Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-17
lcnntinuec from yesterday. j

| Continued from Yesterday
Her memory also wandered back foI
twelve years and over. but the retrospect
was not pleasant one My mother is
dead he continued presently. 81 can
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
left with nothing, and begged my way to
Rome. where could make my living with
my VIOLIN
land have YOU nothing TO remind you
of that time p'' size asked, idly.
Ae hesitated, then drew from his breast
a small ONYX locket with the initial K. cut
on one side uuder a coat OF arms. he
opened it and the face of a man past the
prime of life, with low brow and short,
crisp curling hair, was disclosed to view.
Little did Beppo imagine who it really
was. but the Comtesse knew IN that one
| glance, and sat as ifturned to stone.
"They said he was my father" said
Beppo, softly, ..but the time is far off. and
he never came to me, so cannot tell"
Reverently he kissed the portrait, then
closed the locket and replaced it among
the folds of his shirt.
| The Confess did not speak. 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, and her face was as impas.
sive as ever. Tenderly he laid her head
on his shoulder and kissed the wavy mas
ses of dark brown hair. Then all self
control deserted her. and she yielded to
the terrible emotions which swept over
her guilty soul like torrent. Hot tears
OF Joy for he son SO Unexpectedly found
tears of rage and disappointment for the
lover so suddenly torn from her anxious
grasp.
For the p' rtrait was that of Beppo's
father-her lover among the hills one sum-
mer years ago, and the locket she had
given him as love gift. Now it stood
forth in undeniabe evidence of Beppo's
claim upon her, and in the fury of her
selfish passion she would not acknowl-
edge it.
Now all her dreams were over. the lux
urious future with him gone. She took
his face between her hands and gazed at
il with look which he remembered ever
after, then pressed him tightly IN her arms
and kissed him as If they were never to
meet again, and these kisses were the last
she could ever bestow upon him. then
thrust him from her and said that he must
60.
Obediently Beppo took his departure,
little thinking that when he came again
ne too would find his dream broken, and
the mistress of the villa gone.
Yes, gone for she could not stay, now
that she knew the truth. Better that he
should believe her false to the vows she
had so passionatelv plighted than that he
should know why love such as they felt
for each other was unnatural and sinful.
ale will love me still. though he will
curse me-" she thought: "put love would
60 at once and for all time if confessed"
So the villa was closed. and my lady
went away to Paris. Beppo's heart was
broken. But. s she had said. he loved
her through everything, and would not
believe but that she would soon return to
him.
And she did return, when he least ex-
pected it, when he was most thankful for
her presence.
Three years my lady passed quietly in
Paris. when great fever broke out in the
lower quarter of Rome. and poor Beppo
fell victim to it.
Strange that the man who had sarcastic
cally advised her to invite Beppo to call
on that gloomy day before the palace
ua taC u-as no RI toll har of ~,
misfortune. Yes, the Baron with the
blonde beard had but just returned from
Rome and brought her news of Beppo.
You remember the little rascal with the
wonderful eyes-so deep, and dark, and
and-in fact, so very Italian, mon annie
Well, saw him drop down on the Corso,
and they said he was taken with the fever
So they bundled him off to the hospital,
where he is dead now, presume. with
not a rag on him fit to sell for the masses
his soul no doubt stands in need off,
All her maternal feeling-so long
crushed and strangled by other passions
rose strong within her sOrrowful heart as
she listened. Bitterly she reproached her.
self for not having told him. for not hav-
ing kept him with her, though in differ
ent way from the one they had planned
together. But she would 90 to him and
nurse him through the fever, and bring
him back with her, whether the world
laughed and sneered or not. 1t was Just
such day as the one on which they had
first met the Comtesse de Charneau reach
ed Rome. and drove straight to the hospi-
tai where Beppo was. The attendants
made way respectively for her, whispered
among themselves, when they saw her
bend over and kiss him, that it might be
her son. And it was. But Beppo did not
know it. He only knew that the kisses of
old were falling softly on him once again,
and her dear eyes were mutely asking
pardon for that long neglect.
He raised himself with effort-for he
was very ill. far more so than any thought
or knew-and wound his arms about her
neck, and kissed away the tears which
came very last now.
"Caro--caro," he muttered feeblv. do
not grieve for me. had such faith in YOU
| felt sure you would come back. And
you are here, and in your arms | am con-
tent. Why did you go? care not. You
will be with me to the end. and that is all
ask-all that you can give me-your love
till die"
She looked on that pale face now il
lumined with a. happiness which all her