Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17
THE WOMAN in RED.
A Thrilling Italian Story Of the
Last Century.
BY GEORGE w. NJ. REYNOLDS
CHAPTER Y.
THE COUNTESS AND THE WOMAN IN RED.

THE COUNTESS AND THE WOMAN IN RED.
The two women stood thus breath
ing mutual defiance, glaring angrily
one on the other; each thinking her
rights invaded; each boiling over with
fury.
The Countess Donati was the first to
break the silence.
"Begonew she cried angrily, stamp
ing her foot on the ground. 'Begone
at once, or dread my vengeance.
Your vengeance!" said the other
scornfully. "Woman, dread mine"
what want you here?'
What want here? What should
a mother robbed of her child want?
What want |? | want my daughter"
The Countess Donati turned deadly
pale, and pressed her hand to her heart.
II wdnt Diy daUghter"
The words rang like knell in her
ears. She knew, wretched woman,
that her beloved Francesca was not in
reality her daughter; and that, though
she had nurtured her from her infancy
upward, the girl had no right TO call
her mother. She had been stolen from
her true parent in her earliest infancy.
Who that unhappy parent was, she had
never known; and now this strange
this terrible woman came forward and
claimed her.
A great conflict took place in the
mind of the Countess Donati. On the
one hand, truth babe her acknowledge
that Francesca was not her child, and
Justice dictated that she should, on
proper proof, yield up the girl To her
mother, But. on the other hand, pride
said nay And not pride only. but the
deep affection she bore the girl she had
reared; an affection which dccpened
in intensity as the child grew up into
the young woman; and now Francesca,
beautiful, amiable, and accomplished,
was loved by the Countess with love
which bodered on alteration.
The latter considerations prevailed
over truth and justice; and drawing
| herself up, collecting all her energies,
she replied to the Jewess:
1T is false woman; false as your
own black heart
Woman, you have owned IT.
False, false again.
"Hal and YOU would deny your
words, spoken in my house this very
| evening"
| Words wrung from me by fraud
| and violence. accursed woman, by vi
olence for which you shall pay by inn
| prisonment for your forcibly OBTAINING
| me in your vile den--me, wife of a
noble of Italy"
Talk not to me of prisons, foolish
woman retortcd the Jcwess. RE
member the Count Donati and what
know concerning your affairs. Whence
is the hundred and fifty thousand
ducats to come to save the Count from
ruinP Answer me. thou who hast
robbed 4 mother of her daughter.
Think not" went on the JewesS, her
voice rising to threatening pitch
'think not, | say, that Heaven looks
on needless of such a deed of infamy.
Already the finger of Providence is laid
upon YOU and yours already the aveng-
ing angel has marked you for his
sword, and will smite YOU first through
the Count your husband. Ay, cover
and tremble at my words, thou who
hast robbed mother of her child
thief, liar, murderer-ay, murderer,
say; for thy crime killed the poor faith
er, Reuben, my husband. brought
down his gray hairs with sorrow to the
grave, and made my life living
death. Tremble, | say again. Oh
woman, robber and murdcress! quai
and crouch before me. who but fore
shadow the vengeance of the Mos
High"
And, spite of her determination new
er TO yield, spite of her deep love TO
Francesca. the Countess Donati die
tremble before the menacing aspec
and threatening words of the bereave'
mother.
The Jewcss stood before her wit
uplifted arms, like prophecies of oil
invoking the curse of the Almighty
Her tall form was drawn up to its nj
most; her dark eyes flashed tightening
the words came from her lips in ring
ing resonant periods, full of energy an
Z vigor Her uplifted arms as she in
voked the vengeance Of the Most High
her strange attire of dark red, wit
cabalistic belongings; and, above al
: consciousness which forced itself o
the mind of the Countess that the We
man had right on her side struck tel
ror into the soul of the false mother.
She could not for some time fin
words 10 reply TO the bitter invectiv
of her enemy; for such she regarde
her IL was a strange tableau-on
worthy Of painters skillful brush.
The two women confronting one al
other-the Jewess threatening, con
manding. Sibyl-like in her just rag
i, the other pale. shrinking in spite I
,. herself, and yet mastering her fea
and with stern determination To yiel
only with life. putting constraint c