Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-16

pride all, no. but when one has a
girl, one cannot be too careful
You have a daughter, then?'
Her fierce eyes sOftened.
--One-my Lila. call her my bless
ing, and too good for me. Often l
fancy that it is because she tends
them that the trees bear so well, and
the apples are SO sound and sweet!
And when she drives the load of fruit
to market, and sits so smilingly be-
hind the team, it seems to me that her
very face brings luck to the SALE
[ smiled at the mothers enthusiasm,
and sighed. I had no fair faith left
II could not even believe in Lila. My
landlady, Signora Monti as she was
called, saw that looked fatigued, and
left me to myself-and during my stay
I saw very little of her, VincenZO
constituting himself my majordomo,
or rather becoming for my sake sort
OF amiable slave, always looking to
the smallest details of my comfort,
and studying my wishes with an
anxious solicitude that touched while
! it gratified me. | had been fully three
days in my retreat before he ventured
to enter upon any conversation with
me. for he had observed that | always
sought to be alone, that I took long
solitary rambles through the woods
/ and across the hills-and, not daring
to break through my taciturnity, he
had contented himself by merely at
tending to my material comforts in
silence One afternoon, however,
after clearing away the remains of
room.
1.-THE eccellenza has not yet seen
Lila MONTH" he asked, hesitatingly.
| 1 looked at him in some surprise.
! There was blush on his olive-tinted
cheeks and an unusual sparkle in his
eyes. For the first time l realized
that his valet of mine was a handsome
young fellow.
Seen Lila Month" I repeated, half
absently; ooh, you mean the child of
the landlady? No, l have not seen
her. Why do you ask"
L
lenzal but she is beautiful, and there
is a saying in my province: Be the
heart heavy as stone, the sight of a
fair face will tighten it,"
1 gave an impatient gesture. Cali
folly, Vincenzo! Beauty is the curse
of the world. Read history, and you
shall find the greatest conquerors and
sages ruined and disgraced by it's
snares."
He nodded gravely. He probably
. thought of the announcement I had
made at the banquet of my own ap-
preaching marriage, and strove to
reconcile it with the apparent incon-
sistency of my present observation.
But he was too discreet to utter his
mind aloud-he merely said:
mo doubt you are right, ecceIlenza.
Still one is glad to see the roses bloom,
and the stars shine, and the foam-bells
sparkle on the wayes-so one is glad
to see Lila Month"
I turned round in my chair to OBJ
serve him more closely-the flush
deepened on his cheek as I regarded
him. l laughed with a bitter sadness.
I'm love, AMIGO, art thou? So soon!
three days thou hast fallen a
prey to the smile Of Lila! I am sorry
for thee!"
He interrupted me eagerly.
''The eccellenza is in error! I would
not dare-she is too innocent-she
knows nothing! She is like a little
bird in the nest, so soft and tender
word of love would brighten her; [
should be a coward to utter it,
Well, we'll! l thought, what was the
use of sneering at the poor fellow!
Why, because my own love had turned
to ashes in my grasp, should [ mock
at those who fancied they had found
the golden fruit of the Hesperides?
Vincenzo, once soldier, now half
courier, half valet, was something of
poet at heart; he had the grave
meditative turn Of mind common to
Tuscans, together with that amorous
fire that ever burns under their
lightly worn mask of seeming reserve.
I reused myself to appear interested
ri see, Vincenzo,' I said, with
kindly air of banter, that the sight
of Lila Monti more than cCmpensates
you for that portion of the Neopolitan
! carnival which you lose by being here.
But why you should wish me to be-
hold this paragon of maidens I know
rot, unless you would have me regret
my own lost YOUTH
A curious and perplexed expression
fitted over his face. At last he said
firmly, as though his mind were made
up:
THE eccellenza must pardon me for
se1ng what perhaps 1 ought not to
have seen, but
"Eccellenza, you have not lost your
youth.
l turned my head toward him again
he was looking at me in some alarm
he feared some outburst Of anger.
Well!' l said calmly. THAT is
your idea, is it? and why?"
| ''Eccellenza, l saw you without your
spectacles that day when you fought
with the unfortunate Signor Ferrari.
l watched you when you fired. Your
! eyes are beautiful and terrible-the
eyes Of a young man, though your
hair is white"
Quietly I took off my glasses and
laid them on the table beside me.
LAS you have seen me once without