The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-06-13

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sweet air of Italy made the blood run riot
ously in my veins; the rich color and the
sense of strong life that was in the atmos-
phere intensified my capacity for emotion,
and so lulled to sleep that power of selfcon-
troll and cool reasoning on which prided
myself.
Nothing but violent wrench could have
enabled me to leave Bormio. I fingered on,
hugging my chains; and the two girls, for
what reason / know not, fingered too.
The place had curious charm; it had
the strength and grandeur of the mountains
and the glory and glamor Of the south. A
week passed, during which the two girls and
i were almost always together. Their utter
unconyentiOnality surprised me, but it de-
lighted me, too. Their plans were not fixed,
but something had been said once or twice
about extending their walking tour to the
| Engadne, by way of the Bernina Pass.
had just made up my mind that where they
went | would go, for the thought of Betty
| tramping unprotected and exposed to the
chance of insult filled me with dismay. Al
| ready L assumed to myself the mans right
| of protection.
| The two girls listened respectfully, almost
| obediently, TO my advice, and made no OBJ
| lection whatever when / declared that I,
too, intended to visit the Engadine, and
would 60 when they went.
In my own mind had fully planned how
my romance was to end. / would marry
Betty we should be poor, but I knew her
| tastes were simple and / would work trebly
hard, and win success for myself and wealth
for her before we were five years older. OF
such visions love is guilty
AS the Urls were raSOluta TO keen TO their
plan of walking from Bormio to Pontresina,
we set ont in true Bohemian fashion, like
respectable gypsies. The roads were good,
the weather perfect, and we tramped Joy
ously TO Bolladore and Tirano, staying a
day here and day there, just as the fancy
took us. 1t was at Tirano that the climax
OF my brief madness came, and the deHOue-
raeRt of this adventure befell.
We were housed in the Hotel San Michele,
one of the qnaintest hostelries surely wherein
q man might take his ease. For the building
had formerly sheltered peaceful sisterhOOd |
The bedrooms were yaulted, the floors were
of stone, and all the doors opened on 10 Il I
broad, clOister-like gallery. Al the end Of I
this winding gallery was an immense loggia, /
which looked on the Piazza and the Cathe- |
dral-a pilgrimage church-whither on /
great festivals the faithful were gathered 7
The girls were enraptured by the quaint
blending of mOnasticiSm and the modern
Italian love of semi-Pagan decoration, for
the loggia was roughly frescOed with land
scapes, framed in vines bearing heavy, pur-
pie clusters OF grapes. A rough wooden
table and benches were placed in the lOggia,
and it was there we elected to dine although
the conventional releCtOry was close at
hand to serve as dining-room- The sun was
setting as we fingered over our plenteous
dessert. We had been three days at Ma
donna di Tirano, and the fascination of the
place was still upon US.
Perhaps 1T was the SOLDERING influence of
the gray old building or the conventional
air of the place, or the ascetiCism which
breathed from those cell-like bedrooms;
but certainly on that third evening of our
sojourn there the girls manner had changed.
Betty's beautiful face was sad and ClOuded,
and Kitty's gaiety had vanished After
dinner she pleaded headache and went TO
her room, and Betty looked troubled as she
left us, but did not offer to follow. / sug
geSted stroll i'll the convent garden, from
whence came the click of the bowls. for that |
old-wOrld game was always in full swing |
after the days work was over; the garden, |
being large, served as an Opeu-air club to
were soon in the cool. high-walled pleasance
"a queit spot, where all we heard of the
players was the click of the bail and the
distant sound OF the laughter and talk.
The sun had set, and cool breeze was
whispering among the broad leaves of the
fig-tree; in the grass the dr0ne of the grass
hopper made sleepy murmur. Betty was
curiOusly silent, tritle embarrassed in man
ner, and somehow this unwonted shyness
and tacituruity gave me confidence in my
self. i talked to her about many things as
if L were entitled to her sympathy, told her
of my struggles, OF my ambitions, of my
as a man rarely talks, save to
the woman he loves and hopes TO win for
his wife. Somehow or other-made bold,
think, by q tender sOftening OF her face
when spoke about the hardness of the strug-
gle for fame when the struggle is made
single-hauded- blurted out my secret
loved her, and life would be desert with
out her love.
Then in the gray twilight saw white,
lstonshed face, aud two large, frightened
eyes look at me almost in horror.
Mr.. Aslehurst !" she painted, "you ara
surely mad. 1t is not you loye-it Isl
she stopped and bit her lips.
Good heavens! it was the old Complica-
ion. / read her unspoken thought in a
Hash. She believed it was Kitty loved;
hat it for Kitty's sake that / had
iangled at their heels all this time.
i was about to protest that it was she
Betty-and she only, that loved, when she
,esumed, in calm, seli-possessed tone;
"You must forget that you have ever
spoken so TO me, Mr.. Aslehurst; that you
lave ever thought OF Ine-in that way-lor
am married already; my husband is COM
NO to jOin us at Pontresiu1
| stared at her ineredulously for mo-
nent