Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-08-01

tie hooking hzlf-p@-nlant gzile-c-
she would utter Did dixT2rzg1ng re-
EaEk zb0us him combining il with &
covert compliment 70 ne IL was lot
for me 20 b@T-ay her secTprS-I saw
10 OzEzsioo To tell FeTrzn that nearly
every morning she sent ber maid 70
my h0tsl with fruit and 5Owsrs and
inquiries after my b~ealth-nOr was my
valet yineeaZo tie man 20 saF that he
czESei gifts and similar messages
from me 20 her. But at the COMMENCE
mept OF November things were 50 far
advanced that / was IN the unusual
position o. being egurted by my u
w1fs.-I r-eaproczring her attentions
with equal secrecy, The fact Of my be-
ing often II the company Of other Ia
dies pIqued her vanity-be knew that
/ a considered q desirable parti-
and-she resolved 10 win ne. In this
caSe I also r~esolyed-to he won! A
grim eourtship truly-befween a dead
iran and his own widow, Ferrari new
er suspected what was going on; he
h3d spoken 81 me as -that poo fool
fh30, he was too easily duped:" yet
never was there one more easily
dupedr than himself, or 20 whom the
spitnet poor fool more thoroughly
applied. AS I said before be was sure
too sure Of his own good fortune.
/ wished 10 excite his distrnst and en-
nifty sometimes. but this / found /
could not do. He trusted me-yesi as
much al in he OLD days I had trusted
him Therefore tba catastrophe for
him must be sudden as well as fatal
perhaps. after all. IL was better 50.
During my frequent visits 10 the
villa / saw much OF my child Stella.
She became passionateIy attached &c
me-poor little thing-her love was a
mere natural instinct. had she but
known II. Often. too, her nurse. AS
sunta, would bring her I o my hotel
10 pass an hour or so with ne. This
was a great treat TO her, and her de-
lighr reached it's climax when I took
her on my knee and told a fairy story
her favOrite one being that Of a good
little girl whose papa suddenly went
away. and how the little girl grieved
for him Till at last some kind fairies
helped her TO find him again. / was
at first somewhat afraid OF old Assun-
ta.-she had been my nurse-was ID
possible that she would not recognize
me? The first time / met her in my
4 AGH NAAdidNtEL n AlA4b-A DrAA Ale
breath in a sort OF suspense-but the
good old woman was nearly blind. and
/ think she could scarce make ont my
l~iBeaments. She vas of an entirely
different nature TO GiaeOmo the butler,
she thoroughly believed her master
dead, as indeed she had every reason
to do. but, strange 10 say, Giacomo did
not. The old man had a fanatical no.
1 sEa- sha~ HE ,a.,y lnrlsf anrtA r,n~
have died so suddenly, and he grew so
obstinate on the point that my wife
declared be must be going crazy. As
sunta, on the other hand, would talk
volubly OF my death and tell ne with
assured -earnestness:
1T was to be expected, Eccelenza-
he was toe good TO US, and the Saints
took him. OF course our Lady wanted
him-she always picks out the best
among US. The poor Giacomo viii not
listen to me, he grows weak and child
ish, and he loved the master too well
better and here her voice would
deepen into reproachful solemnity,
"yes, better actually than 81. Joseph
himself And Of course one is punish
ed for such a thing. ! always knew
my master would die young-he was
too gentle as a BABY, and too kind
hearted as a man. to stay here long"
And she would shake her gray head
and feel for the beads Of her rosary
and mutter many an Ave for the re-
pose OF my soul. Much as l wished
II i could get her TO
talk about her mistress-it was
the subject on which she was in
yariably silent. On one occasion
when / spoke with apparent enthusi
asm Of the beauty and accomplish
ments OF the young countess, she
glanced at me with sad and earnest
scrutiny, sighed, but said nothing.
was glad 10 see how thoroughly de
! voted she was TO Stella, and the child
returned her affection with interest
and though, as the November day,
came on apace, my little looked
far from strong. She paied and grew
thin, her eyes looked preternaturall!
large and solemn. and she was yery
easily wearied. / called Assunta's at
tentiOn 10 these signs Of i'll health
she replied that she had spoken 70 IN.
countess but that Madame" had IA
ken no notice OF the child's weak,
condition. Afterward I mentioned tn
matter myself 10 Nina, who merel.
sHnllcu sEdtcluuy III Dy iacc anu al
swered:
Really, my dear conte. you are to-
goodi There Is nothing the matte
with Stella. her health Is excellent
she eats too many bonbons perhaps
and IL growing rather fast, that Is all
How kind you are 10 think Of he.
Rn. Z assure you. she Is quite we'll"
did not feel so sure OF this; yet
was obliged to conceal my anxiety. a
oyer-much concern about the chile
would not have been In keeping wit
my assumed character.
II was a little past the middle Of No
yemE-ar when a Circumstance Occurre'
that gave impetus TO my plans am
hurried them 10 full fruition- Tn.
days were growing chilly and sal
even I'm Naples Yachting excursion
were over. and / Was beginning to Oh
ganize a few dinners and balls for tn
approaching winter season when on
afternoon Ferrari entered my room
unanDouneed and threw himself int
the nearest chair with an impatien
exclamation and a yexed expression
OF ccuptenapce