The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-04-03
THE VENDETTA
Or, the Story of One For
gotten.
BY MARIE CORELIE-
(Coutinued from last Issue.1

(Coutinued from last 1ssue1
She smiled, with the pretty superior
smile of young empress pardoning
recreant subject, and suffered nm 10
draw her again, but with more gentIe-
ness, into his embrace. She put up her
lips to meet his-I looked on like man
in dream! l saw them cling together
each kiss they exchanged
was a fresh stab to my tortured soul.
"You are so foolish, Guido mio!" she
pouted, passing her little jewelled ing-
ers through his clustering hair with a
light caress-''so impetuous-so jealous.
/ have told you over and over again
that / love you! DO you not remem-
Der that night when Fabio sat out on the
balcony reading his Plato, poor fellow!"
here she laughed musically-'and we
were trying over some songs in the
drawing room-did not say then that |
loved you best of any one in the world?
You know did! You ought to be salts
6edl"
Guido smiled and stroked her shining
golden curls.
II am satisfied" he said, without any
trace of his former heated Impotence,
perfectly satisfied. But do not expect
TO find love without jealousy. Fabio was
never Jealous, know, he trusted you
too implicitly, he was nothing OF a lover,
believe me. He thought more OF himself
than of you. A man who will go away
Tor DAYS at a time on solitary yachting
and rambling excursions, leaving. his Wit
to her own deyices-a man who readC
Plato in preference to looking after
her, decides her own fate, and de-
serves to be ranked with those sO-called
wise but most ignorant philosophers to
whom Women has always remained an
1nguessed riddle. As for me- am
jealous of the ground you tread upon
Of the air that touches you'll was jeal-
Gus of Fabio while he lived-and-by
Heaven!"-his eyes darkened with a
sombre wrath-''if any other mau dared
now to dispute your love with me L
would not rest TIL his body had served
ny sword as sheath!'
Nina raised her head from his breast
with an air Of petulant WEAKNESS.
again" she murmured reprOach-
fully. "You are going TO be angry
again!''
He kissed her.
"NotI, sweet one! l will be as gentle
as you wish, so long as you love me
and only me. Come-this avenue is
damp and chilly for you--shall we go
imp"
Ny wife, nay, l should say our wife,
as we had both shared her impartial IA
vuors, assented. With arms interlaced
and walking slowly, they began to re-
trace their steps towards the house.
Once they paused.
do you hear the nightingales?" asked
Guido.
Hear them? Who could not hear them?
A shower of melody rained from the
trees on every Side-the pure, sweet,
passionate tones pierced the ear like the
repeated chime of little golden bells-the
beautiful, the tender, the God-inspired
birds sang their love stories simply and
with perfect rapture, love stories I'M
tainted by hypocrisy, unsullied by crime
different, ah! so very different from
the love stories of selfish humanity! The
exquisite poetic idyll of birds life and
love, is it not a thing to put US inferior
creatures to shame?. for are we ever
as true to our vows as the lark to his
mate?. ARE we as sincere in our
thanksgiv.ngs for the sunlight as the
merry robin who sings as blithely in the
winter SHOWS as in the flower-flled
mornings of spring? Nay-not we! Our
existence is but one long impotent pro-
test against God, combined with an in
satiate desire to get the better of one
another in the struggle for base coin!
Nina listened-and shivered, drawing
her light scarf more closely about her
shoulders.
81 hate them!" she said pettishly:
their noise is enough to pierce ones
ears. And he used to be so fond Of them;
he used to sing-what was it?
"Ti salute, Rosignuolo,
Mel tue duolo, it salute!
Sci Pamanta della rosa
Che morenio 81 ia sposa!"
Her rich voice rippled out in the air,
rivalling the songs of the nightingales
themselves. She broke off with little
laugh
Poor Fabiol there was always false
note somewher, vi IN he sang. Come,
Guido!''
And they PAGES on quietly, as though
their consciences were clean.-aS though
no just retribution logged their steps,
as though no shadow of terrible VEN
geance doomed in the heaven of their
pil.ered happiness! / watched them
steadily as they disappeared in the dis
tance,--I stretched my head eagerly
out from between the dark boughs and
gazed after their retreating figures till
the last glimmer of my wife's white robe
had vanished behind the thick foliage.
They were gone---they would return no
more that night
/ sprang out from my hiding place.
stood on the spot where they had stood.
/ tried TO bring home TO my
self the actual truth of what /
had witnessed. Ny brain whirled
circles of light swan giddily
before me in the air the moon