The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-06-05
CHAPTER XIV.

own wife, who, smiling Sweetly, uttered
this cordial greeting? For a moment Of
two my brain became confused: thu
familiar verandah with its clustering
roses and jessamine swayed unsteady
before my eyes; the stately house, thu
home of my childhood, the scene OF my
past happiness, rocked in the air a:
though it were about to fall. A choking
sensation affected my throat.
Even the sternest men shed tear:
sometimes such tears too! wrung like
drops of blood from the heart
And IL could have wepi
rs. Oh, the dear old home! how fair
and yet how sad it seemed to nv an
guished gael 1t should have been in
ruins surely-broken and cast down in
the dust like its masters peace and
honor. Its master, did / say? Who was
its master? Involuntarily l glanced at
Ferrari, who stood beside me. Not he
not he; by heaven, he should never be
master! But where was my authority?
/ 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 i died! | noticed some slight
changes here and there: for instance, my
deep easy chair that had always occu-
pied one particular corner of the
versndah 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 l 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
to his native mountains, had sent me
the dog, a perfect specimen of its kind,
as a souvenir of our friendly intercourse
Poor Wyvis! l 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. was mutely indignant
at his disappearance, but | kept strict
watch over my feelings, and l remem-
bered in time the part had to play.
Welcome to Villa ROmani!' SO said
my wife. Then, remarking my silence
as looked about me, she added with a
pretty coaxing air.
Il am afraid after all youi are sorry
you have come to see me-"
smiled. 1t served my purpose now
to be as gallant and agreeable as could:
therefore l answered:
Sorry, Madame! If l were. then
should l be the most ungrateful of all
nnnf l.
he was permitted to behold Paradise"
She blushed; her eyes dropped softly
under their long curling lashes. Ferrarf
frowned 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 ex-
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 it
had been recently used; there were fresh |
flowers and ferns in all the tall Venetian |
glass vases. l seated myself and re- |
marked on the beauty of the house and |
its surroundings.
Il remember it very WELL" 1 added |
quietly.
You remember it," exclaimed Ferrari |
quickly, as though surprised.
Certainly. l omitted to tell You. nv |
friend, that used to visit this spot often |
when boy. The elder C0nte 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 husband?"
she asked.
Once" l answered her gravely. "He
was a mere child at the time, and, as far
as could discern, very promising one.
His father seemed greatly attached to
him. l knew his mother also"
Indeed" she exclaimed. settling her
self on low ottoman and fixing her
eyes upon me, what was she like?''
paused a moment before replying.
Could speak of that unStained sacred
rfe Of wifehood and motherhood to this
polluted though lovely creature?
'She 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 svil
sheer in his eyes
THAT was fortunate" he said. '.She
had no time to tire of her husband, else !
who kNews?'' !
My blood rose rapidly to an astonish- ,
ing heat, but controlled myself. 4
II do not understand you" said with I
marked frigidity. 1.-The lady 1 speak of $
lived and died under the old regime of I
noblesse oblige. ] am not so well yersed !
in modern social forms of morality as {
yourself"
Nina hastily interposed. ooh, nv 5
dear Conte," she said iaughingly. 'spay /
no attention to Signor Ferrari!
he is rash sometimes, and s
says very foolish things. but he /
really does not mean them. It is only his
wayi Ny poor dear husband used 10 be I
quite vexed with him sometimes, though 7
he was so fond of him! But, Conte, as i
you know so much about the family, I 6
RIM sure you will like to see my little
Stella. Shall send for her, or are you '
bored by childrPn?''
'On the contrary, Madame, am fond S
of children" l answered with forced
,oDposure, though my heart throb- q
bed with mingled delight and i
agony at the thought of seeing c
ny little one again. "And the
;hild of my old friends son must needs /
slve double interest for me-" v
Ny wife rang the bell. and gave orders t
% the maid who answered it to send her =
little girl TO her at once. Ferrari mean d
While engaged me in conversation, and
troye, could see. by. entire Difference C
o my opinions, to make up for any Of il