San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-20

heavy cloak of rich Russian sable falling
back from her shoulders and displaying
her gittering dress, the dark fur
of the hood frightening by con-
trast the fairness of her lovely
flushed face, so that it looked
Ike the face of one OF Correggio's angels
framed in ebony and velvet. She
laughed, and her eyes flashed saucilV.
Ibid keep you waiting, caro- mio?"
she whispered; and standing on tip-toe
she kissed the hand with which L held
my cloak mufled about me. "How tall
you look in that Almaviva! / am sorry
am little late; but tina last waltz was
so exquisite l could not resist it; only
wish you had danced it with me"
"You honor me by the WISH" said,
keeping one arm about her waist and
drawing her toward the door that
opened into the garden. Tell me, how
! did you manage to leave the ball room"'
''Oh, easily. slipped away from my
partner at the end Of the waltz, and told
him / should return Immediately. Then
/ ran up to my room, got my cloak, and
here l am"
And she laughed again. She was evil
IDENTIFY in the highest spirits.
"You are very good to come with me
at all, mia BELLA" murmured as gently
as could; sit is kind of you to thus hui
NOR my fancy. Did you see your maid?
does she know where you are going?"
''She? Oh, no, she was not in my
room at ALL She is great coquette,
you know; / dare say she is amusing her.
self with the walters in the kitchen.
Poor thing! l hope she enjoys it,"
l breathed freely; we were so far I'M
discovered. No one had as yet noticed
our departure,-no one had the least
clue to my intentions ] opened the door
of the passage noiselessly, and we passed
out. Wrapping my wife's cloak more
closely about her with much apparent
tenderness, l led her quickly across the
garden. There was no one in sight-we
were entirely unobserved. On reaching
the exterior gate of the enclosure l left
her for moment, while i summoned a
carriage, a common facre. She expressed
some surprise on seeing the vehicle.
II thought we were not going far?"
she said.
treasured her on this point, telling
her that only desired to spare her all
possible fatigue. Satisfied with this ex-
PLANTATION, she suffered me to assist her
into the carriage. | followed her, and
calling to the driver, "a la Villa Guar
da" we ratified away over the rough I'M
even stones of the back streets of the
city.
LA Villa Guarda!' exclaimed Nina,
'Where is that?"
st is an old house," replied, "situ-
ated near the place | spoke to you of,
where the jewels are"
"Oh!"
And apparently cOntented, she nestled
back in the carriage, permitting her
head to rest lightly on mys shoulder. j
drew her closer to me, my heart beating
with fierce, terrible JOY.
"Mine-mine at last!' i whispered in
her ear. mine for everl"
She turned her face upwards and
smiled victoriously; her cool, fragrant
lips met my burning, eager ones in a
close, passionate kiss. Yes, kissed heI
now-why should rot? She was as much
mine as any purchased slave, and meriteC
less respect than a sultan's occasional fe.
male toy. And as she chose to caress
me, let her do sol allowed her to
think me utterly vanquished by the bat
terry of her charms. Yet whenever ]
caught an occasional glimpse of her face
as we drove along in the semi-dar kness,
could not help wondering at the su-
preme vanity of the woman! Her self
satisfaction was so complete, and, con-
sidering her approaching fate. so tragic
ally absurd! She was entirey delighted
with herself, her dress, and her con-
uuest-as she thought-of me. Who
could measure the height of the dazzling
visions she INDUCED in; who could faith
ON the depths of her utter seltishnesS.
hnr hnDntifII wealthy
and above all-society knows / speak
the truth!-well dressed, for by the
latter virtue alone is woman allowed
any precedence now-a-dayS-would not
| all the less fortunate and lovely OF her
sex feel somewhat envious? All, yes;
| they would and they do; but believe
me, the selfish feminine thing, whose
| only sincere worship is offered at the
shrines Of Fashion and Folly, is OF all
creatures the one whose life is to be de-
spised and never desired, and whose
death makes no blank even in the circles
of her so-called best friends.
| knew well enough that there was
not a soul in Naples who was really at
tached to my wife-not one who would
miss her, no, not even servant,-though
she, in her superb self-conceit, imagined
herself to be the adored beauty OF the
city. Those who had indeed loved her
She had despised, neglected, and be-
trayed. Musingly looked down upon
her as she rested in the carriage, incir-
cled by my arm, while now and then
little sigh of absolute delight in herself
broke from her lips,-but we spoke
scarcely at all. Hate has almost as lit
tie to say as love!
The night was persistently stormy,
though no rain fell,-the gale had
increased in strength, and the
white moon only occasionally glared
nnt from the masses of white and