Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-06-20
vEsDETTE-FoUR
CHAPTER VIII.

E&N Ing with it The doors
~ MIA Of a thousand now
~ ers. A regal glory
u shifting coiors blazed on the breast
of heaven: the bay, motioniess as q
mirror, reflected all the splendid tints
with a sbeeny lustre that redoubled
1heir m~agnihcence. Pricked In every
vein by the singing OF my wi de-
01res, I yet restrained myself; I walt
"a till the sun sank below the CLASSY
waters; till the pomp and glow at
lending its departure had paled into
those din, ethereal hues which are
Ike delicate draperies fallen from the
lying forms OF angels; till the yellow
rim Of the round full noe rose Ian
Guidly on the edge Of the horizon; and
then keeping back my ~eagerness no
longer, I took the well known road
ascending II the Villa Romani. My
heart beat high; MY limbs trembled
with excitement; my steps were Inn
salient and precipitate; never had the
wsy seemed so long. At last / reached
the great gateway-it was locked fast
Its sculptured lions looked upon me
f~rowningly. / heard the splash and
eznkIe Of the fountains within, the
scents OF the roses and myrtle were
waited towards me with every breath
4 drew. Home at last! I smiled,-my
rholc frame quivered with expectancy
and delight. IL was not my intention
to seek admission by the principal en-
3rance,-I contented myself with one
long loving look, and turned to the left,
where there was a small private gate
leading into an avenue OF Hex n
zine, i~nterspersed with orange trees.
This was q favorfte walk Of mine,
partly On account OF Its pleasant shade,
sven I'm the hottest noon,-partly be-
GaOse ii was seldom ~frcGuented by any
member Of the household saw myself.
Guido occasionally took a turn with
me there, but 1 was more often alone,
and / was fond of pacing up and down
IN the shadow of the trees, reading
uoHle favorite book or giving myself up
10 the dolce far niente OF my own
tmaginings. The avenue led round to
the back Of the villa, and as 1 nov
entered II, / thought i would approach
the house cautiously and get private
speech with Asrunta, the nurse who
WA moreover an old and tried family
servant, In whose arms my mother had
oreathed her last.
The dark trees rustled soIemnly as I
stepped quickly yet softly along the
familiar moss-grown path. The place
wa very still,-sometimes the nighten-
GALES broke into a bubbling torrent Of
melody and then were suddenly silent,
- though overawed by the shadows OF
the heavy interlacing boughs, through
which the moonlight fiickered, casting
strange and fantastic patterns on the
ground. A cloud Of lucciole broke from
4 thicket Of laurel and sparkled In the
cir like gems loosened from a queens
crown. Fail.t Odors floated about me,
shaken from orange boughs and trail
Ing branches OF white jessamine. /
hAstened on, my spirits rising higher
the nearer / approached my destina-
tion. ! was full Of sweet anticipation
and passionate longing,-I yearned to
clasp my beloved Nina In my arms
70 see her lovely lustrous eyes looking
1Ondly Into mine;-I was eager to shake
Guido by the hand,-and as for Stella,
I knew the child would be in bed at
that hour, but still, / thought, i must
have her Weakened to see me; / felt
that my happiness would not be com
plete till / had kissed her little cherub
xnce, and caressed those clustering
Curls Of hers that were like spun gold.
$4,000. Hush-hush! What was that?
Z stopped In my rapid progress as
though suddenly checked by an inyis-
ible hand. / listened with strained
ears. That sound, = was Ii not
= ripping peal of gay laughter? A
Gfliver shook me from head to foot.
1t was my wife's laugh,-I knew the
silvery chime Of it well, My heart
sank coldly. / paused irresolutely. She
could laugh then like that when she
thought me lying dead-dead and out
Of her reach forever! All at once |
perceived the glimmer Of a white robe
through the trees; obeying my own
impulse i stepped softly aside,-I hid
behind a dense screen OF foliage
through which / could see without be-
Ing seen. The clear laugh rang out
once again on the stillness-its bright
mess pierced my brain like a sharp
sword! She was happy, she
WAS even merry, she wan
dered here In the moonlight joyous
hearted-while IL had expected to
mud her close shut within her room,
or else kneeling before the Mater
Dolorosa in the little chapel, praying
Tor my souls rest, and mingling her
prayers with her tears. : Yes.
: ndd cxpecteu mis,-we men are such
f0o,s when we love women. Suddenly
q + rrible thought struck me. Had she
gone ND? Had the shock and grief of
my so unexpected death turned her
delicate brain? Was size roaming about,
poor child. like Ophelia, knowing not
whittier she went, and was her appar-
ent gaiety the fantastic mirth of a dis
ordered brain? l shuddered at the
l0ea--and bending slightly apart the
boughs behind which l was sccreted
looked out a~nxiously. Two figures
were slowly approaching my wits and
my friend Guido Ferrari. Well [.
There was nothing In that-ir rs as
u silOsiid be Was not Guido as
my brother? II was almost
his duty to console and cheer Nina as
much ~ lay In his power But