Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-07-18

weakness before the sighting word Or
insoIent gesture Of a frivolous femIn-
Inc creature. whose best devotions are
paid to the mirror that reflects her in
the most becoming light, How easy
would be my vengeance. I unused. as
/ watched FerraH. I touched him on
the shoulder; he started from his I'M
comfortable reverie and forced q smile.
! held out q cigar case.
What are you dreaming Of" I ask
ed him laughingiy, -Hebe as she wait
ed on the gods Of Venus as she rose
In bare beauty from the waves?
Either. neither OF both? I assure you
q comfortable smoke is as pleasant In
its way as the smile Of a woman"
He took a cigar and Lit il, but made
no answer.
you are dull. my friend / contin-
ued gaily. hooking my arm through
his and pacing him up and down on
the turf in front OF his studio. wit.
they say. should be ~sharpened by the
glance OF a bright eye; how comes il
that the edge Of your converse seems
blunted: Perhaps your feelings are
too deep for words: II 80. I do not
wonder at ii, for the lady is extremely
lovely"
He glanced quickly at me.
-Did / not say sog' he exclaimed.
"Of all creatures under heaven she is
surely the most perfect. Even you.
conte. with your cynical ideas about
women-even you were quite sub
dued and Influenced by her; I could
see it,
I pulled slowly at my cigar and pre-
tended TO mediate.
WAS II / said at last. with an air
OF well acted surprise. Really sub
dued and i~niuencedi I do not think
80. But I admit I have never seen any
woman so entirely beautiful"
He stopped in his walk, loosened his
arm from mine, and regarded me fix
eddy.
81 told you So" he said desperately.
"You must remember that I told you
so. And now, perhaps, I ought to
warn you"
Warn me- I exclaimed In feigned
alarm. "Of what-against whom:
Surely not the Contessa Romani, TO
whom you were so anxious to intro
duce me? She has nc illness, no in
fictitious disorder: She Is not danger
ous to life or limb, is sher"
Ferrari laughed at the anxiety I dis
played for my own bodily safety: an
anxiety which / managed 70 render
almost comic; but he looked somewhat
relieved too
"Oh, no. he said, Il meant nothing
OF that kind. I only think it fair TO
tell you that she has very seductive
manners, and she may pay you little
attentions which would fiatter any
man who was not aware that they are
only q part Of her child-like manner,
pretty ways; in short they might lead
him enormously to suppose himself
the object Of her particular preference,
and
/ broke into a violent At Of laughter.
and elapped him roughly o the shout
der.
"Your warning Is quite necessary
my good young friend" l said. "Come,
now. do 1 look likely TO attract the at
tention Of an adored and capricious
beauty? Besides at my age the idea
is monstrous. I could figure as her
father, or yours. IL you like. but in the
capacity of a loyer-impossible"
He eyed me attentively.
"Shis said you did not seem Old" he
murmured, half to himself and halt to
me.
"Oh. I grant you she made me that
compliment, certainly" / answered,
amused at the suspicious that evident
Iy tortured him; "anc I accepted IL as
Il was meant In kindness. / am well
aware what a battered and unsightly
wreck of a man I must appear in her
eyes when contrasted with you, Sir
A~ntinous!"
He flushed warmly. Then. with a
half apologize air, he said
"Well, you must forgive me IL l
have seemed prescriptions. The
Countess Is like IA sister to me; In
fact, my late friend, Fabio encouraged
q fraternal affection between US, and
now he is gone ! feel 1t more than ever
my duty to protect her, as 1t Were,
from herself. She Is so young, and
~light-hearted and th~oughtless that
but you understand me, do you notg"
bowed. / understood him perfect
". He wanted no more poachers on
the land he himself had pilfered.
Quite right, from his point of view!
But I was the rightful owner OF the
land after all, and / naturally had a
different opinion of the matter. How
ever, 1 made no remark, and feiyned
to be rather bored by the turn the con-
versation was taking. Seeing this,
Ferrari exerted himself to be agree
BILE; he became c gay and entertaining
companion once MORE, n after he
had fixed the hour for our visit to the
Villa Romani the mex afternoon, u
talk turned upon various matters con-
nected with Naples and it's inhabitants
and their mode Of life. l hazarded a
few remarks on the general immorali-
ty among the people. just to draw my
companion out and sound his charac-
ter more ACKNOWLEDGMENT / thought
I knew his opinions well.
Pooh, my dear Conte," he exclaim-
ed with a light laugh, as he threw
away the end of his cigar, aud watch
ed ii as 1t burned duly like a little
red lamp among the green grass where
II had fallen. what is immortality at
ter all? Merely a matter OF opinion.
Take the hackneysd virtue Of c~onjugal
fidelity. When followed out to the
bitter end what Is the good Of it
man be tied to one woman when he
has love enough for twenty The pref
~ slender girl whom he chose as a
partner In his impulsive youth may