The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-03
FEENA.

= made her acquaintance in the train, be-
: tween Munich and Verona. She was travel
ing with her mother. and they were both
+: in deep mourning, for her father had died
" only month previously in Berlin. L could
not help noticing her. she was of so strong
.. "a type of American beauty-hair of duh
: gold large hazel eyes, a pretty little mouth,
and small straight nose. Her viyaeity,
;too. was remarkable. and when she laughed
her expression was enchanting.
We soon got on speaking terms. The
scenery of the Tyrol was not to be viewed
in silence. Besides, it was a long journey.
aud hunger made itself felt. They hid a
luncheon basket from their hotel, and L
had one from mine. She preferred my
wine to hers, and used my silver knife to
cut her orange with. These trifles 60 a
considerable way when one is abroad.
long. before we get TO Verona | knew a
good deal about them. Her mother had not
minded falling asleep when it grew dark.
and this seemed to set the girl talking with
more freedom.
Her name was Feena-Feena Stanhope.
She was of old Virginian stock, brought up
IN Paris. and with the ways OF girl OF the
:. world
-, -. l do not mind admitting that | lost my
heart to her. So too. DID young Bayarian
who was with MS. He told me so while we
stretched our legs at Innspruck, and l felt
inclined to smite him for his confidence,
As did not care whether l went on that
nj2ht 10 Venice or stayed in Verona, the
Gir's ''0h, do stay" decided me.
We went to the Hotel de LOndres, a big
old place with pretty inner courtyard full
of eXotics. There among the plants We had
CIR little supper tOgether--just some soup,
- chicken and cheese, with flask Of Chanti.
Tie waiter behind Us looked as if he, too,
was in love with Feena, and so | said
thought we could get on very we'll without
him. He took his dismissal with excellent
grace.
The Bavarian. by the by. had gone on to
. Venice, net. however. without ascertaning
at what hotel the Stanhopes proposed 10 So
j9urn. He colored to his hair roots when
they asked him, as a matter of form, to
favor them with a call. ] did not ask him
TO. call al my hotel 10 see me.
The next day we three went to Venice.
IL was a lovely morning and the distant
white Alps against the profound blue of the
sky might have sent poet half crazy with
poetic joys.
For my part did not take much notice of
tse scenery. 1t was not new 10 me. and |
WAS much better pleased to play the part OF
travelling valet and companions to my
friends. / had already entered heartily into
quarrel with the customs officials at the
frontier on behalf OF the contents Of one Of
feena's trunks. Ii OverjOYed me that Feena
and / won our case. The customs officer
bowed low and let Us pass.
At tulce | could think OF nothing but
Feena. AS purDoSed staying here several
weeks, | lett The Hotel u AHGleterTe and
took a suite IF rooms in private house,
very near to the Hotel de rEuropp. which
The StHnh0pes patT0nized. 1t was delightful.
/ saw them every day. ana either sup ed,
djned or promenaded with them. flatIer
myself, whether or net l am still III her
memory, Feena VIII not easily think OF tie
picture galleries and churches If the dear
cd city without also thinking Of me.
Then the g0ndo.as! An. mel OF course
she ana | went out IN them, generally ac-
cnmDauied bV her mother, but now and
thereafter dinuPT-alOne.
How heavenly il waSl She lay on one
side IF the cushioned cabin and | on the
other. Thus we were won't 10 glide over
tie Starlit water while Giac0mO, our man,
sang soft Venetian ballads. On two or
three occasions We hired n second gOndola,
with several musicians on board. The
whispering of their music and melo-
dies. with the gentle wash Of the waves
against The swaying sides Of the boat, was
almost too sweet.
Al such times l needed no lamp except
Feena's eyes. Gow large and bl light they
were. and how full OF merry talk she was!
Ne would have gone to the theaterS also
but for the fact that they were still in
= though many OF MY Venetian hours thus
. spent were. was not altogether happy.
There Was the young BaYarian, ia the
Is 6fst place. | SAW good deal more of him
them l wished to See-at the Hotel de
IEuI0De. Unfortunately, he talked Eng
fish cXeelenty-thaHks to his university
education. lie was also amusing aud W on
Mr.. Stanhcpe with his stories. But be did
not win Feena, who laughed al him with me.
/ have an idea now, however, that 1t is
possible Feena laughed at me when she was
with him. She was not bad at the core, but
she was certainty made as most pretty girls
are made.
Well. the StanhOpes were only to be in
Venice 10 days.
1t was hideOus TO me to think of remain
ihg when they had gone. But had taken
:. my rooms by solemn agreement for month
Besides, had work TO do and much more
u see. SO one morning l had the melan-
choly privilege OF helping them both into q
train for Florence and bidding them dole
full and yet not altogether broken-hearted
adieu. /, too. had by then settled TO be in
. Florence month later.
[ pnt newspapers and fruit and iced wine
into their coupe. shook hands tendarly, was
enraptured IT tile slight but unmistak able
pressure OF FeeDa's fingers against mine
and then stood bareheaded and msera ble
while the train sneaked away as if il were
ashamed oil itself for thus bereaving me.
After this / saw more of the Bayarian.
tie told me that he thought Feena an arrant
flint. and l told him that he did not know
enough about Anglo-oaXon girls TO give al
opinion in the matter. We did not agree
very we'll Especially we quarreled when
he informed me he had seen Feena dis
tinciiy making eyes he used the cdious
phrase in English-at the 'berSagliers y
officers in the Piazza San Marco. But in
the end we were on very fair terms of init
macy until he, too, left Venice. He wa;
going to take the baths somewhere He got
: to laugh lat;erly when he mentioned Feena.
He did not suppose he should ever see her
again. much as he was, he ayowed. eDam.
cred of her. 1t would take great deaf, he
said. to make him marry her, even if she
were padded with thOusand-dollar bills
For pastime she was admirable, but matri.
InORy Is aifferent.
This dissolved our intimacy altogether.
l said farewell to Macmillan Won Marlin,
he was called, without even a pretenst
of regret.
The next month passed with leaden slow
. ness. | met an English ma Or of Hussars,
and together we killed some of the moments
But even now l think Of those Venetian
DAYS as among the most trying of my ex.
perieuce, yet the weather was fine, the
iheaterS were frightened with brilian,
companies, and one festival succeeded an
other in the fair old city of canals.
At length the day OF release came.
wired to Florence to make sure | should be
received in the pension" to which The
Stanhopes had gone. and set of in high
81 Tits.
Never did the vineyards of beautiful Italy
seem to be more lovely than on this day
Bologna fOT once aid not tempt me to stoI
and spend few hours with friend whose
acquaintance l had made in travelling very
much out Of the beaten track in the east o.
Europe some years ago l was impatien
with our slow crossing Of the Apennines
and was only content when at last we Iar
with a scream into the station of Florence
| found Feena more fascinating than be-
Ore She was little cold at first and hel
other gave me much the kinder greeting
q t her frigidity soon left her and we made
6e;ap of plans about the galleries and the