The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-07-30
ADYERSE FATES.

bending her blond little head and Mario .
felt that her slender hand trembled in
his.
Who was Amelia?
The beautiful widow Of Count .
Giummi had found her one day, pale, |
desolate and exhausted, beside dead
woman in a squalid, dark room. That |
dead woman was the aunt Of the count /
ess and the mother Of Amelia, and the
poverty which surrounded her was the
sole inheritance Of the fair young girl
Countess Giummi, rich, admired and
courted by the fine flower Of aristocratic
salons, lived upon vanity and coquetry.
But in spite Of that she had q morsel Of
heart, and poor Annella's little white
face had the power 10 draw two beauti-
full tears, more lucent than pearls, from
her great, black, enchanting eyes. If
the baron, the viscount or the marquis
could have seen those two pearls, surely
they would have loved her even more
than they did-so compassionate and
tender did she seem amid the triumphs
Of her happy youth
That same evening Amelia reposed in
a soft bed, under a counterpane Of pink
silk, while at the balcony window, that
she had left partly open, the moon
peered in and laid tint Of pallQSPpon
the rose red diyans Of the elegant little
room.
Two years passed after that first tran
gull sleep. Ahnella's beauty, which early
privations and sorrows had almost with
cred in the bud, bloomed again rs if by
magic. II was a pleasure to see the
radiant girl a slender little person, but
with perfect curves of outline, the bust
full, the throat of admsable softness,
and the little head-oh, that dainty little
head was like an artists thoughtl Like
a golden wave, the curling hair, which
she wore unbound and floating, rippled
down her shoulders her eyes laughed
with the color of the clear heavens un-
der arching, delicate eyebrows that
were black against the whiteness of her
forehead and gave a resolute expression
to her beautiful countenance Her
small, rosy mouth was always smiling;
it was but languid smile and tinged
with an expression Of melancholy or
bitterness.
Now, after having sketched Annella's
graceful figure, it seems strange not to
be able to give ita background of bright
colors. We know how much a brilliant
setting adds to a gem, and certainly the
Countess Giummis beauty gained great
1y by the luxury and richness Of her
dress and surroundings. A fashionable
dressmaker, an artist in his line, dressed
her with Partisan taste; a skillful young
woman, who was maid and confidante
together, combed the wealth of her dark
hair that touched the floor and adapted
to her shapely person stuffs, colors,
flowers and jeweb From their hands
the countess issued a true goddess of
love, and her shrine cleaning with
silks, marbles, silver and crystal in
creased the enchantment and rendered
her marvellous to the eyes of visitors.
Poor Annella so simple in her little
muslin gown; SO timid in that rich
house, not her own, how could she con
tend for the palm with that superb
queen? And it is no new thing that the
bright rays of the moon dim the placid
light of the quiet stars So the hundred
gentlemen that focked into those gilded
rooms had eyes only for the beautiful
countess, and if they deigned to bestow
passing word or look on the timid girl
that was merely an act Of homage to the
reigning lady, homage that showed
their admiration for her charity to a de-
pendent, They all knew, and from her
own mouth, too the countess had taken
the forsaken orphan to this beautiful
home and changed her sorrow to happi-
ness.
But was Amelia really happy?
Her young heart thirsted for love In
her childhood she had been the one
treasure of her poor mother, and though
she had often lacked bread, air and sun
light, caresses were never wanting. She
knew the sweetness of a kiss into which
is transfused all loving soul; she
knew the dual life, the breath mingled
with another breath from breast pal
pitating with tenderness. Yes, her moth
er's love had taught her all these things,
and taught them to her in poverty. Then
came fine times, abundance of every
thing, hew amusements every day and
every hour, noisy gayeti6s and the lux
ury of carriages and dinners. But
strange to say, amid all this laughter of
life, her heart was narrowed, closed.
She indeed no longer suffered from hun
ger, cold or fear Of worse misfortunes
but henceforth she had no one to love
her, nor a simple object to call forth
her own love, though she felt an over
powering need to bestow ON some one
all her warm, impassioned soul.
At first she had tried for this exchange
of affection with her cousin, the mag
nihcent countess. Alasl she had found
her kind, courteous, generous, but friv-
olous, full of herself and her attractions,
and incapable not only Of feeling love,
but even of compTehending it,
Discounted, Amelia had looked about
her, and amid that array of faces, coats
and decorations that made circle
around her beautiful cousin she had
sought and sought An odd girl! She
had actually found those polished gem
tlemen empty and unsympathetic, al
though finely clad and mexceptionable
from top to toe. How could she have
dared to raise even her thoughts to the
heights on which they movedy Which
Of them would have deigned to descend
to her, poor little orphan, sheltered by
the pity of her cousin?
teries, she led her own life, amid the
festivities 4 the constant noise and
confusion Of the house.
But one evening she discovered among
the crowd a newcomer-blond and
handsome like herself, and like herself
sad, tinlid and embarrassed. At once
a secret sympathy attracted her toward
young Mario. It seemed to her that she
might be able to comfort him with her
words, for surely he cherished a deeT
sorrow in his heart, since his fine face
never frightened with lively color, and
his eyes often glistened as if with re
strained tears.
He welcomed sympathy so eagerly
that it appeared as if be sought her, az
If he came solely for her sake. Anl
they soon talked freely together. Afte
their first meeting, which was fun O.
"a embarrassment to both of &em, the!
passed all the reception evenings of tn
splendid countess together. Amelia al
gays awaited him with indescrbabl
emotion, and when she saw him appear
ing in the doorway, difiidOnt and shy, al
her life was concentrated in her heart
that beat, beat as if it would burst it
bonds. Then with studied carelessnes
he wandered through the rooms unit
he succeeded in placing himself at he
side, from whence he did not stir unit
the last guests We're about to leave.
Mario had told the story of his life
his poor life Of discomfort aud isolation
He, too, was an orphan, brought up b
strangers who had speculated upon hi
talent. BY force Of study and effort b