sible contrast to the beautiful Marion,
who felt and used her power with n
skill worthy of better aims. We have
seen how blindly Mrs. Ingram gave way
to her. Mulgrave was not slow to fol-
low suit, and Marion queened it here,
rs she had in Dresden society, by the
mere force of q strong selfish will, act
ing behind person and mannerof most
exceptional charm.
Yttt one man in Mulgrave seemed
proof against the spell she exercised so
widely Mark Watson, the young and
able doctor of the place, had the perver-
sity to pay the most marked attentions
to the dark-eved SiGnorina, while he al
most ignored she brilliant Miss Ellis.
Marion was piqued. DIR. Watson was
the finest and cleyerest man in Null
grave. and his Indifference was an in
suflcrable slight. She exerted herself to
please him, and against his will DIR.
Watson found himself brought continu-
aliy into contact with her-called upon
to take her down to dinner, to accom-
pany her on her rides, to turn over the
leaves of her songs. He was no awk-
ward youth, but man who had seen
much of the world; and while he never
really swerved from his first allegiance,
he responded to Marion advances with
a grace that seemed to the inexperienced
Leslie like the humble submission of
lover The poor child saw, wondered,
df;trusted. and grew sick at heart.
ssDoes DR.. Watson know that you are
engaged, Marion?" she asked one day.
certainly not, replied Marion, hast
lily, land l do beg of you to keep the
thing secret from him and every one
else in England. Surprising Austin
parents are obstinate, do you think l
should want it known that | had been
thrown over?"
ssOf course not answered Lessie;
ssbut I cannot understand the way IN
which you flirt with every man you meet
Just rs if Mr.. Longworth never existed.
It was the first time Lessie had ever
so addressed Marion, for they were not
on terms to make friendly remonstrance
possible.
Marion smiled softly to herself, and
laying her hand lightly on LESSEE
shoulder, looked penetratingly into the
young girls face. .tPoor little Signerl-
nai' she said, in significantly compass
sionate tone-.spoor jealous little Sig
normal
Leslie shook herself free, and for
moment her eyes flashed dangerously.
Then, restraining herself, she said cold
~:
.4Remember. Marion, that if were
Jealous, could satisfy my jealousy at