San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-23

skill, 1 am Incnneu to set JT~'uU-..
a mere rumor; at any rate, my dinner
table will scarcely provide field for the
display of workmanship.
Guido laughed. swell, no! but these
fellows would like to make il one. Why,
they will pick a quarrel for the mere
lifting of an eyebrow. And the rest OF
your company ?"
..Are.the inseparable brother sculptors,
Carlo and Francesca ReSpetti, Chevalier
Mancini, scientist and man OF letters,
Luciano Salustri. poet and musician,
and the fascinating Marchese lppolito
Gualdro, whose conversation, as you
know, is more enhancing than the
voice of Adelna Patti. l have only to
add" and / smiled half mOckingly,
1.-The name of Signor Guido Ferrari, true
friend and loyal Overland the party is
complete"
''Altro Fifteen in all including your
SELF" said Ferrari gaily, enumerating
them on his fingers. Per la madre di
bio! With such goodly company and
a host who entertainS en- rio we shall
pass a merry time of it. And did you,
AMIGO, actually organize this banquet,
merely W WclCOuuC OhSh ~
person as MYSELF"
SOLELY and entirely for that reason"
replied
He jumped up from his chair and
clapped his two hands on my shoulders.
"a la bonnie heure! 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?" l repeated slowly. MY dear
Ferrari, am surely not alone in my
admiration for your high quail
ties Does 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
as the dearest to him in the world after
his wife? Ebbene! Why underrate
yourself?"
He let his hands fall slowly from my
shoulders and a look of pain contracted
his features. After little silence he
said
''Fabio again! How his name and
memory haunt mel 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?'
"Indeed?" and l feigned to be alb
sorbed in fixing starlike japOnicain my
buttonhole. "How is that?"
A grave and meditative look softened
the usually defiant briliancy of his eyes.
II saw my uncle de-" 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! l see him yet,-his vel
low convulsed face, his twisted limbs
air,-then the CHASTITY grin and dropped
jaw-the wide open glazed eyes-pshaw!
it sickened mel"
well, welll" | said in 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
mo doubt it was distressing to witness,
but you could not have been very
Sorry,-he was an old man, and, though
it is 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 thought knew not whY-of
Fabio."
Profoundly astoniShed, but concealing
my establishment under an air of indilIer-
| enCC, began to laugh.
upon my word, Ferrari-pardOn me
| for saying so, but the air Of Rome seems
to have somewhat obsCured your mind!