The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-05-03

made her sunny beauty and ready wit &C
| universally known and admired, that her alb
sence left strange blank among them.
But it was only Genna suffered. Genaa
who seemed so cold and hard and stern nov
who avoided the town and all belonging tc
it-who plodded on duly. uncomplainingly
from day to day and week to week, and III
her tapers at the Madonna's shrine in the
little chapel ON the hillside, and spent hel
leisure hours In prayer and penitence fol
Nita's sake-Nlta, who had forgotten and de.
serted her without word Of regret.
Old Maso took the matter very coolly. "It
was nothing more than he had expected. ;" so
he said, "and 1t served Genna right for en-.
couraging these idle painter fellows to come
round the house, filing girls heads with
nonsense, and making believe they were
beautiful as angels, till they grew too vain to
be Of any use or good at ALL"
Poor GENIAL She knew that she had loved
him ere she herself was aware Of it, and she
dreaded lest some look or word might have
betrayed her. How he must have mockeo at
such folly-he and Nital That thought
brought fresh agony in its train. Both her
sister and her lover, perhaps, had made
sport over this in secret-he binding her
eyes to his real motives by pretended rever.
ence and admiration, while all the time
She hid her face in her hands, and shiyered
with the cold, sickening chill that had come
to her with the first knowledge Of Nita's base
ness and of her perfldy.
"If only he had never come, she thought.
in her misery. "But alittle while ago, and I
was content-now, ah, life is all changed. Il
can never be the same again."
Slowly the years passed on, bringing but
few changes to the quiet town and the dwell
lers on the hillside beyond its gates.
Genna was alone now. Old Maso had died
OF cold, caught by damp and exposure in
severe winter-time, when the river had over
flowed its banks and flooded the country for
miles around. The chill had settled on his
lungs, and he had neglected it, in his belief in
his own strength and hardihood. So one
morning, when Genna went to his bedside.
she found him too i'll to rise, and few days
after no died. The girl sorrowed greatly,
He was her only friend, and life was very
lonely to her now.
OF Nita no word had eyer come-no token
OF fremembrance-no sign of her existence
She was well-nigh forgotten, even by those
who had been her lovers and friends, Gsnr;.
nlQNe remembered. Genna-with her calm.
sad face, her quiet, wistful eyes, in which
there always seemeda longing so great,
sadness so deep.
avnninO hn %
daughter, came 10 see her. She was married
now, and SOBER careful matron, with baby
to look after. 1t was late, and the evening
had fallen dark and chill. Genna was sitting
by the fire. busy plating the long. pale wisps
OF straw that lay beside her. She looked up
with some surprise at her visitor.
us 1t you, Teresina?" she said. ''You are
welcome. 1t is long since have seen yoya."
Yes; have little enough time for gossip
with neighborhood. of run down to the
market now," said the plump. brown.faced
woman, seating herself by the fire. "But
have come up tonight to tell you some news,
Gonna. You never go to the town now-you
hear nothing, and this may interest you"
What Is it?" She spoke very quietly, but
her thin cheeks turned paler, her hands
trembled u little, and the plaits Of straw grew
slightly uneven under the movement of
those shaking fingers.
"a man has come froa Rome today to see
my people on business, and heard what he
was saying of the doings Of the great city
yonder. They talk of nothing else save a
new artist and his painting, so Dini saws, He
has painted woman. She is lovely-eyery
one is full ofit. They flock in crowds to see
the picture. and some great noble has
bought il for his palace. Gepna. I thought
suppose it should hs Nita, and the
Dainter-N
The straw fell from Genna's hands, She
turned fercely on the woman. "Will YOU
never be silont on that subject2" she said.
II have told you I never wish to hear her
name--most of all from lips to whom her
shame is Jest and by.word."
"Very well," said Teresina, offended at
this rough reception of her news. "I will tell
you no more, though the best OF the tale re-
mains. Perhaps Nita Is no shame to YOU
after all perhaps she has done better for
herself than we all believed. and is safely
married, and great lady to boot But then
you do not care. Why do trouble to tell
you anything Of her?"
May, dear Teresina," cried Genna, implor-
ingly. "forgive mel I was rough and rude,
but indeed 1t hurts me that tongues should
speak lightly of Nita-my little Nita whom
nursed from her babyhood, and loved as l
have never loved another earthly thing. Oh,
my dear, your news be good, tell me-tell
me. Ny heart is hungry for werd Of the child,
the child whom for three long weary years
hayeneEeE sssn.''
The intense anguish and longing in her
voice softened tho offended woman. She
took her sent once more
well" )" she said, "oi eauEae tt Ia for ysur
sake tried to learn az much as covld, and
FROM what hear 1t Is the wife OF rich noble
who Is making such sensation by her
beauty, and the description OF her is very
like Nita."
"Well9" said Genna hhUySiedly.
"Does SSt that please your" asked the
woman in wonder. Fancy Nita great lady
with wealth and honor and jewels and fine
dresses-Nita who used to run hAreheaded
through the fields and Was tho Widest and
sauciest g,Yl 0n the whole coun-ry-sidep
FNita, who was your friend" interrupted
Gepna haughtily, "and whom you were the
flrst to speak i'll OH
"It looked So bad" said Teresina, a little
shaMefaeed at the grave rebuke. "But I
should be heartily glad If this were true.
Dear me: why, should like to go to Rome
~. Ia