The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-04-17

declared IaStOr COmDa, VINO loVeJ his
niece, albeit he teased her unmerci-
fully
'She has eaten almost nothing for a
week" said his wife.
'.She will diei if he deserts her." added
l. the sentimental spinster.
Then we three grown-up people
smiled, but we all felt sorry for the
poor girl. The next morning we called
in physician. who looked very grave.
''She must be caioled." he said. IF
she will not eat. and will not go out.
and will only cry, she will surely get
the fever. There is a good deal of
fever this spring"
What were we to do? We cajoled,
we commanded, we implored but An
nina refused to eat more than the least
morsel of bread, or to drink anything
but little water. A girl might keep
that up for two days-I mean a girl
! who was shamming-but Annina kept
it up for nearly two weeks. AT last q
lettr came from Allesio short letter,
written in a wavering hand and dated
at Paris. He wrote that he was i'll and
among strangers, but that he was slow
ly getting better. Annina was eager
to go to him by the first train-she
even tried to run away; so we all
watched her like cats until Allesio was
well and back in Turin. AS his letters
grew regular she regained her appe-
tite and was soon her joyous self once
more.
1t was my plan to join Miss Leslie in
Venice that spring, but before L left
Florence L bought wedding present
for Annina, which confided to Pastor
Comba' care. She besougnt me to come
to her wedding. which was to take place
in September, and sobbed when l told
her that in September hoped to return
to America.
"You will be in Europe again ~ she
said. lifting her fearful face from my
shoulder.
"Yes, shall come to Europe again"
| replied.
Then. you must surely pay Allesio
and me long visit" She put her
mouth close to my ear. II shall be
his wife, she whispered. Il shall be
Annina Ghiandaja."
1.-The cab is herer' cried Pastor
Comha, and l tore myself free from
Annina's clinging arms.
She wrote me several letters that
summer. She seemed very happy. for
she was travelling with her parents. and
Allesio was with them for awhile. In
September, as l was speeding toward
London, an old gentleman in the rail
way carriage saw that / was reading
Italian, and addressed me in that
tongue. He was very polite to me, in
a benign way, and told me that he was
banker in Turin; so asked him if
he knew Giovanni Comba, the silk mer-
chant
Eyes, indeed" he replied; Il know
him and his family very well. Are you
acquainted with them ?''
with the signera and with An
Nina" said
"'Ah, Annina," he repeated. Il
trotted her on my knee the other day,
and now she is engaged to be mar
ried.'
TO Allesio Ghianda;a," added.
'He is not worthy of her," said the
old banker. "He drinks and he gam
bles. He went to Paris last spring. and
returned half dead from the effects of
dissipation. | hope Comba will break
off the match. Little Annina deserves
a better husband"
Just before the steamer sailed from
Liverpool | received letter from An
nina. She wrote in the gayest of spir-
its, although she told me that her mar
rage had been postponed.
''Dear Allesio must 90 10 Lyons on
business" she wrote. '.but he will soon
return. | have made him little trav-
cling cap of blue silk, and you cannot
think how well he looks in it. He saws
that he will not dare wear it, for all the
girls will fall in love with him, and he
will surely be carried of by somebody.
And then he adds, what would you
do. Annina, Hia?" All, what should |
dor'
So she ran on for ten pages-AlleSio,
Allesio, always Allesio. | answered as
soon as | reached New York, and in
the next letter | expected to hear of
Anninas marriage. AS the weeks
slipped by pictured the child on her
wedding journey, too happy to write to
me or anybody else. The new year
dawned, clear, frosty day, the sky a
dazzling blue, and the air full of pow
derry snow that blew off the house-tops.
On such day the sentimental traveller
thinks of orange groves, of gray olive
orchards, of the blue, tideless sea
breaking on the Southern coast. 1t
was on that day that 1 received my last
letter from Annina; for, although | had
written TO her several times, she had
ignored me completely. After l read
it | brought out the letter that had
reached me in Liverpool, and re-read
that. hardly able to believe my own
eyes. Some day mean to 90 to Europe
again, and | shall certainly look up An
nina / do not know what to think of
her. The letter 1 received in
Liverpool was written in August;
the letter I received in New
York was written four months later
The last letter l will translate as
literally aspossible. keeping the original
punctuation. Such a neat letter! |
wonder if she dashed it off at fever
heat, or composed it carefully, biting
the pen-holder with her white little
teeth. and wrinkling her pretty brows!
Ii could answer this, l should think
that understood the mystery.
PIAZZA D AzEGLIO.
TURIN, December.
DEAR Miss PENNIMAN:-Since last [
wrote to you. so mu:h has happened
that my poor brain is in quite whirl.
| am the happiest of women, the wife
of the best of men and mistress of the
prettieSt house in all Turin. Just think,
lives in an apartment, enyies me,
know. 1t is a great thing to be mar