The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-02-07


All ar - dwellcT y Il shore,
u. -, -, ,.;.it:I!-, ;-,ir command to sail
Forth the unchaf t,d sea each must explore
So STRING. sea, near.
M. A. Howe, Jr., in Youth s Companion.
miscellaneous.
IN A PRIVATE BOX.
frSt met the man in large London
cafe. Indeed up to the time of the occur
renee / am about to relate l had never
been in his company elsewhere. He used
so play chess there, and so did l, and ou
acquaintance had been confined to chats
across tho chcckered board. l was an ell
thusiast at the game, while he, though a
much stronger player, seemed to use chess
as solace for some trouble or to divert
his mind from unpleasant thoughts. OF
this l was convinced.
Many months passed before L even knew
his name, which ut last discovered to be
Francesca Astarita. He was a decidedly
good looking italian, about 30 years OF
age but his features already bore lines OF
care or affliction, l could never tell which.
l always found him very variable in man
ner Sometimes he would be almost aifa
BILE, at others silent and morose, but there
was always a dash of melancholy in his
conversation.
We met only ut night, and 1 gathered
that he held some mercantile appointment
in the city. He spoke almost perfect Eng
fish.
viii you have a gamer" 1 said one
evening as l took a seat opposite to him AT
one of the marble topped tables. 81 should
like to try that variation in the Ruy Lopez
again.
mo, thank you" he replied gruffiy. 81
am just going"
"You are not feeling unwell, hopcT'
He certainly looked very pale and care
worn, but he gave no answer. A sickly
smile, half sneer, stole over his face.
A few minutes later he rose, put on his
hat and with curt Good night" STROBE
toward the door. Then he suddenly stop
ped, came back and said:
81 am going to the Jollity. Do you care
to come? l have taken a private box
quite alone"
Music halls, even when called theaters
of varieties, were not much to my taste.
but 1 was disappointed of my chess, fol
'aghere was no other person present with
whom | cared to play, and, at any rate, l
] Gould come away from the Jollity when
u was tired
81 So 1 accepted his invitation, and we
tstroHed along the street together. He was
o1nusually silent, and rs failed in several
attempts to get him into conversation l al
length fell back on my thoughts.
What could induce a man of his tenn
permanent to go to q music hail. especially
in such q particularly unsociable mood:
Could it be possible that the entertainments
would take his mind off his troubles,
That he had troubles, and serious ones, |
could not for moment doubt. But what
most astonished me was to find him i'll
dulging in the luxury of private box, for
1 was sure that he was a man of slender
means. The ticket might have been given
to him, but he had distinctly said that he
had taken it, which meant "hired it. -
The bright and brilliantly decorated
house was already crowded in many parts
when we took our seats and tho entertain
ment had begun. A girl in an localized
male attire was singing song with roll
licking chorus, and youths wero grinninG
with enjoyment at the same old jokes that
their fathers and grandfathers had relished
in days gone by.
Astarita looked horribly bored. He st.;
at the back of the box in silence. Sud
denly he pulled his chair nearer to mine
and became communicative.
"You can't understand me, - he said.
"You think 1 am not happy. Well, l am
not. And do you suppose this programme
is likely to cheer me! Come back out of
that noise. will tell you a story-a true
story-a page out of my own life"
The audience was applauding, and /
moved my chair into the interior of the
box
"My father was an Italian
So 1 should judge by your name" l
interrupted.
Eyes, but he died when 1 vas very
young, and my mother was English. My
home was at Naples. When l was a lad,
l went into the Office of large firm OF
fruit merchants there. 1 stuck hard at my
work for some years and was doing very
we'll Then l met the only woman 1 ever
loved-I must have been about 25-and
the only woman believed to be worthy of
my devotion. All, those were happy days.
Astarita paused in his story and seemed
to be dwelling on memories of the past.
"What was / saying?' he suddenly be-
gan again. "Ah, yes, remember. Angela
knew of my love and returned it. There
was not a shadow on our path-until an
English scoundrel, called Herbert Ross,
appeared on the scene. | never knew what
brought him to Naples, but he came, and
while there, in an evil hour, met her-my
sweet Angela.
"That man, sir, had what the world
calls winning manner. He could talk
well, played the violin and WAS an amateur
conjurer and ventriloquist. The world
loves mountebank, and there were plenty
of fools in Naples ready to welcome him as
guest. The villain fascinated my Angela
-inStilled into her desire to go on the
stage. He had influence with actors and
managers everywhere, and, rs her parents
were dead, and she was living with
friends, he had no difficulty in getting her
an engagement.
"She was mad. But l saw through his
scheme. He wanted to got her away from
me and persuade her To marry him. Yes,
he succeeded. Two years later she was his
wife-his wife-and lost TO me forever"
The orchestra WAS playing loudly, aud
drew my chair farther back.
Can you not guess hat it broke my
heart? l could not stay i'll Naples. | came
to London. Only once since her marriage
have l seen Angela. l met her in Ficca-
ullly one Gay laSJ august. We Nalhtu III
the Green park. 1t was the happio,t hour
have known since the old time i'll Naples.
AT first she declared that she was hap
py but do You not think | could read her
face? | told her did not believe her. She
wcpt and confessed that she was leading "a
miserable life And how happy l might
have made her! Failed on the stage? Yes,
but not only that. Her husband, VINO was
now professional entertainer, was cruel
to her He had struck her-yes, strL
her!
Il said, Il will ayenge your
NO no. she cried, for my sake do not
raise hand against him. Promise me
promise me, francesca
What could l do? l promised her that
while she lived l would not touch him
And have kept my word. But, by heav
en-
Astarita did not finish the sentence
He was livid with emotion and trenholm"
from head to foot. [ urged him to be
calm.
Eyes; 1 must be calm, " he said. what
Is going on on the stageY'
l stepped forward.
{, 4 - n