San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-13


with a look Of melting and wistful tend.
erness She laid her needlework gently
down, and came close up to me-her
fragrant breath fell warm on my cheek,
her strange gaze fascinated me and a
sort of tremor shook my nerves.
"You mean" she said, with tender
pathos in her voice-"that you are will
ing to marry me, but that you do not
really love me?"
And almost appealingly she laid her
white hand on my shoulder,-her music
al accents were low and thrilling-she
sighed family. / was silent,-battling
violently with the foolish desire that had
sprung up within me, the desire
to draw this witching fragile thing to
my heart, to cover her lips with kisses,
to startle her with the passion of my
embraces. But l forced the mad i'm.
pulse down, and stood mute. She
watched me,-Slowly she lifted her hand
from where it had rested, and passed il
with a caressing touch through my
hair.
"No-you do not really love me-" she
whispered, -"but / will tell you the
TRUTH love you!'
And she drew herself up to her full
height and smiled again as she uttered
the lie knew it was lie-but seized
the hand whose caresses stung me, and
held it hard, as l answered.
"You love me? No, mo- cannot be-
lieve it-itis impossible!'
She laughed softly. st is true
though" she said emphatically, "the
very first time l saw you l knew
/ should love you! l tell you
frankly 1 never even liked my hus-
band, and though in some things you re-
semble him, you are quite different in
others-and superior to him in every
way. Believe it or not as you like, you
ever loved!"
And she made the assertion unblush-
ingly, with an air of conscious pride and
virtue. Half stupefied at her manner,
asked,
'Then you will be my wife?"
81 will" she answered." and tell me
your name is Cesare, is it not?"
EYES," said mechanically.
"Then Cesare," she murmured tender
ly, II will make you love me very
much"
And with quick 1.-the movement of
her supple figure, she nestled softly
against me, and turned up her radiant
glowing face.
kiss mel" she said, and waited. As
one in whirling dream, stopped and
kissed those false sweet lips! / would
have more readily placed my mouth upon
that of poisonous serpent! Yet that
kiss reused a sort of fury in me. l
slipped my arms round her half-reclin-
ing figure, drew her gently backwards
beside her still embracing her. "You
really love me?" asked almost fercely.
"Yesr'
"And l am the first man whom you
have really cared for?"
"You arer'
You never liked Ferrari2"
"Never!"
"Did he ever kiss you as have done?"
mot onceI''
Godl how the lies poured forth! very
cascade of them! and they were all told
with such an air of truth! / marvelled
at the ease and rapidity with which they
glided off this fair woman's tongue, feel
ing somewhat the same sense Of stupid
establishment rustic exhibits when he
sees for the first time conjurer draw
ing yards and yards of many-coloured
ribbon out of his mouth. / took up the
little hand on which the wedding ring /
had placed there was still worn, and
quietly slipped upon the slim finger a
circlet of magnificent rose brilliants.
had long carried this trinket about with
me in expectation of the moment that
had now come. She started from my
arms with an exclamation of delight.
''Oh, Cesare! how lovely! How good
you are to me!'
And leaning towards me, she kissed
me, then resting against my shoulder,
she held up her hand to admire the
flash of the diamonds in the light. Sud.
| denly she said with some anxiety in heI
| tone
"You will not tell Guido? not yet?''
NO" answered.; 81 certainly will
not tell him till he returns. Otherwise
| he would leave Rome at once, and we
| do not want him back just Immediately
| do we?" And | toyed with her rippline
| gold tresses half mechanically. while
wondered within myself at the rapid sue.
| cess of my scheme. She, in the mean
time, grew pensive and distracted anC
! for few moments we were both silent
| If she had known! l thought, il she
could have imagined that she was encir
cled by the arm Of her own husband, tn
man whom she had duped and wronged
the poor fool she had Knocked at and de
spised, whose life had been an obstruC
tion in her path, whose death she ha'
been glad Of! Would she have smiled S
sweetly? Would she have kissed m
then?
She remained leaning against me in
! repOseful attitude for some moments
ever and anon turning the ring ha
! given her round and round upon he