Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-09-19

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Two Figures Were Slowly APP
pronching- Wife and MY
Friend. Guido Ferrari.
no right to be otherwise than suspl-
cious and ever on his guard; if he re-
lakes in his vigilance he has only HIM
self to blame when his honor is flung
like a ball from hand to hand, as one
plays with child's toy. l repeat to
you. Nina, you are mine. and l swear
you shall never escape me-:
The impetuous words coursed rap
idly from his lips, and his deep mu-
steal voice had defiant ring as it
fell on the stiffness of the evening air.
l smiled bitterly as l heard. She
struggled in his arms half angrily.
"Let me co. she said. You are
rough. you hurt me-"
He released her instantly. The vio-
lence of his embrace had crushed the
rose she wore. and its crimson leaves
tluttered slowly down one by one on
the ground at her feet. Her eyes
flashed resentfully. and an impatient
frown contracted her fair brows. She
looked away from him in silence, the
silence of cold disdain. Something
in her attitude panied him, for he
sprang forward and caught her hand,
covering it with kisses.
Forgive me. carina mia!" he cried
repentantly. 81 did not mean to re-
prOach YOU. You cannot help being
beautiful-it is the fault of God or
the devil that you are so, and that
your beauty maddens me. You are
the heart of my heart, the soul of my
soul! Oh, Nina mia. let us not waste
words in useless anger. Think of it,
we are free-free! Free to make life
long dream of delight-delight more
perfect than angels can know! The
greatest blessing that could have be-
fallen us is the death of Fabio, and
now that we are all in all to each
other, do not harden yourself against
me. Nina, be gentle with me. Of all
things in the world, surely love is
bestw
She smiled with the pretty superior
smile of young empress pardoning
a recreant subject, and suffered him
to draw her again, but with more gen
tleness, into his embrace. She put up
her lips to meet his; looked on like a
man in a dream. l saw them cling
together; each kiss they exchanged
was fresh stab to my tortured soul.
"You are so foolish, Guido, mio!
she pouted, passing her little jeweled
fingers through his clustering hair
with light caress, $50 impetuous, so
jealous. l have told you many times
that 1 love you! Do you not remem-
Der that night when Fabio sat out on
the balcony reading his Plato, poor
fcllow!"-here she laughed musically-
land we were trying over some songs
in the drawing room-did l not say
then that loved you best of any one
in the world? You know l did! You
ought to be satistied!'
Guido smiled and stroked her shin
ing golden curls.
II am satisfied" he said, without
any trace of his former heated impa-
thence, perfectly satisfied. But do not
expect to find love without jealousy.
Fabio was never jealous. know; he
trusted you too implicitly; he was
nothing of a lover, believe me. He
y
A man who will go away for days at
a time on solitary yachting and ram
bling excursions, leaving his wife to
her own devices-a man who reads
Plato in preference to looking after
her-decides her own fate, and de-
serves to be ranked with those So
called but most ignorant philosophers
to whom Woman has always remained
an unguessed riddle. AS for mel am
jealous of the ground you tread upon
of the air that touches you'll was
jealous of Fabio while he lived-and-
by Heayenr'-his eyes darkened with
a somber wrath-"if any other man
dared now to dispute your love with
| me l would not rest till his body had
served my sword as sheath
Nina raised her head from his breast
with an air of petulant WEAKNESS.
again" she murmured reproach-
! fully. "You are going to be angry
| again"
He kissed her
mot I, sweet one! l will be as
| gentle as you wish, so long as you love
me and only me. Come-this avenue
is damp and chilly for ycu-shall we
go in"'
My wife, nay, should say our
wife, as we had both shared her i'm
partial favors, assented. With arms
interlaced and walking slowly. they
began to retrace their steps towards
( the house. Once IL ey paused.
do you hear the nightingales %
asked Guido.
Hear them? Who could not hea,
them? A shower Of melody ralned
from the trees on every side--the pure
sweet. passionate tones pierced the
ear like the repeated chime OF little
golden bells--the beautiful. the ten
der, the God-inspired birds sang thell
love stories simply and with perfect
ra Otllre love stories unta inted nv nv