Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-03-09
fore her.

He looked with equal anger at her,
and, taking his hat in hard, he said:
81 am sorry Angelina, but my
mother calls me, and if you had a son,
an only son, you, would feel deeply
hurt if he were to refuse to spend
Christmas with you.
"Oh, but" Angelina broke down
and suddenly burst into flood of
tears. Her lover then thought so
sidered her own loneliness, and what
a sad, sad Christmas was in store for
herself! She was alone, she had no
mother, no father. A stranger, she
had come to Florence as teacher In
the public schools. No one there
knew that she had been once in rich
home ct her own, with loving parents.
Her mother had died in her childhood,
and two years ago her poor father had
also left her, when she most needed
him. A lawyer had informed her that
the fortune which she thought she
possessed had been lost in speculation,
and he persuaded her to sell or rent
the quaint little home in which she
had always lived on one of the small
canals of Venice. Sell it? never! But
rents were very low, and she decided
to become teacher that she might
make both ends meet and not be
obliged to sell the dear home. She
did mot care to teach in her own native
place, and therefore she accepted most
willingly an offer from Florence.
There she had met Gino, whose ma
tive city was hers also. He was
sculptor and, though young, his talent
soon made him well known. He be-
longcd to an aristocratic family, and
had persuaded his parents with great
difficulty TO let him study art. But
now he had attained an assured posi-
ton, and he hoped soon to be able to
make Angelina his wife. Up to this
time he had hesitated to tell his par
eats of his love for, the poor teacher,
knowing how proud they were. He
had intended to spend Christmas with
Angelina, and they had made many
plans. First, they would go TO mass,
and then old Margherita, the faithful
servant, who had followed Angelina
TO Florence, would light the fire in the
big chimney, and they would sit and
watch the traditional log of wood
burn, and have a nice little supper.
But now the poor girl saw nothing be-
fore her but loneliness
Forgive me, Angelina, my love,
forgive me-" cried Gino, kneeling at
her feet, as he saw her distress.
She smiled through her tears, and,
as if her decision were taken at last,
she says quickly: "All right dear, go
now, go quickly, for am SO tempted
to keep you!'
She extends her hand and they part.
AS he closes the door she calls hastily
into the other room: "Come, Mar
gherita, am going to Venice. am
pining to see the dear old place again.
Come, let US get ready for tomorrow
morningl"
And as if she were going to leave
within an hour, Angelina hurried to a
trunk, to the drawers and closets, and
soon she had selected the few things
she wished to take with her.
Her house had been rented to
strangers, but she had made it point
to reserve one room for her own use,
in case she should wish to return.
Oh, how happy she felt when the
train started! Venice, dear old Venicel
She Loved Venice as only Vene titan
can. "Margherita!'she says, 81 must go
to San Marco before l go home. You
take the gondoha with the trunk, and
! will follow, after / have seen the
dear old church again.
Poor Margherita does not answer,
the tears are running down her old
cheeks, for at last she, too, will be
back in her old home again.
AS soon as Angelina sees Margherita
safely on her way. she speeds through
the narrow streets, toward the Piazza
She must walk, for her emotion nearly
stiles her. 1t is bitter cold, and the
steps OF the many bridges are slippery.
But the young girls foot barely
touches the ground. Tho last bridge
is reached and she has passed it, when
she hears sudden cry of pain behind
her, and, turning sharply, she sees a
lady on the ground.
'Oh, are you hurt?" Angelina cries;
and she hastens TO help the lady rise.
But it is hard work, for she is not
young.
81 must have sprained my wrist, and
bruised my knee" she groaned.
"Can / get you a gondola, signora?'
"No, thank you, my child. My
house is only a few steps distant
Will you help me TO reach it?'
"Indeed will. Lean well on me,
and we will walk slowly"
Angelina supports the old lady and
walks gently, asking: "Does it hurt?"
"Well, yes, it was bad fan for an
old lady. But I beg your pardonl 1
may detain You. Perhaps you were in
haste. 1t Is Christmas, and, probably,
you were hurrying to buy some pres
ents for your dear ones"
81 have no dear ones. am alone. :"
"Aloncr The old lady looks up at
fbe vounO, and pretty Girl. and again