Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-08-07
CHAPTER XVII.
THE CONTENI> OF THE GLovE-A
SURPRISE.

THE CONTENI> OF THE GLOvE-A
SURPRISE.
No grea' cr trui-m wa, ever yet pro o
mulgatcd than the time-worn adage
that love is blind Francesca, the
beautiful, was near the verge Of being
i'm love, put Francesca. though not eX-
actly blind, wa, now very near-Sightcd
i'm this particular Notwithstanding
this, she had discovered what the old
Count never had dreamed of, though
his opportunity had never been fully
cqual-to wit. that the magician and
the mysterious visitor at DONATE
mansion but a few days previously
were one and the same individual SO,
of a truth. Love Is not always 30 blind
as he i described 10 be.
Upon N~ehng her boudoir, Fran
cesca Dispensed with the usual services
of her t,JiH' dc tbOUibrC; for her curl
o>ity had reached its eliminating
point and She was in state of fever
i~h excitement 20 know what were the
,ontops OF the glove. Securing her
sali rxesn interruption by dropping the
latrAkS OF her door when her attendant
rgtiNb e. quickly drew from its hid
lag ulae, me treasured mi,siye.
Mai w. It? Did the packet contain
her mss. : rug3 Most certainly it
ought alack. no iewcl was there 1t
was very cwci OF an envelope. with
gildcd cIgcS and deep emboSsings of
darling Cup dS doves and roses; and
the seal crest, What could all this
mean? 1t was "A very impertinent
thing, this smugglinga bH'tt-tony into
lady's very glove, unasked and
unexpected. But Francesca only
smiled, though she asked herself al
these questions, and with a trembling
hnud removed the seal The contents
Of the note she quickly mastered.
1t was without date and ran as fol-
lows:
Fam LADY Believe me at YOUR
feet TO crave pardon for this intrusion,
which may be. happy, fatal TO my
hopes. | love YOU. Francesca, with
all the fervor aud purity OF devo-
ted, unquenchable love; and have
dared to tell YOU So If the opportu-
atv be afforded me- | will explain To
you in person all that am, all that |
feel, all that | can ever aim TO be, in
liz.
The poor r5tSc | have resorted TO.
~ engage your attention for one mo-
mcut Chat | might thus tell YOU in
one word my ambit on and my hopes),
may fail of its oh Get. You may be
shocked, perhaps, at audacity like
this, aud turn away with a sensation
of contempt for him who sohuld be
guilty of such mOnstrouS preSump-
ton.
But, lady. do not Judge me harsh
ly We have already met. Let me
say again. with all my hearts truest
devotion, | love YOU; and bee this my
excuse for my daring. | have prepar-
ed these hasty lines which | shall
make sure will reach you-and in ex-
change ! shall retain some triilng
memento which may fall into nv
hands from yours Tonight
Tell me if | shall sue in vain.
Your temperance at the opera house
shall be my answer. We can meet
there unknown to all save our own
hearts. and peradventure | shall find i'm
the glove | may solicit from you again
your reply to ths9
Dcvotedly yours,
TIE MAGICIAN.
Now, under ordinary circumstances.
his letter would have either found its
way quickly TO Count Donati. or the
young lady would have crushed or
burnt it with snccr for its author.
But as it was, there was altogether too
much of romance i'm this affair TO adj
nit of either course thought Fran
cesca: and while her little heart nut-
tered wildly in her bosom, she pressed
the letter to her lips in very rapture
II. i.
bic is the course of lovel
While this scene was passing in the
private apartment of the fair Frances.
ca, old Count DOnati had retired for
the night. lie was not little super
Stitious. albeit his former life had been
a scene, for many year of danger
and toll and crime, which might well
have operated one would suppose.
toward Graduating anything Ike such
n sentiment in his composition. But
Count Donati slept. after Witnessing
what had been To him the mos as
founding series of performances he had
ever seen; and the wealthy Italian
dreamed.
The conjurer appeared before him
Is he slept, aud he fancied that he as
sumed a thousand different shapes,
each distinct from the other. and each
more appalling and forbidding than
the first. In his slumbers he went back
20 days long past, aud the magician
still was present, pursuing him. glar-
ing upon him with great fiery eyes,
taunting him with "reminiscences of the
times when price was offered for his
head. Then the juggler would laugh al
and deride him, and pc mt h IN to form