The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-04-27

1.-The victim of some wicked deceiv.
err" | thought to myself. ..But she
shall not-she shall not. / will follow
her and save herr" and when. in mo.
ment ar two, she slipped out of the
church. / was at her heels.
She turned. as l expected. into the
Strada iii Ripetta. which leads straight
To tho banks of the Tiber. and Mt last
she stood close to its edge, in the shelter
of an old wall, making up her mind, as
| saw, To the awful plunge she had con-
templated. Then went close to her
and caugh: her by her dress, and said
softly:
stop! know what you are going
to do. You are wrong, whatever troub-
les you have. have followed you to
keep You from the river"
The girl turned sharply and looked at
me.
What do YOU know about me?" she
asked.
''Only what saw in the church,"
said I.
us it SO plainly written i'm my face
that stranger can see it," she cried.
Then, indeed. the water is the place
for memo other!"
held her tighter.
chow do you know what comes af-
ter, l cried-''after this life? Worse
than shame, perhaps"
"Shame!' she said. ..Oh, how dare
you? Do you think l am one who has
had no respect for herself?'
People always think that of girls
who drown themselves" answered.
Don't think it of me-" she said; 81
am only foolish. Perhaps you came
there to the cathedral to pray because
you were sad?'
s"Yes," said.
'''YOu knew about me because your
own heart told you" she said. You've
been good and kind to follow ME. /
think I'll tell you-all but the names:
I'm a poor gOverness. | came here
with rich family, and friend of the
sOn's-he visited them. He is a splendid
creature. good. true, perfect. beautiful;
hut he liked little me.
And | used to sing to him-I am
quite one of the family-and | grew to
love him; and Yesterday. at twilight, he
no told me how he loved me. and how
he should never he happy, for he was
engaged to girl whom he must marry
Little Violet. he said, i ask moth
ing of life but the right to love yOu and
protect you. and that ! cannot have for
honor's sake And he told me how
good she was, and handsome; and moth
ing, nothing TO him beside little me.
so all night ! lay awake, and I
made up my mind to kill myself this
morning. Now you know all. Life is
nothing to me if Rudolph is lost-mar
ried to that girl! Rudolph, who cried
when we parted. though he was man"
Rudolph" cried |.
'.Hush!" she cried. IL did not mean
to say that
Rudolph Ackland?' continued.
IL never told you.' said she.
No" said l. Il am fortune teller.
Violet, look into my eyes. Believe me
i know. There is no need of drown
ing yourself. That girl will not marry
Rudolph Ackland. She loves some one
else better. She feels free tOmarry him
now. She knows that Rudolph's heart
will not be broken. Go home. Rudolph
will come to YOU"
What do you mean?' asked the
girl. ''Are you n fortune-teller? be-
lieve you rc-that-that girl herself"
1--WE will make no confessions" said
l. kiss me and 60 home
She put her lips to mine. And then
we went together up the Strada, and l
went home. On the way / met GiOvan-
nj. My heart beat high with joy-high-
er vet when we parted, for we had
pledged our faith to each other.
My chaperon and Cousin Rudolph
were breakfasting together. Rudolph
was pale; he said nothing. My chape-
ron scolded me. But when she left us
for moment said to him:
cousin. cheer up. Let us thank
Heaven we were only engaged; not
married. think You had better 60
and see Violet this morning. am 60.
ing to the Vatican with Giovanni. We
make excellent cousins. Let us retain
that relation only. Our romance has
come to otherwise than we hoped"
think-such is man-that he was
hurt and angry with me, but he went to
Violet, and she is his wife to-day, and l
Giovanni's. And the seas roll between
our homes, for have never left Rome,
and he transplanted his Violet to Eng
land.