The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-10-17

be queen and people would love and honor
her.
Suddenly she was awakened from these
brain-wrOught fantasies. Her lovely eyes
grew wstful and iar-away. She no longer
dreamed; the subtle charm of weary nature
seemed to have enveloped her with its lovely
enchantment. Slowly, softly a sound
| dawned into life-a soft wall, Ike souls
| reproach. 1t came nearer aud nearer, until
Cecilia could distinguish the words, sung to
that peculiarly tuneless, yet strangely thrill
ing, combination of sounds by which Nea-
poitans of all ages have sought TO express
their deepIy-felt passions and sorrows.
| Come back to me, my love!" the sad
voice cried. Leave this evil-eyed stranger,
| who comes to steal what is not hisl 10
| fdm0 Cecilia mia Come, and we will sail
over the blue waters; the fish will come to
us easily; we will take sweet flowers from
the ladened earth, now in this season of love.
| OH Ama' mia, the star of love has peeped
out before it is yet night. Cecilia-Ceciiid
mia :"
When Cecilia recognized PietrO she shrank
| back. Though she had longed to see him,
now that he was there, all the hateful truth
came back. She only felt pang of dread
at sight of him in his coarse shirt. Hatless,
| padding his big, ugly boat along indolently,
! with the sunset flush on his handsome face
and curly hair, he looked up aud saw her,
| and still deeper flush swept over his face.
With strong, quick strokes he drove his boat
| heavily ashore and hurried to her side.
"Hia Cecilia cGra," he murmured his
hoarse voice softened tenderly, you have
hurt me, Carina. Why? Have l done
anything? Didn't you like the fish / sent
you?"
{bap bay NaI
didn't you eat them?"
No; what are fish? don't want fish,"
Then what do you want, little one?"
Something you can never give me!"
with a little sigh.
Pletro was silent moment, thinking; then,
:" Who can give it you, Cecilia? The forest
i6re?" He waited, breathlessly.
Cecilia looked at him. There was some
thing threatening in his eyes, which annoyed
her. "Yes!" she answered decisiyely.
Then she shrank back, for the mans face
grew deadly white, and he looked at her
like hungry tiger.
He saw her fright and smiled sadly
" Don't fear, little one" he said, won't
hurt you. The God as made one fish gold
and the other black made you what you are,
me what me is, and him what he is. The
sea amt always smooth, Cecilia. Sometimes
the waves grow blackish, and the caps glisten
white, hiding Death! Pearls lie deep! He
seeks to steal them will diel"
He leaped down the rocks, laid his strong
hand on the Prov Of his boat; then, chang
ing his mind, he looked up at her In a
fash he was beside her again his face was
ghastly white. Mad, blind jealousy ragged
in his heart. With quick movement he
drew forth a long knife-t is a custom with
Neapoltan lovers to disligure the beauty OF
those who have proved faithless to them.
Cecilia shrauk away, but made no sound.
She looked into his face, and in that tender
light her beauty was almost divine. Pietro's
hold on her arm relaxed, his eyes grew moist
and tender.
Carina! CdriRa mia :" he murmured,
in a far-off tone. "No, / cannot destroy
what God has made so good" Then, with
a sudden impulse, he knelt beside her, bow
ing his head on her knee Cecilia! man
never loved as L loved! Cdrina, do not
leave me,0
Il am tired, caro-! cannot work! This
life is -
But you shan't work. We will have a
house by the sea, where the waves will sing
to us and the fish tempt us; where -
"Ohl no, MOI L hate fish want
higher lifei / suffocate Oh, Pietr0 caro-
thIs is death, while in that far land is JOY. |
wealth, power! / was not made for this, he |
told me! He said a palace of marble IS |
waiting for me Think, Pietro, all of white |
marble, with precious stones. Ah, mio |
daore, shall be great; then L shall come |
back to you in q boat made of pearls, with |
pink satin sails! And, Pietro, we shall fly |
away under the friendly stars TO some lovely |
island, and be alone and richl" Her eyes |
were brilliant, and her cheeks flushed. |
Pietro looked at her amazed. Was she to |
gain all this, indeed? Then, why ask her |
TO remain? And yet! No, she was too
good for fishers wife-thst lovely face and |
form!
did he promise all this" he asked in |
low voice.
Isl, caro- and more! Much morel He |
said | should sing, and be great, and - |
Pietro sprang up, with his head flung back, |
gazing at the stars! The muscles stood out |
on his temples, and his hands were clenched.
"Oh Dio!n he cried. "1Ho Dio !" Then, |
with great effort, he controlled himself, and |
kneellug again beside her, he whispered |
" Yes, Cecilia, he is right! The stranger is |
right You are too good for mel Now sing to |
me, little one; sing Of our star!" Cecilia drew |
his head nearer, and kissed his damp brow |
then, burying her fingers softly in his |
curly hair, she sang out into the still June
night that beautiful anthem of love, Stella
Confidente" Her full, rich soprano rang
out, thrilling him with delight. 1t seemed
the very stones awakened soft echoes in the
deep sea-c caves, like smothered music.
" Stella de nostro deli che Z amo sernpre."e
Pietro trembled. And when at last she
came to that long-drawn-out dramatic Ia
ment, "Addio!" great sob escaped him.
He drew her to him breathlesslv tight.
'AddiO! my love. GOod-by!" and he was
gone! Cecilia sat half dazed. She vaguely |
heard the stones rattle under his feet, the
splash of the oars in the silent moOn-kissed
water; it all seemed far away, unreal She
looked at the silent bay; all was dark and
quiet, save where line of silver ran trem-
bling from the ill-shaped moon across the
water. 1t was all beautiful picture; and
that little dark boat was only an atom of the
whole. How far away it all seemed, how
apart from her; and beyond that dark line
lay another world, beautiful, never lonely.
She lnelt down, leaning her white arms on
the rock. "PietrO!" her lips whispered,
but her mind was filed with the vision of a
white palace her heart WAS torn in two
directions. She arose and rushed up the
road. Some one spoke to her from the
shadow: Cecilia mia! An icy shiver
ran over Cecilia it was the Englishman.
Il have waited here for two hours for you,
carai" Cecilia's heart throbbed.
Why have you waited?D she asked.