Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-06-02

gan IN the Htetlme OF my gfano1alher,
and which may possibly be brought to
an end by some one of my grandchil-
dren, forgot altogether my last meet
ing and conversation with Zorin.
Zone evening as I sat reading in the
club, l came by chance on an article in
which it was announced that the prima
donna of the Neapolitan Theater,
Lauretta Baldusi to the great grief OF
all lovers of music, had died at her
villa near Portici.
Iaurettar repeated l. "A prima
donna of the Neapolitan Theater! Oh,
but that is the same artistic with whom
poor Zorin was in love to madness!
How could she have died near Naples
toward the end of February, when she
was almost at the same time in Moscow
at the masquerade?
THAT very evening l wrote to one Of
my friends 'Nscow, to let me know
whether Zorin was well or not and II
he knew anything about his marriage.
| received an answer informing me that
on the first of Lent, early Saturday
morning, Zorin was found senseless on
the Petrovsk Square, near the theater;
that afterward he was sick unto death,
and that a couple OF weeks before my
letter was written they took him to St
Petersburg to be cured
81 searched for him everywhere,
searched the whole city through, but
all my efforts were fruitless. AT last
saw him quite unexpectedly in house
where l had not the. least thought or
wish to find him. He was very glad to
meet me, and told me of his strange adj
venture whicn began in the rotunda of
the Petrovsd Theatre. The following
is the story, word for word, as / heard
it from my poor friend:
surely you have not forgotten
said he, that l saw you last on the
evening before Lent, at a masquerade
in the rotunda of the Petrovslxi Theater
At the moment when they were trum-
peting midnight 1 remarked in the
crowd the mask of Lanretta, who, in
passing, bec1oned to me. You were
occupied at the time with something
else, and it seems you did not observe
how l sprang from my chair and went
to her.
"Go home this moment" said she, as
took her hand. 81 demand also that
for four days you neither leave your
rooms nor receive any one. On Friday
come here on foot alone, at midnight
Here in the rotunda win be rehearsal
of the concert which | shall give on
Saturday"
"'But why so late?" asked l. 'Will
they admit me?"
Be not disturbed" said Lauretta;
'for you the doors will be open.
have arranged the rehearsal for mid
night, so that only few artists and
lovers of music should know of it. Now
go home at once, and if you do every
thing l demand / shall be yours for
ever; but if you disobey me, and es-
pecially if you receive the friend with
whom you have just now been sitting
and to whom you told that touching
which you should have held silence we
shall never meet either in this world or
in another; and" added she, in a low
tone, though, my dear friend, the
worlds are countless, If you do not fol-
low my advice we shall not meet in one
of them"
% In the course Of the two years spent
in Naples, l had become acquainted
with all the whims and uncommon
caprices of Lauretta. She was a won
derful and fascinating woman, now rs
gentle and obedient as n timid child,
now as proud and untamable as fallen
angel She combined in herself all pos
siblo extremes AT times she was ready
to fight against Heaven itself, believed
in nothing, sneered at all things; then
on u sudden, without cause, she grew
most superstitious, saw evil spirits in
all places, took counsel of wizards,
and, If she loved not, at least she
feared God At times she called her
self my slave, which for the moment
she really was; but when that moment
of obedience had passed, she became
such power-loving woman that she
endured not the least contradiction.
Hence, no matter how strange her
demands seemed lin Moscow, / said
nothing, and promised to carry out her
viii, especially since she gave me her
word that this was the last trial OF my
love.
You can imagine with what feel
ings | waited for Friday. l ordered
the servants to tell every one that ]
was not at home, and to exclude even
you. / walked back and forth in my
rooms; / could begin no work, and was
burning as if in fire And the nightsl
o my friend, even criminals on the eve
of execution do not pass such hellish
night-hours as l did. People were not
SO tormented even when torture was
a calculated art and u science | know
not how lived till Friday. ! remem-
Der only that on that last day of my
trial / was not only una BILE to eat but