Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-05
STSMONDFS SPELL.

mas nothlng to do with my story
He was half a Greek, half an Italian.
He was perhaps thirty when I met
him. Handsome! | heard him called
30. Possessing strange power-that
l knew. 1t might have been the SYM
pathy of my mood with his at the time
of our first meeting which determined
mitch of my attraction toward him.
l had known Sismondi nearly a wear
when we walked home together one
evening from the house of two of my
countrywomen with whom we had
been dining. Sismondi had only re-
turned to Paris from a journey which
had consumed some weeks, and | had
introduced him a few days before to
Mrs. Warren and her sister-in-law.
We seemed, both of us, inclined to
silence. But Sismondi suddenly spoke.
/ notice you broke through your
rule of vegetarianism tonight. | had
an impression you were more stead
FAST
81 should naturally have an objec-
ton to making myself conspicuous in
public"
/ was conscious Of evasion. Sismondi
spoke again Immediately.
"That is not the reason; not the
chief one. Mon cher, you are pitiably
In the tolls of woman-of that woman
We have just left
eve have just left two women,
believe"
'.Ah, pretend that [ cannot put my
finger on the right one. Do you i'm
agine that [ connected that big blonde,
that superb and utterly vacuous Nine.
Marvern, with you in my mind? That
would be to suppose me to have an
opinion of you such as l assure you
have not"
VERY well. | don't see, after all,
why | should not make confidant of
you-for the frst-for you will be the
first. Miss Marvern | do most sincere
ly love, and we became engaged two
days ago.
"a was sure Of it. -
We said no more until we reached
my door.
"And she-she loves you also very
much, this poetic, this unusual, this
striking Mile. Elita?''
His black eyes cleaned.
81 have reason to hope and believe
SO, l answered rather coldly.
Elita Marvern and | were to be mar
ried on my return from three months
visit to America which was compelled
to make i'll order to settle my affairs
AS the time drew near, Elita seemed to
grow nervous, to be inclined to urge
me not to leave This was quite I'M
like her and told her so, playfully.
Yes | know. 1t is weak and hys-
terical. You ought to go, you must
go, and yet would give much-very
much-to keep you"
| left at last, firmly resolved to
shorten the time of my absence if such
course would be in any way possible.
A month had passed when two or
three steamers came in without bring
ing me my accustomed letter. [ was
about to telegraph, in my anxiety less
Elita should be i'll, when a letter ar
rived from Mrs. Marvern, telling me
that Elita k@e7- not seemed quite her
sell, had sssascessed that she had not
written TO IT,, out had seemed to urge
her---hIrs. Es-"vern-tO write in her
stead My correspondent thought that
Elita would probably be the better of
her passing indispositiOn shortly. She
wound up with some news Of Sismondi
He and an American who had just
come 10 Paris from India, had been
giving in q private way, some aStOund-
ing exhibitions of occult powers. Peo-
pie We're quite agitated about it. The
American was raising funds for the
propagation of these great new truths
on a grand scale.
''1hey say" scrawled Mrs Marvern,
In her large, uncertain hand, that the
time for giving some OF the discoveries
OF the HindoO adopts, as to the COM
mand of physical laws, to the world
has at length come. | must say, your
friend, Signor Sismondi is q wonder
full mani"
| can remember perfectly the whole
aspect on the morning on which I
again landed at Havre. The sea was
like glass. The autumnal air was as
keen and as bright as a knife. BY the
time | reached Paris the weather had
changed. The sky was overcast the
wind more biting. [ drove immedi-
ately to Miss Marvern's house, and |
received word that Mrs. Marvern was
not to be seen.
| turned away. There were adverse
electric currents in the air of which |
had been conscious for weeks, away
off there on the other side Of the At
lantic. Events now seemed to be hur-
rying toward the climax. | went to
my rooms and sat down. to Elita, de-
handing an interview and an explana-
ton, once for all. of all that had been,
lately, mystery to me.
HAD seated myself at my desk when
the door opened and there entered a
yelled feminine figure My heart
leapt into my throat. 1t was Elita
herself.
She removed her veil and made a
gesture that forbade me to advance.
She was pale, thinner than when / had
left, and her large eyes had an I'M
natural, brilliant hardness. / was
speechless.
81 have come to tell you-n she
began, Immediately.
ut is not my way to deceive any
longer than is needful. You may hate
-despise me. l hope you will. 1t
will make the parting easier for you.
shall not marry you. I am going to
marry Antonio Sismcndi."
1t was so still 1 could hear the tick
ing OF my watch.
ssHere are all your presents your