Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-10-25

His5s opaque a6 first, but gradually melting
 away, so as to make mo aimly aware that I
 was standing on fascinating fairy built
 bridge, dreamily watching the waters of the
 silver Arno, which laughingly hurried by,
 casting up glittering shower of diamonds.
 ruoles and emeralds, and refusing to be re-
 talnsd by the graceful arches which would
 Iain nave clasped them to their stony breasts
 Then unconsciously the scene shifted and
 was walking through a narrow Italian
 street, closely surrounded by grim looking
 gray stone palaces, with their narrow barred.
 vlndlctlve looking windows and their frown-
 ing towers; and seemed to distinguish be- l heath my feet the hollow sounds of their
 dreadful dungeons. "And each and all these n priest whispered In my ear, ''have their
 own tale of wrong and murder!' At these
 words thought I hastened my steps, for I 1elt sutfocated, stifed for want of air; the streets seemed interminable, and the build l ings as though they would close over my
 mead, when 10! holy, lovely Presence was near, and coming towards me was a young Mother, pressing Her little ohild close to Her
 bosom, as though clasping Him fast to shield linn from the cruel outer world. ''Is it a heauteous picturer' I asked in a confused
 way, or IS 1t a great Truth2" for glory shone forth from the baby brow, clearing l away the wicked shadows and shedding lipht N>>> SNNsAA5 SAA all o1 OuAul rOunCalOS. How CTS, gardens, statues now pass giddily be- lore me, glowing and glistening in the pitt less burning sun. with unchanging blue sky overhead and the glaring white fagstones under foot; till at last languid and fainting. turned gratefully out of the noise and heat into dim lit, high roofed cathedral. restfpl alike to eyes and mind in its darkness and silence. (Ihat peculiar, holy church silence. which always tells of great Expectancy, of the hushed and breathless looking for" a great and glorious ComingD l stood. I thought, entranced, gazing mistily at the beauty of the opal jeweled windows, at the wondrous perspective of the many arches.
 raised" q said to myselO Hike huge shel. terlng arms, guarding oyer the Present of my childish head and stretching far, far away (always lifted in my defense) into the shadows Of the Future" As gazed above beheld two angels come lowering side by side down the lofty cathedral aisle, and with each peat or their pearly wings they shed around them the fragrant odors of incense and the Vlorauons or mystic melody. They smiled as .ney passed me by, grave sweet smile, and said dreamily, "Oh! that this House of Feace were my homei Ohl that could for ever join in the service of angelsl" Then, in 1ancy, knelt and mingled my poor prayers With those of the calm, holy looking nuns, the wrinkled old peasant women, the dark eyed, brown skinned children that were kneellng reverently on the marble pavement peacefully telling their beads, apparently ali unconscious of busily wicked, wickedly busy Florence within Q few paces of their altars-aye! at their very church doorsI
 These pictures distinct at first, but becom- ing gradually more and more shadowy. were all Ill moment rudely dispersed, dispelled. exactly like mirror which had suddenly been cracked, spared by some unseen handI ! started violently and sat up in my bed, for thouSht-nay, was convinced-I heard one or the many doors in the room shake gently, but decidedly, as though some one were endeavoring to enter I listened at tentlvely, and for while all seemed ouiet. but-again! the same sound! and this time rom another door, which, like tho Corner one, opened into the Russian apartments, I watched, and distinctly saw the handle turn ana the door shake! I was now thoroughlv alarmed, and would have rushed in to Sr- se1te, but, to my distress, remembered that my door was looked on the outside!
 "ohP' l gasped, Eff Susette would only come! What can 1t be? What shall dor waited, listening painfully, but for q few minutes (which seemed ages to mel heard nothing more, and almost persuaded myself that 1t must have been my imagination. or perhaps, ''Some one may have mistaken the door," l thought began to be ashamed of my cowardice; l determined to be brave and ignore the whole thing-to lie down again put had hardly done so before I distinctly heard footsteps creeping along the balcony and stopping at my window-which was only lightly hooked together, for it was very warm, and 1t had never struck me till now. that as my room belonged to the Russian suite, so did the balcony, and was therefore not divided from theirs. Breathlessly I lis tened, and tremblingly leaping out of bed, I threw on my dressing gown, stole to tho window, and gently pushing aside the blind, looked out--and never, to my dying day, shall l forget my horror when I became aware ot mans face, within an inch of my own, peering In at mol
 Terror nearly paralyzed ne, but did not prevent my recognizing in the coarse Kaln,uc type of the intruder, the face of one of the Russian men servants!
 could not move or scream, but at Q signal from the Russian, to my utter amaze and he 1 w1lderment, who should appear at his side but the dead" prince! He was making i'm 1 ploring signs to me to be silent~not to be | afraid, and, above all things, to let him in !! The poor young face was so liyid-the eyes so strained with terror: the tears, too, were coursing so visibly down the | thin haggard cheeks, and the attitude was so Coucnlhg1y humble and 1mploring, that my fright turned into pity, and felt intuitively ' that in some mysterious way held the life | or death, of this trembling creature in my | hands. 1mpelled therefore, by the power of | mercy, and hurriedly eager to save knew | not who, from knew not what, unlocked | the window, and the prince crept noiselessly l inl To my unspeakable relief the footman l fell back, evidently on the watch, and the | poor boy sank at my feet, gasping out in a | mixture of languages "Oh, Lady Muriella, 1 pour ramour de Dieu, save me! Let me out | at your doorr'
 ''Good heavens!" cried, ''it is locked on the outsidem
 Hide me, then, hide mel" he sohbed-as. In an agony of supplicat1on, he clasped my gown: Your white robe and your tete | doree make you look like an angiol di Diol Be one to me, Muriella, an angiol protettorel Ecoutez, the good doctor and poor Ivan have rtsked much. The doctor made me feign death, and he has drugged the padre, and watches him, but he will soon wakeI An! save me from him, from ma belle mere"
 II will do anything" I said excitedly: ''but what can dot You cannot stay here, What are you afraid off"
 "Ahl get me out of the hotel, for'- looking around in Q terror struck way, and whisper ing in my ear, "they are-poisoning mel''
 Rouse the hOuSel" wsS my natural suo-