Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-12-05
PT NISHMENT.

Night was falling on the valley between
the snow capped peaks. The angclus
bell rang from the tower ef the old abbey.
Down the nave, dark and deserted, a
woman was praying her face concealed by
the darkness and her black veil.
Evcrv day at the sa me hour for Is years
had that lady been seen passing by. wrap
ped in her black cloak her face covered
/ by her thick black veil For IS years her
/ mysterious presence in that farof valley
! had furnished q subject to the imagination
and gossip of the inhabitants. And yet,
little by little, before that impenctrablc
mystery imaginations had ceased TO work
and tongues were now reduced to silence.
| Accompanied by her husband, she had
arrived one evening, as already stated,
about 8 years previous to the time we are
describing. They had come alone, with
| out servants and with but little baggage.
| They had alighted at the hotel, where they
! lived for several months, while tho house
| they had bought on the outskirts OF the
| town was being repaired. 1t was pretty
! cottage surrounded by full garden OF
| roses
/ From the day they had settled In that
! modest abode they had led very quiet
/ life They were known as Signor and
/ Signora Nleolini, put on their SILVER pi"ee
/ there was monogram bearing cro"n'
What could be thcir motive lof conceal
| Ing their name: no" hau they coiHe 10
that remote corner OF the "orlat "hy uio
| they not wish to see any one either reih-
tiyes or friends: Why dld they I'VE a'ohe'
+ as II they had come from some other pan.
ct? They We're indeed klha TO an ana
charitable to the poor but thelr hlhdliess
Kept people at distance, ana "heh they
opened their purNelt was apparently WIN
out feeling,
The husband "a tail strong man. with
an almost athletic physique, appeared, AT
the time Of their ARRIVAL, TO DC ABOUT oo
years OF age, his wife not more thah 20.
They We're never seen t"&t'hor, ne
went hunting, or took long walks always
alone. She wandered among the roses OF
her garden and every day, morning ana
evening, she went 10 'Ae aopey an" CANT
back, walklng with the same $40" ana
mechanical step. IAey received papers
magazines, books, but never letter.
Both seemed sal, "i a gloomy ana desc
late sort Of sadness which those VINO APP
preached them ioit themselves. Many
servant indeed bad gone away unable 10
endure that Icy atmosphere. 1t Is certain
that they neither wrangIed nor spoke
harshly On the contrary, there was al
ways hctween them dead silence inter
rupted only by those snort phrases Whlch
daily contact made necessary,
Reaching the garden gate, rs II hRhNhR
an inward repugnanee, the lady stopped
and passed by. Then she turned back ana
again passed the gate, Al last she entered.
In the hall she found servant, VINO, TO
the mute question OF hcr LOOK, ahsWcrec'
Still in the same condition, signora
She put her cloak and bonnet on chalr
and went up stairs, where she stopped,
hesitatlng again before one OF the doors
on the first floor. opening IL rudeIy' she
entered large, dismal room. here on an
iron bed. bed befitting a soldier, lay her
husband.
Noiselessly she drew near, listened to
the sick mans heavy and painful breath
ing, and bending over him she tried to see
his face.
Little by little, her eyes growing accus-
toned to the darkness, she could perceive
his convulsed and Hvid features, his
checks furrowcd with red veins. His heavy
eyelids were half closed, his nose, drawn
and emaciatcd, stood out above his blue
half opened lips, from which came short
and whistling breath He was dying!
y woman, who had been watching at
the bedside, had left the room as soon as
the signora had come in, and now the lat
ter was alone with the dying man, gazing
on that human force that held her in sub
lection so many years, and that was now
fading away. This hour, looked forward
to for Is years this hour longed for, prayed
for in the silent revolt Of her down trodden
heart-the hour OF her liberty had come at