Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-02


"Over twelve years ago."
Her memory also wandered back for
twelve years and over, but the retro
spect was not pleasant one. My
mother is dead" he continued present
ly. II can't remember her, but she
was very good to me, and when she
died the priest took off all our furniture
to pay for the masses he was going to
say, and SO / was leftwith nothing, and
begged my way to Rome, where | could
make my living witt my violin"
And have you nothing to remind
you of that time?" she asked idly.
lie hesitated, then drew from his
breast a small onyx locket with the mi
tial r. cut on one side under . coat of
| arms. lie opened it, and the face Of .
man past the prime of life, with low
brow and short, crisp curling hair, was
disclosed in view.
Little did Beppo imagine who it real
| ly was, but the Comtesse kuew in that
one glance, and sat as if turned to stone.
| They said he was my father" said
| Beppo softly, but the time is far off,
and he never came to me, and 50 | can
not tell"
| ReyefentlY he kissed the portrait,
then closed the tocket and replaced it
among the folds of his shirt.
| The Comtesse did not spcak. She
only sat there silent, with the same
pleasant smile of Indifferent curiosity
on her handsome face, but her heart
had almost stopped its beating in the
dull terror which the portrait in the
locket brought to her.
| 1t seemed as if SHE could not breathe.
She arose and went over to the window,
and Beppo followed her. A convulSive
sob burst from her lips, but no tears
came from her eyes, aid her face was
as impassive as ever. Tenderly he laid
her head on his shoulder and kissed the
wavy masses of dark-brown hair. Then
all selfcontro' deserted her, and she
yielded to the terrible emotions which
swept over herguilty soul like d torrent.
Hot tears of joy for the son 50 uneX-
Ipectedly found-tears of rage and dis
appointment for the lover so suddenly
torn FROM hey IN Xious grasp.
For the portrait 1Fas that of Beppo's
father--her lover among the hills one
Isummet wears ago, and the lockct she
had given HIM as a love gift. Now it
stood forth in undeniable evidence of
Beppo's claim upon her, and in The fury
of her selfish passion she would not ac-
knowledge it.
| Now all her dreams were over, the
Luxurious future With him gone. She
took his face between her hands and
gazed at it With a look which he remetn-
bered ever after, then pressed him
tightly in her arms and kissed him as
if they we're never to meet again, and
these kisses were the last she could ever
bestow upon him, then thrti5t him from
her and said that he must go.
| Obediently Beppo took his departure,
little thinking that when ecame again
he too would fifid his dream broken,
and the mistress of the villa g'ne.
Yes, gone; for she could not stay. now
that she knew tie truth Better that
he should believe her false to the VOWS
she had so passionately nlighted than
that he should know why love such as
they felt for each otilet was unnatural
and sinful.
lie will love me still, though he will
curse Inc" @he Thoughts; but love would
! 49,, 81 g.. =, I, .;x.l, - ,,,,e ,...
90 az o'ice anu ioi 'i' ''''' j ''''''''-
eu. ., -,, ,.,.
30 'he VIA was ci1seu, a.lI NY l"us
Weu1 away? "li9' n7Ppo lI''', wa
Drohti' - 90 ,''u '''''' SUI 'io ~, =.
hel 'hlous'i ever 'iiiii7' ~ "o''tu iio'
beiieVe ouV 'i'aI Sic "ool" 'ooii le''ii
to him.
Ana Sle uiu l',u1h' Nil'il ne ic"st t. rN,
; peOtcc u "''ep ''7 wa" hi''V '''''iN' u
LOT lier prtSei'c.' - a.,.-.
1nree years my ildy paN9eu I''ie'Iy ~
IarlS' WIien a great 'tVtr pIoNe ou' II
the lower lU'l ',' ~ i,"-De' "4l' Poo'
. brppo 'tN VI '.'ii l" IT,
A'ra'iG' 'lat 'G' III VINO I''q S"f
! kcaSt!c"lIy HN' We" scr 10 we b'PP'
| 10 call on that Gl0oaIy day before The
, palace gates was The very one to tell he
=. of his misfortune. Yes. tile Baron will
=. the blonde beard had but Just returlie'
from Rom, and brought her news o
i,eppO. "fou remember the little rasca
=. with the wonderful eSes- so deep, an
y dark, and-and-in fact, so very ltal
. ian, mon annie? Well, saw him dro
q down on the Corso, ana they saiu II
l. | wan taken VIII we ic'ei' ~
q bundled him OH 10 the hospital, WheI
he is dead now, presume, Wiul hol
A. rag on him fit to sell Tor the masses Ill
y soul no doubt stands in need OF.
- All her maternal feellnS-'so lo'l
"a crushed and strangled by otheF passloi
# rose strong within her sorro"lui iie' I,
- as she listened. bitterly she relroacI
~, Ell herself fer i'dt having told HIM lo
> not having kept him with Ael ana sha
lie ed her fortune with him, though IN
is different way from the one they ma
N planned together. But she would go
st HIM ana nurse nm through the leve
O. and bring MN back with her, Whe'h'
III the world laughed and sneered OF no
I'd 1t was just such day as the one c
which they had hrst met the confess
id de Charneau reached Rome, ana droN
is straight to the hospital where bepl