Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-06-26

"She comes To borrow loO,OOO du-
cats.
"A large sum, truly. but nothing to
me-"
"Know you who the lady lisp"
"Not L. nor do care.
"Do not be too sure. Ii is the
Countess Constanza Donati, mother of
the Lady Francesca.
| "lla! say you SOP Are you sure"
"Quite. y
"And her obiect?" 49,.
al have told you"
"Can il be SOP What means have
you of knowingP"
IL cannot tell you; but trust me,
speak truth.
1T is strange. very strange" unused
Count Claudio. THE fellow has the
air of truth. y
"Sec who Gomez yonder across the
| bridge" said Fiaramonte, intcrrupting
him. and pointing with his finger.
lila! It's he-rranccsca-my heart
love-
Remember, Count, she's no longer
the wealthy heiress, but the daughter
of ruined man.,
"Perdition seize the thought! il is
madness. | cannot give her up; and
yet to wed her would be rank folly.
My affairs are now in 50 bad a state as
to make a marriage with wealthy
lady absolutely indispensable.
Such were the muttered thoughts o.
the young Count Claudio as. torn by
conflicting emotions waved now by
his love, now by his interest and the
desperate nature of his fortunes
mind wandered first one way, then the
other But rs the fair Francesca Do
natl approached, self-interest and eX-
pediency melted away. until in the
sunshine of her presence he lived but
for her.
He FASTENED to meet her.
Francesca. dearest. best beloved.
again | behold you! Your bright
beauty has dissipated the gloom which
was gathering around. | am again
happy
Happy Have you, then, been 9TH
erwise, Claudo?'
mo. no, Francesca! not unhappy.
How could | be so when blessed with
your love? But | have heard things
which disquieted me concerning your
father, Francesca.
"Ah! trust nothing is wrong. Do
YOU know. Claudio, that my mother
has been all day in terrible state of
excitement? But a short time ago she
came to me and asked for my diamond
tiara. What can it mean?'
Claudio groaned inwardly.
at is, then, true he thought.
She is about to sell her Jewels in or
der to raise the money! But not
wishing to alarm her, he dissembled
his feelings.
ooh. doubtless it is merely some
trihing anxiety, dear Francesca, he
said. "Do not suffer it to trouble
you"
But it does trouble me, Claudio"
said the young girl.
do YOU know. ! often think that
my dear mother has some secret grief
which weighs her down Frequently,
on looking up suddenly, | notice her
regarding me in a mournful manner,
her eyes Sutlu>ed with tears: and once
or twice she has let fall expressions as
though she feared to lose me. What
can it mean
The eyes and ears of Claudio were
80 taken up with his fair companion,
that he paid but little attention to other
( objects. And sooth TO say, the fair
Francesca might be pleaded as an ex-
cusc for any amount of inadvertance
to what W, passing around
Seldom even among the daughters
of sunny Italy was SO perfect Speci-
men of feminine beauty to be found.
Unlike the generality of her country
women. she was not dark. but fair.
Her hair was of light-brown color,
her eyes dark blue her complexion a
happy blending of the blonde and bru-
nette, with all the transparency and
delicacy of the former, wanting the
pallor which so often characterizes fair
beauties Her features were faultless
in outline, while the expression was so
soft and lovable as to double the effect
of her great beauty. The type of her
face was neither the Grecian nor the
Italian STYLE of beauty. but rather
mixture of both, with perhaps the
aquiline predOminating. However.
giving up the task of description as
hopeless. we must leave the reader to
imagine the graces of her form and
beauty. the small classic head bound
round with luXuriant masses of hair;
the delicate hands. small feet. gently
swelling bust, and taper waist; limbs
modelled after the antique; and all the
various graceS with which Dame Ma
ture had taken delight in adjoining
her
Claudio was endeavoring to dispel
her melancholy and forcbodings, she
drinking in his words, which fell like
music on her ear. when both We're
startled by a voice close beside them
Lady, your hand. and | will tell
your fortune.
Francesca. turning quickly, gave ut
terance to faint cry.
There. close beside her, stood the
dreaded SorccreSs, known as Rudiga
the Woman in Red. Her eyes were
bent on the young girls face with a
penetrating glance. which seemed to
exercise a strange, weird charm.
Francesca shuddered involuntarily,
she knew not why.
"Your hand. young lady" said the
rcputcI sorceress again. while a smile
full of strange meaning broke out on
her face.
There was something so tender in
| her words. so melancholy pathos in
the smile which accompanied them.
that the girl felt treasured, and.
though not without miSgiving, eX-
tended her little hand to the fortune
teller.
The latter was murmuring TO herself
|. words which neither Francesca nor