New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-17


One evening, therefore, at seven, she, as usual
brought in the basket with the plates, etc'' anu
began laying the cloth. | happened ~ Iooh
up at her from my writing-tablc and was surprise
! and sorry to see her eyes red and swollen ohe
| had evidently been crying. m
What is the matter, Luisa ?"
| She did not reply, only her breath came qulcKer
could see her bosom heave with palhiuiS sup
pressed emotion zee 80 -
Repeating my question. ] rose. She gave me
look such a. / never shall forget; 1t was The
! appealing gaze OF poor, hunted animal
| For a moment she stood still, then. flIngns
| down the spoons and forks upon the taDie, threw
herself upon the nearest seat hid her race III Dot
hands and commenced rocking to and 1ro as those
whose grief il all too heavy To bear arc WOhI u
| do. felt dIcadmlly ill at ease.
| had the sinceTcst respect for both Madame
| Gcrmanetti and her daughter, for | had learned
TO know their excellent qualities would gladly
| have done anything in my power TO help mem :
but at the same time | could mot help WISHING
| myself anywhere but where | was, and lnwardly
cursed the cold that had confined me TO the
house.
| give you summing up OF what was aoie 10
| gather from the poor girls lips
The young officer have already mentioned was
a lieutenant III Saints company. Ills name was
san MARITIME, he was count member OF one oil
the first families of Lombardy, rich and unscrupn-
lous. lie had unluckily seen LulSa III the street
home, and found out that she was DctrOthcd 10
one of his own men which latter circumstance
| at once famed what was before. perhaps, merely
a passing caprice into n furious passion
Her refusal TO listen to him fuel to flame !;
he vowed vengeance: and. from that moment
commenced a systematic persecution OF poor faolo
such as To render his life a very he'll upon earth
In military life-in ITALY, at least-an unscrupu-
lous superior has a wide field for gratifying
grudac against subordinate Happily the cases
IN which 1t is taken advantage OF are lew ana lar
Guido san Martina did all be could to provoke
and irritatc his humble reval Paolo could no
| Il I,ip fl,f rich 10
fined 10 barracks upon the slightest pretcNt-ule
greatest possible share of the dirty work of the
company was saddlcd upon his shoulders, MONA
The persecution was patent 10 all-but none
could interfere; for, though humanity was out
RACED, neither rule nor regulation was broken
For an inferior TO lodge complaint against
superior. unless in very grave cases. is madness
it is out of the fryng-pan into the fire. There
grave case in question; il was only
systematic series of hornet strgs maddennG and
eXasperatlng as whole trlilnG IN detail.
Santi met with universal sympathy, II is true.
and he had the satisfaction OF seeing fists covertN
shaken behind the Lcutcnants back whenever
il could be done with safety; of hearing muttcrcd
curses poured forth al libitum upon his tor
mentors head hut, after all. il was cold comfort,
ana nothing compared to the moral torture he was
undergoing And 10 mai matters worse, Santi
had little of the saint about him. save his name.
He was like most risans proud ANA passionate,
and, knowing this. Tulsa was living in mortal
and ever increasing dread lest, one day or an
other passion should ovcrmastcr her lover and
make him commit some act that would rum MN
for life.
Hated and hateful as San MARITIME was, there
was everything 10 fear.
Santi had but few days longer 10 scrve-but
how much could happen within that time And
now that the regiment was on the eve of leaving
Turin for Leyni, about fifteen miles distance, 10
take part in the autumn manoeuvres held there.
Lusia's anguish was pdoubled She knew that
at the camp both San Martinos opportunities of
persecution and Sants facilities for retaliation
would DE redoubed.
An, signore, she walled, he says that, if he
is not left in peace down yonder. he will kill
him"
| expressed hope of Paolo's being more sem
sibe.
Ma signore, my Paolo is just the very man to
do it," This with pride. Ah, she continued,
my Santi is no sheep! If it had not been for
that coused uniform, at this hour" She broke
of but finished her phrase with a gesture that
indicated 10 end Of horrors.
Things looked extremely black, regard them as
one would though naturally | endeavOred 10
cheer up the poor giH She would not be com
fOrted however.
Paoo was to leave next day but one and was
confined to barracks. A broom, for which he
was held responsible. had been found out OF its
place. That broom was made the cause OF
Lusia's not being able TO say word OF adieu to
her lover. 1t hard 70 bear
She drew his letter from her bosom. 1t was
not ill-writtcn, and began, do all letters writ
ten by those Of Paolo's class. by the stcreotyped
phrase: e write you these few lines 70 inform
YOU that / am well in health, rs | hope Of You.
Then an outbreak against that dog OF a IAcut"n-
ant" and concluded with really eloquent dec
which to pity most-thc poor Corporal III his CON
fncment the weeping girl opposite me. But
as il 80 often the case things appeared TO turn ont
better than could have dared 70 expect. ne
stay at the camp passed without any particular
incident, and all PaolO's letters breathed encour-
agement 20 his betrothed.
At last one camc-a mere scrawl-announclng
that the camp 10 be broken mp on the follow
ing FRIDAY that they would start for Turn
about midnight, and arrive at the barracks. prob
ably o little after daylight. This Tuesday
T1,r do, nd sIp would lcr
say the least for she would get mp and 90 and
station herself in the Via dell Arsenale through
which the troops must perforce pass agreed
TO accompany her.
Luisa was radiant: and for weeks such glad
ness had been seen in the Gcrmanetti household
But on Friday morning. toward o'clock, there
came a knock at my door, and Madame Ger
manetti entered She looked haggard and worn,
and her dress was even more eccentric than
What in the world is the NATTER"
"Ah signorc. my poor Lusa-shc is not her
snlf-I can do nothing with her she does nothing
but weep Would You kindly come and try 70
comfort her? IL is a great liberty, know. bnt
the signore is 50 good-Luisa gives such heed TO
all he says"
or course | went
Tulsa was crouchng in a corner Of the ola
sofa She did not look up as we entered. only
buried her face yet deeper in the cushion into
which il was plunged. ,
Come, Luisa don't give way like that Tell
me. what it is all about about ut y, +ho ,roo,lv
depths in which she apparently trying to
smother herself, and shook her head
1T was n dream, signore,' whispered the
| mother "a dream about Sant. That much she
told me. but-Ah. God help us! all this tribu-
| laton is hard to bear
| A dream! Now, Luisa, how can you be so
childish rs TO give way Ike that TO rnpplsh-
| ing dream? Come, look up. -
| She suddenly sat mp and turned her face full
! toward mine II was pale az that Of n corpse,
| with large dark rings round her swollen eyes.
| "CIiIdish signore, Publishing? All, if II
had come to you You would not speak like that
| Merciful Mother! 1t was honibe-horrible. !
tell you"
Tell il? Yes. / can tell il, for ] seem to
| have il before me even now.
She shivercd she spoke. For second she
nresscd both hands TO her face Then she began.
1T came toward morning. l had gone 10
meet nv Paolo somcwhcrc-I do not know where