Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-07-18

~ men1 Wneu ! Dc
III ~VS held her for the
FIRST time. The
0anck robes she wore. the long Grape
No1E thrown hack from her clustering
elr and mignoznc 1ace. AL the som
- ahAdows Of her mourning gArb
em1y served to heighten and display
- beauty to greater advantage. A
0R1r widow. truly! L her lately de-
Gonood husband. freely admitted the
0ngnodc power Of her charms. She
Un0ed for m instant on the thresh-
= winning smile on her lips; she
1Dsked 1t M, hesitated, and finally
ODoke IN courteous accents:
II think ! cannot IL mistaken. Do
addrsns the noble Count Cesare
0olvars
I tried to speak but could not. Ny
Gouth was dry and parched with ex-
@1tement: my throat swelled and ached
NTH the pent-up wrath and despair Of
GmD6ftOns. ! answered her silently by
extending both her hands with b
eoaxing grace Of manner I had 70 Of
IN admired.
II am the Countess Romani." she
0.d still smiling. II heard fr)m Sig
mOr Terrari that you proposed visiting
9is studio this afternoon, and / could
MT resist the temptation OF coming
- express my personal acknowledge
ments Tor the almost regal gifts you
oent md. The jewels are really mag
Vincent. Permit me to offer you my
sincere thanksy
I caught her outstretched hands and
Mrung them hard,-so hard that the
RING she wore must have dug into her
0esh and hurt her, though she was too
We1l-bred to utter any exclamation. 1
4ad fully recovered myself. and was
Wfepared to act out my part.
~On the contrary, Madame" I said
N = strong harsh voice. "the thanks
must come entirely from me-, for the
ACnOr yOu have conferred upon me by
oCcepting tribes 20 insigniicant-es-
sDsciaIIy at . time when the cold bril-
1Ancy Of mere diamonds must Jar up
- the sensitive feelings Of your recen
Wt1owhood- Believe me. / sympa-
1Alne deeply with your bereavement!
your husband lived, the Jew els
would have been his gift to you. and
16w much more acceptable they would
seben appeared In your eyes! / am
DEO0d 70 think you have co~ndescended
- far n to receive them from 90 I'M
worthy . hand as mime"
A l spoke her face paled-she seem
~ startled, and regarded ne earnest
y. Sheltered behind my smoked spec
<ncles, ! met the gaze OF her large
4onrk eyes without embarrassment.
Ot0Wly she withdrew her slight nm
,ger9 from my clasp. / placed an easy
Ehatr Tor her; she sank softly into II
with he: old air Of indolent ease, the
1nae Of = spoilt empress or sultan's
Gavorfte, while she still continued to
eook up 81 me thoughtfully. Ferrari,
meanwhile. busted himself In bringing
o<1t more wine; he also produced q dish
~ fruit and some sweet cakes, and
while occupied in these duties as our
1kOot began to laugh.
ria, In! you are caught" he ex-
claimed to me gaily. lyon must know
~ Planned this together, Madame
and I, Just to take you by surprise.
There was no knowing when You
would b. persuaded to visit the coun
&eee, and she could not rest till she
nd thanked you, 30 we arranged this
Weeting. Could anything be better?
Come. Conte, confess that you are
chaxredy'
%Of coursa I amir l answered with
slight touch Of satire In my tone.
~WhO would not be charmed In the
pre1ence Of such youth and beauty?
And / am also flettered-for / know
what exceptional favor the Countess
HOmani extends toward me. In allow
ing me to make her acquaintance at
= time which must naturally be for her
= secluded seasOn Of sorrow"
At these words my wife's face sud
denly assumed an expression of visit
xul sadness and appealing ~gentleness.
"Ah. poor unfortunate Fabio," she
sighed. "How terrible II seems that
he II not here to greet you! How glad
~ he would have welcomed any friend
-0e his fathcr's-he adored his father,
Door fellow! I cannot realize that he
q dead. 1t was too sudden. too dread
ful! I do not think l shall yer o
the shock Of his loes!"
And her eyes actually filled with
-tears:--thcugh the fact did not sur
prise me IN the least. for many women
car. weep At will. Very little practi...
In necessary and we men arc such
fools. we never know how II LIS done:
~ take all the pretty feigned piteous-
ness for real grief. and torture our-
selves to find methods Of consolation
Tor the feminine sorrows which have
no root save In vrnity and selshness.
glaEced quickly from my wife TO
Eaerrafi; he coughed. ard appeared en-
h~arrassed-he was not 50 good mn
actor ~ she was an actress. Study
ing them both, ! know not which feel
ing gasned the maetery In my Mid
-<ontempt y disgust.
Console yourself. madf me-" said
~eosdiy, " line should be Quick to heal
z4Ase wounds Of . 20 young and beau
xlffa NJ ron are. Personally speaking.
IN muck regret your husbands death,
but ! would cntreat you not to give
ssEay - grief. which however sincere,
mnSt uuhappily be uselesA Your life
.1ieS before y0u--and many happy days
and Is fair = future awaits you - o
~ smiled her tsar-drops vsnlahsd
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