Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-07-04

been! She, the arch-traltress, 70 pre-.
vent his entertaining the slightest pos
siblc suspicion or jealousy OF her actions
during his absence, had written to him,
no doubt, eplstles sweet as honey, brim-
ming over with cndearing cpithcts and
vows Of constancy, even while she knew
she had accepted me as her husband-mC
good God! What o DEVILS dance oil
death IL was!
ION my return shall make II my first
duty to pay back with interest the rather
large debt / owe to you" (rather large
indeed, Guido, SO large that you have nc
idea OF It's extentD, ''thus my honor will
be satisfied" land so will mine, In part
land you, / am sure, will have better
opinion OF yours to command" Perhaps
| | shall, Guido mine TO command ms
you are,--perhaps when all my COM
mands are fulfilled to the bitter end,
may think more kindly OF you. But not
till then! In the cantmc-I thought
earnestly for d few minutes, and then
sitting down, penned the following note:
"CARo AMIGO! Delighted to hear Of
your good fortune, and still more en-
chantcd TO know you will soon enliven
us all with your presencei ] admire
your little plan Of surprising the COun-
tess, and will respect your wishes In the
matter. But you, on your part, must do
me a triiing favour:-yOu know we
have been very dull since you left, and
propose to start the gaieties afresh by
giving dinner on the cath christmas
Eve). IN honour OF your rcturn-an cpl
curean repast for gentlemen only.
Therefore, ask you to oblige me by fix
Ing your return for that day, aud on ar
rival ut Naples, come straight TO me at
this hotel, that l may have the satisfac-
ton Of being the first welcome to you as
you deserve. Telegraph your answer and
the hour of your train; and
nv carriage shall meet you
Mt the station. The dinner-hour can be
fixed to suit your convenience OF course:
what say you to eight o'clock? After
dinner you can betake yourself to the
Villa Romani when you please-your
enjoyment OF the ladys surprise and
rapture will be the more keen for hav-
ing been slightly delayed. Trusting you
will not refuse to crafty an on old mans
within, AM
''YouTs Tor the time being,
CEsARE OLIVIA"
This epistle finished and written in
the grabbed disguised penmanship 1t was
part Of my business TO affect. folded,
sealed and addressed II, and summoning
Vincenzo, babe him post II Immediately.
AS soon as he had gone on this errand, l
sat down to my as yet untasted break
fast and made some effort TO eat as
usual. But my thoughts were too ac-
tive for Appetite counted on my fin
tiers the days-there were four, only
four, between me and-what? One
thing was certain-I must see my wife,
or, rather, should say my betrothed-1
must see her that very day. l then be-
gan to consider how my courtship had
progressed since that evening when she
declared she loved me. had seen her
frequently, though not daily; her be-
havior had been by turns affectionate,
adoring, timid, gracious, and once or
twice passionately loving, though the
latter impulse In her had always coldly
checked. For, though / could bear q
great deal, any outburst OF sham senti-
ment on her part sickened and filled me
with such utter loathing that often when
she was moro than usually tender
dreaded lest my pent-up wrath should
break loose and impel me to kill her
swiftly and suddenly, as one brushes the
head of q poisonous adder-an all-too-
merciful death for such as she. pre-
ferred to WOO her by gifts alone-and
her hands were always ready to take
whatever / or others chose to offer
her. From o rare jewel TO COM
mon flower she never refused
strongest passions were
vanity and avarice. Sparkling gems
from the pilfered store Of Carmelo Neri,
-trinkets which had especially de-
signed for her,-lace, rich embroideries,
bouquets Of dollhouse blossoms, gilded
boxes of costly sweets-nothing came
amiss to her-she accepted all with
certain covetous glee which she was at
no pains to hide from me-nay, she made
1t rather evident that she expected such
things as her right.
And after all, what did 1t matter to
me? thought-of what value was any
thing l possessed save to assist me in |
carrying out the punishment l had de-
stined for her? studied her nature with |
critical cOldness-I saw its inbred vice |
artfully concealed beneath the affecta-
ton OF virtue-every day she sank lower |
In my eyes, and l wondered |
vaguely how could ever have loved so
coarse and common thing! Lovly she
was,-lovely too are many OF
the wretched outcasts who sell them
selves in the streets for gold, and who in
spite OF their criminal trade are less vile
than such woman as the ono had
welded. Mere beauty Of face and form
can be bought as easily as ono buys q
the loyal heart, the pure
soul, the lofty intelligence which can
make Of woman an angel-these are I'M
purchasable ware, and seldom fall to the
lot OF man. For beauty, though so per-
lshable, is snare to US all--it maddens
our blood In spite Of ourselves,
we men are made so. How was 1t that !,
oven l, who now loathed the creature l
once loved, not look upon her