The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-05-22
THE SPIDERS WEB.

spring COlHt, she WITS Truly beautiful
Under her long silky Eshes her azure
eyes had soft caresSing light That illu-
mined her face with kindlnrcss The
form, Though somewhat slender, was
we'll modelled, and the lines of the neck
set off all the attractivcnoS of a head
encircled by Il profusion of blond locks
This was the beautiful and graceful
Paoletta, Giorgio's Young wife In
carriage the newly welded pair were
proceeding rapidly along the sun filled
river bank, thinking OF some way of en-
ploying the day.
The carriage paused to allow them to
admire the flowers upon spur of the
incline, where the vines, like wild nests,
stretched from distance to distance, half
concealed by the trees
Do you wish to go up tl,erep" asked
Paolcttn.
She pointed with her delicate hand,
from which she had drawn her glove, to
the heights of Bellevue.
'For what?'' Giorgio asked.
eve might see "a house that would
suit us-you know we ought to be look
ing for one" said Paolctta. eve can
inquire at tho inn
GiOrgio heSitatcd
"What Of our journey to ST Cloud?''
he asked.
Let it be postponed for awhile"
He did not answer Immediately. FL
nally lie said half reluctantly: GAS you
will 1t really makes no difference where
we live so long as we are together -
She looked at him brightly, and they
descended from the carriage and took
their way toward the bank OF the Seine.
The iun was deserted.
Let us mount into that little bal
cony," she said. "There is n fino view
| from there. "
GAS you please.
Soon the sun shono less brightly, for
Il space shone pallid. then vanished.
Great clouds heaped themselves up about
them, rapid and compact. A strong
wind blew, and large drops of water be-
gan to fall
Where should they take refuge?
"There!" said Paoletta.
With her hand she indicated q cottage,
upon the threshold of which an old
woman stood
Giorgio suddenly blushed crimson,
but accompanied his wife in silence.
sit is for rent; it can be looked
over, said the woman, who hoped to
find tenants i'll this handsome young
| couple.
Criorgio did not respond. but while
| Paolctta examined the apartments no
regarded with interest this slight, box
like construction, so simply made
AS SOON as his wife called him he Gu
tered the housc. a vision of the past
rose in his mind. He saw the garden,
the arbor, the honcysucklc and ivy, now
nothing more than IA mass OF green foil
age, under which was hidden little
bench covered with moss and gone tc
decay. A marble dove, blackcned by
moisture, had been for long years the
sole spectator of this devastation
1T is ten years since the house was
left tcnantless, prattlcd the old WON
an. "Thc proprietor, who was occGi-
trio. did not wish to let it But now lie
is dead, and have been directed to have
a card put mp The necessary repairs
will &c made -
Paolctta laughed aloud with happy,
childlillc pleasure
''Arc you willing to rent this house,
Giorgio?" she asked
1.-The air might DO too bracing for
you. my dear.
But not more 50 than everywhere in
tho country" put in the old woman.
Besides, the rent is so little--4O0
francs year.
at is very reasonable, said Paoletta.
81 shall BIO delighted to live hero. Come
/ 1nfr -fg,f r ,fa, 4
with the whole place. -
| He followed her, examined some
| apartments decorated with gray paper
and red flowers, looked into the dining
hall with windows looking upon the
Seine, and IL, he glanced about all tho
| past returned To his memory No longer
| was it Paoletta who was before him,
but Chiara, the girl he had first loved,
and whom he had often seen seated in
! this little hermitage, to which he had
| by chance returned.
| lie had lost her while the cup Of love
was still full. But hc forgot her in time
and married the pretty Paolctta, whom
he loved. Yet frequently whcn with her
a shadow passed before him-thc shadow
Of young and lovely woman.
"A Wcch LaicI loli!lu tIlelh seltleu III
the cottaSr. The outdoor life was a
great benefit to Paolctta, who had been
something of an invalid. 1t was ar
ranged that they should pass the winter
in the country.
Every day Giorgio went to business
in the city, leaving Paoletta alone. Tho
young wife, busy with her new cares,