News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-08-01
A MODERN ROMEO.
BY LUCY BLAKE.

BY LUCY BLAKE.
The ball at the Villa Borghese was
over, and Philip Leighton, one of the
guests who felt the evening we'll spent,
was going leisurely homeMard on foot.
1t was a clear, moonlight night in the
bonny month of May, and such night
in Florence, with its violet sky sown
with golden stars, is blessing not to
be wasted under the roof of cab.
The young man crossed the Piazza del
Duomo and turned into the sleepy Via
RicasoL, which seemed quiet as the aisle
of an empty church. Presently, out OF
the shadow, Philip saw two women APP
preaching, both evidently frightened at
finding themselves alone in the street ut
so late an hour At seeing the young
man they stopped, hesitated, and then
advanced again, apparently reassured
by q glimpse of his honest, comely face,
revealed IN the moonlight.
ga thousand pardOns, signore," began
n sweet voice in Italian, ''but / and my
maid are not able to open our door; pos
sibly your stronger hand might make it
yield. y
The house indicated was grim old
palace, many stories high, built of heavy
blocks of stone, like a prison. Statues
looked down from many niche, and the
lower windows were guarded with the
''kneeling'' gratings invented by Michel
Angelo.
Philip threw himself upon the heavy
wrought-iron fastenings of the door, but
they refused to give way even under his
vigorous shaking.
''The door closes with q latch inside;
o sharp blow will sometimes open it
without the key, which Giacinta has un-
luckily lost. There is no one inside the
house to come to our rescue; We are
really In very awkward plight.
The white lace fchu had fallen back
over the shoulders of the gentle-voiced
stranger, and Philip saw that she was
exquisitely pretty, with the pensive,
dark eyes of her race, and tender,
sensitive mouth. Her lips quivercd,
and there was q hint of tears in the
liquid eyes
This was too much for Philip, who,
instead of acknowledging himself bailicd
by the door and resunline his home
ward route, vowed within himself to see
these fair danes safe under the shelter
tempt. Poor old Gia ,inta was not,
strictly speaking, fair, but the aUyeota of
beauty emanating from her young mis-
the faithful attendant with its benign
influence.
Across the street was ladder leaning
against n house in process of repair, Mt
sight of which Philips look of perplexi
ty vanished.
''Does the open window in the second
story lead to signora S rooms 2" he ask
ed, eagerly.
eyes; those arc Our rooms. The rest
of the house is unOccupied, or we
could hope to wake up somebody to let
us in"
eff it is not too audacious PROPOSE
tion," continued Philip, Il will climb
up to your balcony, Romeo fashion, with
that ladder, descend the stairs, and
open your refractory door from the in
side. l"
s'The same thought had occurred to
me, but L did not like to express it. 1t
is a dangerous height; you might fall,
and it Is an unreasonable service to ask
of stranger"
''Pray do not think of any incon-
tidence is quite reward enough. May /
make the attempts"
:" l should be only too thankful"
60 have plenty of wax matches in my
pocket. Am likely to find any obsta-
cles to my progress between the window
and the hall door,"
"No; you have only to cross one
large room and an ante room before
II 4
With surprising dispatch Philip tilted
the swaying ladder into place beneath
the balcony of the old pal0zzO, and began
the ascent.
=" beg of you, sir, be careful I" said
the girl, lightly touching his arm for q
moment with her slender white hand.
Philip looked down into her face with
one brief, soulful glance that seemed to
say, "For you l would risk my life
gladly"
Inspired by those caressing eyes fol
lowing him so intently, Philip mastered
the difficulties and gained the ledge of
the window without more serious mis-
haps than cut ON his wrist.
"Wlat will Uncle Gino think of this
adventure, Giacinta2" +" said the young
lady, as their knight GRANT disappeared
WITHIN the W1ndONs
He ought to he thankful we were
not obliged to finish the night in the
street"
''It is indiscreet and imprudent,
doubtless, to allow perfect stranger to
enter our rooms alone, but I'm sure he
Is q gentleman whom we can trust
Do you not agree with me, Giacinta %
'"There couldn't be a dishonest soul
behind face like that, signorina mia.
Trust an old woman's eyes for telling
good from bad.
ga queerish sort of an errand for a
fellow to be bound on, thought Philip,
as he scrambled over the balcony,
dropping himself through the dark
NAV of a window into what may be the
bottomless pit or q den of thieves, for
aught he knows. More likely to be
stronghold of spooks, from the general
aspect of things. My stars what's
that"
Swinging himself cautiously into the
room he had Lit upon n sleeping cat,
which promptly punished his intrusion
by plunging n V vgorous set of claws
through the young mans silk stocking
"Her pet, | suppose" And instead
of giving the cat the vicious kick his
evil nature dictated, Philip stroked its
silken coat till a coy purring responded
to his touch. By the light of his wax
matches he saw that his wrist was bleed
ing from the cut, and he pulled out
his handkerchief and hastily bound ND
the wound before proceeding farther.
His card case slipped out of his pocket
with the handkerchief and fell unnoticed
to the floor.
Philip found himself in a very large
and handsome loom with the rich
painting and gliding of the De Medicis
period. All was tarnished and worn
now: the once elegant furniture was
dropping to p eces. and the hangings
were faded and torn. A chair lay over
turned, aud the drawers of tortoise
shell cabinet were pulled out and their
contents strewn care cssly about, as if
one had made rapid search for some
thing regardless of order.