Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-30

d NOHlItH DtIOIe ueT MARRIAGE, SO long
as she does not trick us afterward.
| The letters you sent me were trifies,
mere trifies! In wedding the Contessa
ROmani | assure you l believe | secure
the most virtuous as well as the most
.ovely woman in Europe!" And l
laughed again heartily.
DAVencourt looked puzzled; but he
was q punctil1ous man, ana knew how
. steer clear Of a delicate subject.
He smiled.
"A la bonnie heure," ne said
wish you joy with all my heart! You
re the best judge of your own happi-
| ess; as for me-ViVe la G1berte!"
And with a gay parting salute he
| eft me. No one else in the city ap-
cared to share his foreboding scru-
les, if he had any. about my forthcom-
ng marriage. 1t was everywhere
alked of with as much interest and
Expectation as though it We're some
eW amusement invented to- heighten
he merriment of carnival. Among
Their things, [ earned the reputation of
eng a most impatient lover. Tor now
would consent to no delays. 7
hurried all the preparations on with
1eVer1sh precipitation. l had very 1it-
lie difficulty in persuadlng Nina that
ne sooner our wedding took place the
etter; she was to the full as eager as
lyseF, as ready to rush on her own
estfuctlon as Guido had been. Her
chef passion was aVartCe. and the re-
edted rumoTs Of my supposed fabu-
ICuS wealth had aroused ner greed
from the very moment she had first
met me in my assumed character Of
the Count Olivia. AS soon as her en-
gagement to me became known in Ma
pies, she was an object of envy to all
those OF her own sex who, during the
previous autumn, had laid out their
store OF destinations to entrap me in
FaIn-and this made hef perfectly
happy. Perhaps the supremest salts
faction d woman Of this sort can attain
to is the fact OF making her less for
tunate sisters disconnected and mis-
cradle! | loaaed her, Of course, with
the costliest gifts, and she, being the
sole mistress Of the fortune left her by
her late husband,' as well as of the
unfortunate Guido's money, set no
limits to her extravaganza. She Or
! Gered the most expensive and elabOr-
ate costumes; she was engaged morn
lIg after morning with dress-makers.
! tallorss and milliners, and she was sur
rounded by a certain favored set" of
/ female friends, for whose benefit she
displayed the incoming treasures OF
her wardrobe till they were ready to
cry Tor spite and vexation, though they
had to smile and hold in their wrath
and outraged vanity beneath the social
mask Of complacent composure And
Nina loveQ nothing better than to tor
ture the poor women who We're stinted
or pocket-money with the sight of
shlmmerlng satins, soft radiating
pushes, rich Velvets, embroidery
Studded with real gems, pieces of costly
Id lace, priceless scents, and articles
C blJouterie; she loved also to dazzle
he eyes and bewiIder the brains of
young girls, whose finest toilet was
earb Of simplest white stuff unadorned
ave by a cluster of natural blossoms.
ana to send them away sick at heart
lnlng for they knew not what, dis
satisfied with everything, and grum-
ling at fate for not permitting them
to deck themselves in such marvellous
arrangements" OF costumes as those
possessed by the happy, the fortunate
future Countess Olivia.
Poor maidens! had they but known
i all they would not have envied her?
Women are too fond of measuring hap
! plness by the amount of fine clothes
they obtain, and l truly believe dress
is the one thing that never fails to con
| sole them. How often fit of hyster-
les can be cut short by the opportune
arrival of a new gown.
My wife, in consideration of her ap
preaching second nuptials, had thrown
j off her widows crane, and now ap-
/ peared clad in those soft subdued half
tints Of color that suited her fragile,
fairy-ike beauty to perfection. All
+ her old witcheries and her graceful
tricks of manner and speech were put
forth again for my benefit. I knew
them all so well! l understood the
value Of her light caresses and Ian
gushing looks so thoroughly! She
was very anxious to attain the full
dignity Of her position as the wife of
so rich a nobleman as l was reputed
! to be, therefore she raised no objec-
! ton when | fixed the day Of our mar
riage for Giovedi Grasso. Then the
fooling and mumming, the dancing,
shrieking, and screaming would be at
its height; it pleased my whim to have
this other piece Of excellent masquer-
aiding take place at the same time.
! The wedding was to be as private as
possible, owing to my wife's recent
sad bereavements," as she herself
said with a pretty sigh and fearful,
pleading glance. 1t would take place
in the chapel Of San Gennaro, adjoin-
ing the cathedral. We were married
there before! During the time that in
tervened, Nina's manner was somewhat
singular. To me she was often timid,
ana sometimes half cOnciliatOry. Now
and then | caught her large dark eyes
! fixed on me with q startled, anxious
look, but this expression soon passed
away. She was subject, too, to wild
fits of merriment, and anon to moo0s
Of absorbed and gloomy silence.
could plainly see that she was strung
uD to an extreme pitch OF nervous eX-