The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-05-04
NUMBER 10.

ave viii not talk of home" was the
reply, uttered sadly. "No; you are the
first person in all the world who ever
said to me I love your"
q am glad, yet sorry" said the Eng
lish girl, slowly.
y strange light came over Vcronica's
face; her eyes darkened, a quiver
passed over her lips.
"les, you are the first" she said
"and because in all my life you have
been the first to say to me, 4 love you,
swear fealty to you-I will be true TO
you until death-I will be a friend
more than in name. II the time should
ever come when can take a trouble
from you, or by suffering myself save
you from suffering viii do it or under
90 it,
Katherine was touched by the earn
est, passionate words.
"How much you think OF kind
words, Veronica Z" she said, quietly.
"Ah, you do not know. I have been
all my long solitary life without them.
For years l heard but one voice, and it
never addressed me kindly. No one in
all this world has been so utterly
alone"
at is all ended now, said Katherine;
'you have US to love you"
eyes, it IS ended, " returned Veronica.
"Do you know, Katherine, that could
not believe the world was fair or bright?
It seemed 10 me impossible. knew
i1a c1-i \ ~.
light of the sun was all golden, but / did
not understand the glory and the love-
illness that seem common to you. Once,
long AGO, foun an old book OF poems,
AM read them. They were all about
the baauty and passion and tenderness
OF life. l thought the man who wrote
them-Altieri-wa mad; now / think
there was some method in his madness.
Do you know, Caterina ~ ike to give
you 1.-THE sweet soft Italian name - that
for long years I have had but ono
thought, and that that was how soon
Heaven would let me die? ?''
Katherine caressed the dark shining
waves OF hair.
"Such thoughts as those have brought
eyes, Veronica; we must have no more
OF them" she said.
"Even my name, remarked the Girl,
"has a sad kind OF music in it. And SO
you love me, Katherine? Tell me what
to do for you, how TO thank YOU. how to
serve you. l will see with your eyes,
l will hear with your ears. snail 90
to sleep happy, / shall wake up happy,
thinking to myself that someone deems
me beautiful, and that someone loves
me. You have frightened all my lie
for me by your goodness"
Il do not think it is goodness said
Katherine; with me it is simply that
l cannot help it."
at might have been different" re-
joined Veronica. you might have
been angry and vexed that a stranger
should come into your home-the very
heart of your home, as it were-you
might have received me coolly, treated
me unkindiy, laughed at me, even be-
cause OF my strange dress and strange
manners-but you have been an angel
Of goodness to me. For that" she con-
tinued, with the sudden passion that
made her so beautiful, 81 viii give you
my life should you need il, my service
always, my love if you Will take it, my
heart always"
They formed certainly one of the
prettiest OF pictures-the English sirl
with her bright, fair beauty, her golden
hair, her dress OF white silk, her shining
jewels, her happy, loving, bright man
ner, and the dark-eyed Venetian. with
her pale, passionate, matchless lowell
! ness, her black robes so quaint and
picturesque, Then, as they talked
longer, gradually they changed atti-
tudes; it was Veronica who became the
protector, and Katherine the younger
sister. Their lives had been so differ
ent, yet they were children OF one
father, Veronica's one wonder was
the long shining gan ,,@4n ha-r' She
never tired of caressing it, OF twining it
round her fingers, OF praising it.
''Do you know" she said to RATHER
inc, that once-oh, long ago!-I was
arranging an old wardrobe for my aunt,
and saw little parcel OF white paper !?
L opened It, and inside il Jay .ons
tress OF shining golden hair so much
like this. l was almost frightened at it
for 1t seemed to twine round my fingers
as though it were living. l took it to
my aunt and showed it to her. She
grew so angry. Whenever you see
hair like that she said, ALWAYS prav
that England may be ruined bv its own
gold, by the greed of its sons and the
folly OF lis daughters Her words come
back to my mind now as l hold this
golden hair in my hands
They were very horrible words, and
your aunt must have been wicked TO
utter them. What harm had the
English done herr"
Il cannot tell, but she hated them.
She was angry that l wished to learn
English; but l would 1t was STRANGE
that when she hated it l should love
it. / think England beautiful Our
Venice is perhaps one OF the fairest
spots on earth, but everything seems
brighter and happier here"
Papa" said Katherine, that same
evening. Il fancy your ward Veronica
has been very unhappy all her life.'
81 hope not" he returned, quietly.
81 feel sure OF it. l have been con
trasting her lot with mine. How
strange 1t is, papa, that in this world
things are so unequal. Some have SO
much. others so little. Veronica seems
to me to have had nothing"
He made no reply, but he thought TO
himself that it was hard, seeing that
they were children of one father. Later