The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-12-12
CALLED BACK.
A well-Told Story Of Continuous
and Absorbing Interest
CHAPTER Iv.--CoNrrSuED.
M HUGH CONWAY.


scarcely re rain from pressing my lips
to til could scarcely refrain from tell
ing her then and there that for months
had thought of her and her only--but
injudicious as such proceedings might
have bean at first meeting they would
have been doubly so whilst old Teresa
was living and, In spite of her pains,
with suspicious ewes watching every
movement OF mine; so could only ex-
press wish to be of further service to
/ her and bow myself out discreetly.
But the ice was broken-our hands
had met. Pauline and were strangers
no longer
Old Teresa's sprain, although not
such serious affair as she fancied, kept
her indoors for several days. l hoped
this would enable me to improve my
acquaintance with her mistress, but the
result was not commensurate with the
hope. For the first few days Pauline,
so far as I knew, did not leave the
house. Once or twice / met her on the
stairs and, assuming fictitious interest
in the old woman. kept her IN CONVEX
sation for minute or two. 1t seemed
to me that she was painfully shy SO
shy that the conversation | would fain
have prolonged. after little while died
a natural death. was not conceited
enough to attribute her shyness and ret
icence to the same cause which made
me blush and stammer as spoke to
her.
At last, one morning saw her leave
the house alone. / took nv hat and
followed her. She was walking up and
down the pavement in front of the
house. l Joined her, and, after the
usual inquiry for Teresa, continued at
her side. l mus. make an attempt to
establish matters on a better footing
between us.
lyon have not been long in England,
Miss March?' | said.
"Somc time-some months" she re-
piled. sk
81 saw you in the spring at Turin
in church, at san Giovanni" She
raised her eyes and met mine with a
strange puzzled look.
lyon were there tn your old serv-
ant one morning." | continued.
"Yes-we often went there"
"You are English, suppose--your
name is rot an italian one."
''Yes. | am English -
She spoke as though not quite Ger
tain about tor as if it was matter of
complete Indifference
S.f our home is here-you are not 60
ing back to Italy?"
Il don't know-I can not tell"
Pauline's manner was very unsatisfy-
ing. made many attempts to learn
something about her habits end tastes.
Did she play or sing-was she fond of
music, of pictures. of flowers, of the
stage, of travelling? Had she many re-
lations and friends? Directly or indi-
rectlv, l asked her all these questions.
Her replies were unsatisfactory.
Either she evaded the questions. as if
determined l should know nothing
about her, or she did not seem to un-
derstand them. Many of them felt
sure puzzled her. At the end of our
little promenade she remained as great
q mystery to me as before. The only
comfort could take was that she dis
played no wish to shun ME. We passed
and repassed the house several times,
but she did not suggest re-entering, as
she might nave done had she wished to
get rid of me. There was no trace of
coquetry in her manner-quiet and re-
served as l found her. she was at least
simple and natural-and she was very
beautiful, and l was very, very much in
love.
Il was not long before / discovered
that old Teresa's black eyes were
watching us from behind the blind of
hn 1ro hox
creps from her bed to see that her
charge got into no mischief. l chafed
at the espionage, but as yet It wss too
early to escape from it.
Before Teresa could hobble out of
doors | had met Pauline more than once
in the same way. She seemed, l was
glad to believe, pleased when | Joined
her The difficulty labored under was
to make her talk. She would listen to
all had 10 say without comment and
without reply, save YES or no. II, by a
rare chance, she asked a question or
spoke longer sentence than usual the
effort was never sustained. attributed
q great deal of this to shyness and to
her secluded life-for the only person
she had to speak to was that terrible old
Teresa.
Although every word and action of
Pauline's told me that she was we'll
educated and well-bred, Twas certainly
surprised at her ignorance of literature
quoted an author, mentioned q book
by name, the remark passed unnoticed:
or she looked at me as if puzzled by
my alusion, or distressed at her own
ignorance Although l had now seen
her several times, l was not satisfied at
the progress had made ] knew had
not as yet struck the keynote CT her
nature
As soon as the old servant, duenna.
friena, or what she was, grew well,
heard some startl NO news. Nv land
lady asked me if could recommend
her apartments TO any friend of mine
such as myself she was good enough to
ssay-Miss March was going to leave,
and the landlady thought she would
prefer taking a gentleman in her place.
felt certain this was a couutermove
of that old bag Teresa. She had east
venomous glances at me when we passed
each other on the stairs; had respond
ed surlily when [ asked her if she had
quite recovered from the effects of her
:acc.dent-in word, 1 knew she was
my enemy; thatshe had discovered my
feelings toward Pauline and was doing
her best TO keep US apart. l had no
means OF knowing the extent of her
power or influence over the girl, but |
had sometime since ceased 10 regard
her as nothing more than servant
The intelligence that my acknowledges
were about to qGit showed me that to