Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-08-29

sDpfIS tACldllltu TtIEuIl. ldIhlD-
almost more 10 himself than to me. IL
was glad! He was an old scoundrel,
deeply dyed in every sort of social viii
lainy. No, | was not sorry, only as /
watched him in his frantic struggle,
fighting furiously for each fresh gasp
of breath ! thought, / knew not why,
of Fabio."
Profoundly ~astonished, but conceal
Ing my establishment under an air of
Indifference, / began TO laugh.
upon my word, Ferrari, pardon me
for saying so, but the air of Rome
seems 10 have somewhat obscured
your mind! I confess l cannot follow
II daresay not! i scarcely can follow
old man to writhe himself out Of life,
what must 1t have been for Fabio?
We were students together; we used
to walk with our arms round each
others necks like school girls, and he
cally stronger, too, than / am. He
must have battled for life with every
nerve and sinew stretched to almost
breaking" He stopped and shudder-
ed. by heaven! death should be made
ANi dcp ~ ~ u - MI A IA
A contemptuous pity arose In me.
Was he coward as well as traitor? 1
touched him slightly on the arm.
Excuse me, my young friend, IL l
say frankly that your dismal CONVEX
sation Is slightly fatiguing. / cannot
accept il as a suitable preparation for
dinner! And permit me to remind you
that you have still to Dress"
Tho uanfIa Uafira Of NV fnun mazda
him look up and smile. His face
cleared. and he passed his hand over
his forehead, as though he swept IL
free OF some unpleasant thought.
II believe I am nervous" he said,
with a half laugh. For the last few
hours I have had all sorts of uncom-
Portable presentiments and forsbod-
ings."
mo wonder!!" I returned carelessly,
with such a spectacle as you have
described before the eyes Of your
memory. The Eternal City savors
somewhat disagreeably OF graves.
Shake the dust OF the Caesars from
your feet and enjoy your life while 1t
laStst'
Excellent advice" he said smiling,
"and not difficult TO follow. Now to
attire for the festival. Have l your
permission?"
/ touched the bell which summoned
Vincenzo, and babe him wait on Sig
nor Ferrari's orders. Guido disap-
peared under his escort, giving me q
laughing nod of salutation as he left
the / watched his retiring fig
ure with a strange pitifulness, the
first emotion OF the kind that had
awakened in me for him since l learn
ed his treachery. His illusion to that
time when we had been students to-
gether; when we had walked with
arms around each others necks like
school girls" as he said, had touched
me more closely than / cared to real
ize. 1t was true, we had been happy
then; two careless youths with all the
world like ar untrodden rae course
before us. She had not then darker
ed the heaven of our confidence; she
had not come with her false fair face
To make me a blind, doting mailman,
and to transform him into a liar and
hypocrite. 1t was all her fault, all the
misery and horror; she was the blight
on our lives; sine merited the heaviest
punishment, and she would receive 1t.
Yet, would to God, we had neither of
us ever seen her! Her beauty, like a
sword. had severed the bonds of
friendship-friendship that after all,
when it does exist between two men,
is better and Drawer than the love of
woman. However, all regrets were un-
awaiting now; the evil was done, and
there was no undoing 1t. / had little
time left me for reflection; each mo-
ment that passed brought me nearer
to the end l had planned and forseen.