The Iola register., 1891-08-07
ID all the walters before the dinner is

stab oil the walters before the dinner Il
half over"
'In mixing Wines" returned coolly,
che will but initiate your example, cart
mio."
"Ah, but can stand it!'' he said
"He cannoti Few Nelpolitans are like
mel"
| watched him narrowly. and went or
with the list OF my invited guests.
"After these comes the Capitano Luig
Freccia."
"What! the raging fre-eater?" ex
| claimed Guido. ''He who at every SECOND
word raps out Pagan or Christian oath,
and cannot for his life tell any difference
| between the two?"
And the illustrious gentleman, Girls
piano Dulci and Antonio Biscsrdi, artist:
like yourself" continued.
He frowned slightly-then smiled.
~ wished them good appetitesl Time
was when I envied their skill-now
can afford to be generous. They arc
welcome to the whole field Of art as far
rs am concerned. have said farewell
to the brush and pallette-I shall never
paint again."
True enough! thought, eyeing the
shapely white hand with which he had
just then stroked his dark mOustache:-
the same hand on which my family dia.
mond ring glittered like q star. He
looked up suddenly.
go on. Conte! / am all impatience.
Who come next?'
'More fire-eaters, suppose you will
call them," / answered, land French
fre-eaters, too. Monsieur le Marquis
d'Avencourt and lie beau Capitaine Eu-
gene de Hamal."
Ferrari looked astonished. "Per
Bacco!" he exclaimed. Two noted
Paris duellists! Why-what need have
you of such valorous associates? l con-
feSs your choice surprises me-"
81 understood them to be your
friends" said composedly. 'If you
remember, you introduced me to them.
know nothing of the gentlemen beyond
that they appear to be pleasant fellows
and good takers. AS for their reputed
skill, am inclined to set that down to
a mere rumor; at any rate, my dinner
table will scarcely provide field for the
display of swordsmanship."
Guido laughed. swell, no ! but these
fellows would like to make 1t one. Why,
they will pick a quarrel for the mere
lifting Of an eyebrow. And the rest Of
your company
Are the einseparable brother sculptors,
Carlo and Francesca Respetti, Chevalier
Mancini, scientist and man of letters.
Luciano SaluStri. poet and musician,
and the fascinating Marchese Ippolito
GualdrO, whose conversation, as you
know, is more enhancing than the
af T ,lr,
add" and / smiled half mockingly,
"the name of Signor Guido Ferrari, true
friend and loyal lover,-and the party is
complete"
"Altro! Fifteen in all including your
SELF" said Ferrari gaily, enumerating
them on his fingers. Per la madre di
Dio! With such goodly company and
q host who entertains en- rio we shall
pass a merry time Of 1t. And did you.
AMIGO, actually organize this banquet,
merely to welcome back so unworthy q
person as myself?"
"Solely and entirely for that reason,"I
replied.
He jumped up from his chair and
clapped his two hands on my shoulders.
"a Ia bonne heurel But why in the
name Of the saints or the devil have you
taken such fancy to me?"
''Why have l taken such fancy to
you?" I repeated slowly. MY dear
Ferrari. ! am surely not alone in my
admiration for your high quail
ties! Docs not every one
like you? Are you not a universal IA
vourite? Did you not tell me that your
late friend the Count Romani held you
ss the dearest to him in the world after
his wife? Ebbouel Why underrate
yourself?"
He let his hands fall slowly from my
shoulders and look Of pain contracted
his features. After little silence he
said:
"Fabio again! How his name and
memory haunt me! l told you he was a
fool, it was part of his folly that he
loved me too well-perhaps Do you
know have thought Of him very much
lately?r
"Indecd?" and I feigned to be ab-
sorbed in fixing a starlike japonica in my
buttonhole. How is that?"
A grave and mcditative look softered
the usually defiant brilliaDcy Of his eyes
II saw my uncle die" he continued.
speaking in low tone. He was an old
man, and had very little strength
left, yet his battle with death was hor-
rible-horrible! see him yet,-his yell
low ronvulsed face, e,-his twisted limbs
his Iw-like hands tearing at the empty
air,-then the ghastly grin and dropped
jaw-the wide open glazed eycs-pshswi
1t sickened me!'
swell, well!" I said in q soothing
way, still busying myself with the ar
rangement of nv buttonhOle, and secret
ly wondering what new emotion was at
work in the volatile mind of my victim.
'.NO doubt IL was distressing to witness,
but you could not have been very
sorry,-he was an old man, and, though
it is a platitude not worth repeating
we must all die"
'Sorry!" exclaimed Ferrari, talking
almost more to himself than to me. 81
was glad! He was an old scoundrel,
deeply dyed in every sort of social vii
lainy. No-I was not sorry, only as
watched him in his frantic struggle, fight
ing furiously for each fresh gasp of
breath-I thought knew not whY-oi
Fabio."
Profoundly astonished, but concealing
my astonishment under an air OF indiffer-
ence, L began to laugh.
Upon my word, Ferrari-pardon me
for saying so, but the air OF Rome seems
to have somewhat obscured your mind!
l confess cannot follow your meaning"
He sighed uneasily. "I daresay notl l
scarce can follow it myself. But II it was
so hard for an old man to writhe himself |
out Of life, what must it have been for |
Fabio? We were students together; we
used to walk with our arms round each |
AlAS