Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-10-21

cally.
They need cleaning, eccellenza."
Good said, briefly. Then clean
them and put them in good order. !
may require to use them"
The imperturbable Vincenzo bowed
end, taking the weapons, prepared to
leave the room.
STAY
He turned. l looked at him steadily.
81 believe you are a faithful fellow.
Vincenzo,' / said.
He met my glance frankly.
THE day may come" l went on,
quietly, when l shall perhaps put
your fidelity to the proof"
The dark Tuscan eyes, keen and
clear moment before, flashed
brightly and then grew humid
''Eccellenza, you have only to COM
mand. l was a soldier once-I know
what duty means But there is a bet
ter service-gratitude I am your
poor servant but you have won my
heart. I would give my life for you.
should you desire it,"
He paused half ashamed of the emo
ton that threatened to break through
his mask Of impassibility, bowed
again and would have left me. but that
I called him back and held out nv
hand
f'Shake hands, amio," l said, simply.
He caught it with an astonished vet
pleased look-and STOPPING, kissed it
before / could prevent him. and this
time literally scrambled out of my
presence with an entire oblivion of
his usual dignity. Left alone, l con-
sidered this behavior of his with half
Iained surprise. This poor fellow
loved me it was evident-why, | knew
not. I had done no more for him
than any other master might have
done for a good servant. l had often
spoken to him with Impotence, even
harshness; and yet I had 'won his
heart''-so he said. Why should he
care for me? why should my poor
Old butler Giacomo cherish me so de-
votedly in his memory; why should
my very dog still love and obey me.
when my nearest and dearest, my wife
and my friend, had so gladly forsaken
me, and were so eager to forget me!
Perhaps fidelity was not the fashion
now among educated persons? Per-
maps it was worn-out virtue. left to
the bas-peuple- the vulgar-and to
animals? Progress might have at
talred this result-no doubt it had.
l sighed YEARLY, and threw myself
down in an armchair near the win
dow, and watched the white-sailed
boats skimming like f1ecks of silver
across the biue-green water. The
tinkling of a tambourine by and by
attracted my wandering attention. and
looking into the street just below my
balcony I saw young girl dancing.
She was lovely to look at, and she
danced with exquisite grace as we'll as
modesty, but the beauty Of her face
was not so much caused by perfection
Of feature or outline as by a certain
wistfui expression that had in it some
thing of nobility and pride. I watched
her; at the conclusion of her dance
she held up her tambOurine with a
bright yet appealing smile. Silver and
copper were freely flung to her, I con-
tributing my quota to the amount;
but all she received she at once
emptied into a leathern bag which
was carried by a young and handsome
man who accompanied her. and VINO.
alas! was totally blind. I knew the
couple well, and had often seen them;
their history was pathetic enough The
girl had been betrotked to the young
fellow when he had occupied a fairly
good position as a worker in silver
jEwelry. His eye-sight, long painfully
strained over his delicate 1abOrS, sud
'aenly failed him--he lost his place OF
course, and was utterly without re-
sc urces. He offered to release his
'fiancee from her engagement, but she
would not take her freedorn-she in
sisted on marrying him at once She
had her way, and devoted herself to
him soul AND body-danced in the
streets and sung to gain a living for
Eerself and him; taught him to weave
baskets so that he might not feel him
self entirely dependent on her. and she
sold these baskets for him so success
fully that he was gradually making
quite little trade of them Poor
child! tor she was not much more
than a child-what a bright face she
Ead!-glOrlhed by the self-denial and
courage Of her everyday life. No
wonder she bad won the sympathy of
the warm-hea Ited and impulsive .Nea-
politans-they looked upon her as a
heroine of romance; and as she .passed
through the streets, leading her blind
husband teRdarly by the hand. there
was not a creature in the City, even,
among the most abandoned and vile
characters, who you'd have dared to
offer her the Least insult Or WHO would
have yentuTs4d to addreEss her other
wise than respectfully. She Was good
innocent, and true; how was it, I won
dered dreanily, that I could not have
won wonaan's heart like hers? Were
the poor alone to possess ali the old
and faith, love and loy-
atty? Was there something IN life
OF luxury that sapped virtue at it's
root? Evidently early training had
little to do with after results, for had
not my wife been brought up among
an order of nuns renowned for sim
plicity and sanetity5 had not her own
father declared her to be 'sas pure as
a flower on the altar of the Madonna"
and yet the evil had been in her. and
nothing had eradicated it. for even re,