Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-08-01


rapid walk and hade yincenzo can q
carriage. one Of the ordinary vehicles
that are everywhere standing about
for hire in the principal thoroughfares
Of Naples I sprzng into this and told
the driver to take r-e as quickly as
possible 10 villa R0rnani, and. adding
10 yfncenyo that ] should not return
TO the ho,e! all day, | was soon rat
ting along the uphill road On my
arrival at the villa ! found the gates
open as though il expectation OF my
visit and as I approached the en-
trance door OF the house GiaeoE1o him
self met me
How is the chiNT' / asked him
eagerly.
He made no reply, but shook his
head grzyely and pointed 70 . kindly
hooking man who Was at that moment
descending the st2irs-a man whom /
instantly recognized rs & celebrated
English doctor resident in the neigh
borho-od To him i repeated my in
qutry. He beckoned me into & side
room and closed the door.
The fact iS." be said simply, that
j. a case Of groSs neglect The child
has evidently been in @ weakly con-
dition for some time past and there
fore is an easy prey to any disease
that may be lurking about She was
naturally strong; ] can see that: and
had ] been called IN when the symp-
toms first developed themselves i
could have cured her. The nurse tells
me she dare o enter the mothers
room 10 disturb her after midnight.
otherwise she would have called her
70 see the child Il is unfortunate, for
now / can do nothing"
/ listened ike one in q dream Not
even old Assunta dared enter her mis-
tress' room after midnight No not
though the child might be seriously
I'll and suffering. / knew the reason
weil-too wei! And - while Ferrari
had taken his I'll OF rapturous en-
braces and lingering farewells my lit
tie one had been allowed 10 struggle
in pain and fever without her moth
. er's care or comfort Not that such
( consolation would have been much at
. its best but I was fool enough 70 wish
there had been this q faint spark
of womanh0od left in her upon whom
l had wasted all the first and only
love OF my life. The doctor watched
me as / remained silent and after a
pause he spoke again
The child has earnestly asked 70
see you" he said, and / persuaded
the countess 20 send for you. though
she was very reluctant TO do so, as
she said you might catch the disease
OF course there is always 4 risk"
Il am no coward, monsieur ! inter
rupJed him. though many Of Us Ital-
ians prove but miserable, p~anIc-strick-
en- wretches in time Of plagUe-the
more especially when compared with
the iKirepidity and pluck Of English
men. Still there are exceptions"
The doctor smiled c~our1eOusiy and
bowed. Then ! have no more 10 say,
except that IL would be well for you
10 see my little patient a. once I IL
compelled TO be absent for half an
hour. but at the expiration Of that
time l viii return"
tStay!' / said, laying a OBTAINING
hand on his arm. is there any pos.
sible hopeT'
He eyed me gravely. Il fear not"
Can nothing De dOnet"
Nothing except 10 keep her as quiet
and warm as possible. / have left
some medicine with the nurse which
viii help 10 alleviate the pain / shall
be able 20 judge Of her better when
return; the illness viii have then
reached it's crisis
In a couple OF minutes more he had
left the house and a young maid-ser
want showed me 10 the nursery.
Where is the c~OnteSSaE' / asked In
a whisper as / trOd softly up the
stairs.
The contessaT' said the girl. open
ing her eyes in establishment I'm hel
own bedroom, excellenZa; MADAME
would not think OF leaving il because
OF the danger Of Infection"
/ smothered q rough oath that rosf
involuntarily 10 my lips Another
proof OF the woman's utter heartless
ness, / thought
Has she not g her chiId!'
"Since the illness? oh, no, excel
LENA"
Very gently, and on tIp-tce, / enter
ed the nursery. The blinds We're par
tally drawn as the light worried IN,
child. and by the little white bed sat
Assunta, her brown face pale and al
most rigid with anxiety. AT my ap
preach she raised her eyes TO mine
muttering softly:
1T is always so. Our lady will have
the best of all, first the father. thel
the child, ii is right and ~just-only th'
bad are left"
Papa moaned a little voice feeb
~, and Stella sat up among her tum
bled pillows, with wide opened wild
eyes, feyerish cheeks and parted lips
through which the breath cam.
in quick uneasy gasps. Shocked a
the marks II intense suffering in he
face, i put my arms tenderly rounS
her. she smiled family and tried L
kiss me. / pressed the poor parche,
little mouth and murmured soothing
ly-
: Stella must be patient and quiet