, 1896-11-11
in a brown study. She wal..ca Oh tiptoe

in a brown study. She walI.td Oh tiptoe
and was very careful to make no noise
III shutting tic door. The clarsur Of the
forge al NuIcm would not have caused
me to leap quicker from my chair. l ran
after her. embraced her, and we had 4
great laugh together. But the ice was
broken. We had mutually admitted one
thought-wc were n0t perfection.
However hard she tried, Nina could
not correct herself. Only when she
slammed Il door She took on Il certain
air, half contritc, half .a;schiovnus, that
made her more BEAUTIFUL. AS for me. it
was III vain !nlt, caught with my wits
wool gathering, | shook my head and
stared. | became neither wiser nor
hand>umor.
Our honeymoon had lasted many
moIths ~unClouhcd. Then came a day,
Il day of July, when the sun glared and
the heat was cruel. She asserts that she
began the quarrel, asking me what I
was thinking about, with my head in the
clouds. Bat il was | who gave the first
o1fcnse i'll the form of a very little swear
word apropos of a door. One mild sar.
casm led to another, and soon | was
sulky and Nina i'll tears. Another Occa-
sion ended il the same way. The next
time the thing went farther.
This life is ~unbearable,' said she.
'.Iniced:'' said ] teas;uSIy.
'Indcod! All, indeed! Oh, l knew
that you were tired of me! 1t is almost
year that you have been married"
Ton months" | replied.
(which have seemed like ten years
to you. Our happiness has lasted too
long. Oh, how unfortunate | am! Yea
will end by hating me, if you don't do
so alroady-and IL shall come to hate
you"
l wanted to catch her up in my arms
and run about the rooms with her and
her wrath-a precious armful-until
she should cry "Enough!' l wanted to
fail on my knees before her and say H.;
little prayers for her forgiveness-all
sorts of things that an indulgcnt hus-
band could think of in order to make
her smile. | glanced at her. She turned
her shoulders to me. l took u step to-
ward her, and she ran into another room
and l, i'll a pet, descended the stairs,
rcmorscful L>forc accomplishing my fell
revenge. l took a turn round the square,
not being able to 60 far away keep
ing in view the little home where had
been my happiness. | thought of Sulpi-
clio and ConCetta and told myself that
there was nobody to act us peacemaker
between my wife aud me, and that wo
would not have stood it if there were.
| reflected: This is the first time
who knows if it viii. be the last? l must
90 back to her, comfort her and tell her
that we never must do so again. But
how will she receive me? What wouldn't
l give to be sure that she will reply to
my words with u good kiss? Then we
would weep and laugh over the affair
together and never speak of it any
more
All these reflections brought me sew
eral times as far as the threshold of our
house, and as often Withdrew. At last
l succeeded in overcoming the spell,
sprang through tho doorway, ran up
stairs four steps at once, and i'll al in
slant was face to face with Nina. who
had come TO meet me on the landing.
She hid her face between her hands and
did not speak tome. | put an arm about
her and led her into the parlor. l made
her sit upon my knee and gently took
her hands away from her eyes, laid my
cheek against hers and begged her for
givencss. But instead of pardoning me
she burst afrCsh into sobs, threw her
arms around my neck and buried her
face in my shoulder. My heart beat
hard. Nina's actions We're expressive of
misfortune What had happened during
my absence: After many questions and
carcsScs, and on her part II great sob,
'.Sho is dcad!' said Nina.
"Who?'
"Concetta, poor Conectta!' Ny wife
was silent for "a moment. Then raising
her head, she added, Their separation
has taken place.
"Who has told you about it,"
"A friend vino came to SEQ me. Poor
Coneetta passed away yesterday very
suddenly
"And Sulpicio?'
HE is in despair. He does not speak
a word. He seems tlazcd.'
81 must 90 and look him up"
"Oh, my dear. so rs soon as possible.
l went. The heart of the old man had
not been able to resist the oppression Of
solitude, AID ut night, a few hours aft
cr his companion had been carried
away, he laid himself down in his wild
owed bed with the certainty that nc
should never see the morning.
His dead face appeared to smile at me
and to tell me that.not ever death had
separated them. | went home with sad
ness i'll my heart-a gentle sadness, that
did me good. l did not like to tell my
wife the news and was glad when some
IL else told it to her in my presence.
AS soon as We were alone she clasped
me in her arms as though she were
afraid.
"Carlo!'
"Nina!'
She raised her eyes as if to read my
thought and slowly murmurcd these
words:
"That will be the way with us, will
it not?''-From tine Italian Fer Short
Stories.
Something Wrong.