Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-05-16

s0N<SAT ears. Was dream
seS ing, or was l act ual
" standing on the smooth green lawn Of
my own garden, mechanically salutihg M!
own wife, who, smiling sweetly, uttered
this cordial greeting? For moment oil
two my brain became confused; the
familiar verandah with its clustering
roses and jessamine swayed unsteadily
before my eyes; the stately house, the
home OF my childhood, the scene of ms
past happiness, rocked in the air Il;
though II were about To fall. A choking
sensation affected my throat.
Even the sternest men shed tears
sometimes such tears too! wrung like
drops of blood from the heart.
And IL could have wep,
- s. Oh, the dear old home! how fair
and yet how sad II seemed to NV an
guished gaze! 1t should have been in
ruins surely-broken and cast down in
the dust like its masters peace and
honor. It's master, did say? Who was
its master? Involuntarily l glanced al
Ferrari, who stood beside me. Not he
not he; by heaven, he should never be
master! But where was my authority?
i came to the place as stranger and an
alien. The starving beggar who knows
not where to lay his head has no emptier
or more desolate hear than had as l
looked wistfully on the home which was
mine before died! noticed some slight
changes here and there; for instance, my
deep easy chair that had always occn-
pied one particular corner OF the
verandah was gone; little tame bird
that had loved. whose cage used TO
hang up among the white roses on the
wall, was also gone. My old butler, the
servant who admitted Ferrari and my
self within the gates, had an expression
OF WEAKNESS and injury on his aged
features which he had not worn in my
time, and which was sorry to see. And
my dog, the noble black Scotch collie,
what had become Of him, | wondered?
He had been presented to me by young
Highlander who had passed one winter
with me in Rome, and who, on returning
10 his native mountains, had sent me
the dog, perfect specimen Of its kind,
as souvenir OF our friendly intercourse.
Poor Wyvis! thought. Had they made
away with him? Formerly he had always
been visible about the house or garden:
his favourite place was on the lowest
verandah step, where he loved to bask
In the heat Of the sun. And now he was
nowhere visible. l was mutely indignant
at his disappearance, but / kept strict
watch over my feelings, and / remem-
bered In time the part had to play.
GINValn0,na N Villa NJ co IA
my wife. Then, remarking my silence
as / looked about me, she added with q
pretty coaxing air.
81 am afraid after oil youi are sorry
you have come to see me-"
/ smiled. 1t served my purpose now
10 be as gallant and agreeable as l could;
therefore answered:
''SOrry, Madame! II l were, then
should be the most ungrateful of all
men! Was Dante sorry, think you, when
he was permitted to behold Paradise?"
She blushed; her eyes dropped softly
under their long curling lashes. Ferrari
impatiently, but was silent She
led the way into the house-into the
lofty cool drawing room, whose wide
windows opened out to the garden. Here
all was the same as ever with the OK
ceptiOn OF one thing-a marble bust OF
myself as boy had been removed. The
grand piano was open, the mandolin
lay on side table, looking as though 1t
had been recently used; there were fresh
flowers and ferns in all the tall Venetian
glass vases. / seated myself and re-
marked on the beauty Of tho house and
its surroundings.
81 remember it very WE'LL" l added
quietly.
"YOu remember It'll" exclaimed Ferrarl
quickly, as though surprised.
Certainly. omitted to tell you, my
friend, that used to visit this spot often
when boy. The elder Conte Romani
and myself played about these grounds
together. The scene Is quite familiar to
me-"
Nina listened with an appearance of
interest.
''Did you ever see my late husb?nd?"
she asked.
''Once, / answered her gravely. HE
was q mere child ut the time, and, as far
as / could discern, very promising one.
His father seemed greatly attached to
him. / knew his mother also"
Indeed" she exclaimed, settling her.
self on o low ottoman and fixing her
eyes upon me, ''what was sho like?"
paused q moment before replying.
Gould speak Of that unstained sacred
nfe of wlfehood and motherhood to this
polluted though lovely creature?
'sShe was beautiful woman uncon-
scious OF her beauty" answered at last
There, all is said. Her sole aim seemed
TO be to forget herself in making others
happy, and to surround her home with
an atmosphere of goodness and virtue.
She died young"
Ferrari glanced at me with an evil
sneer in his eyes