Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-07-15

close to his breast and held her there
as in wise. His face was infamed
with passion
| Look you, Nina" he said, hoarsely
'you shall not fool me, by Heaven,
you shall not! 1 have endured enough
at your hands, God knows, When l
saw you for the first time on the day
OF your marriage with that poor fool,
Fabic-I loved you, madly-ay,
Wickedly as I then thought, but not
tor the sin of it did l repent. l knew
you were woman, not argel, and |
waited my time. 1t camel sought
you'll told you my story of love ere
three months of welded life had
| passed over your head. l found you
W1lllng-ready-na eager to hear
me! You led me on; you know you
did! You tempted NE by touch, word
and look; you gave me all I sought
| Why try to excuse it now? You are
as much my wife as ever you were
FabiO's-nay-you are more SC, fer
you love meat least you say so-and
though you lied to your husband, you
ltare not lie to me. l tell you, you dare
mot! [ never pititd Fabio, never-he
was too easily duped, and a married
man has no right to be otherwise than
suspicious and ever on his guard; if he
relaXes in his vigilance e has only
himself to blame when his honor is
flung like a ball from hand to hand,
as one plays with child's toy. I re-
peat to you, Nina, you are mine, and
l swear you shall never escape mel"
| The impetuous words coursed rapid
| ~ from his lips, and his deep musical
voice had defiant ring as it fell on
| the stiffness of the evening air. l
smiled bitterly as I heard! She strug-
gled in his arms half angrily.
Let me CO." she said. "You are
rough, you burt mel"
He released her instantly. The
violence Of his embrace had crushed
the rose she wore, and it's crimson
leaves f1uttered slowly down one by
one on the ground at her feet. Her
eyes flashed resentfulIy, and an i'm
patient froWn contracted her fair level
silence, the silence Of a cold disdain.
Something of her attitude panied him,
for he sprung forward and caught her
hand, covering it with kisses.
Forgive me, carina mia," he cried
Irepentantly. q did not mean to re-
proach you. You cannot help being
beautiful-it is the fault of God or the
devil that you are SO and that your
beauty maddens mel You are the
heart of my heart, the soul of my souIi
Oh, Nina mia, let us not waste words
III useless anger. Think of it, we are
Ifree-freei Free to make life a long
dream Of delight-delight more per-
feet than angels can know! The
greatest blessing that could have be-
fallen us is the death of Fabio, and
now that we are all in all to each
other, do not harden yourself against
ne! Nina, be gentle with me--of all
things in the world, surely love is
| hest!"
She smiled, with the pretty superior
smile of young empress pardoning
a recreant subject, and suffering him
| to draw her again, but with more
gentleness, into his embrace. She put
| up her lips to meet his-I looked on
! like a man in dream! I saw them
! cling together-each kiss they eX-
changed was a fresh stab to my tor
| tured soul.
you are so foolish, Guido mio," she
pouted, passing her little jeweled fin
gers through his clustering hair with a
| light caress-"sO impetuOus-sO jeai-
Gus! I have told you over and over
again that [ love you!-Do you not
remember that night when Fabio sat on
| the balcony reading his Plato, poor
| Where she laughed musically-
land we were trying over some songs
in the drawing-room-did I not say
then that I loved you best of any one
i'll the world? You know I did! Guido
smiled, and stroked her shining golden
curls.
"I am satisfied he said, without any
trace of his former heated Impotence
perfectly satisfied. But do not e2,-
ipect to find love without jealousy.
Fabio was never Jealous know he
trusted you too implicitly-he was
nothing of a lover, believe me! He
thought more of himself than Of you
A man who will go away for days at
time on solitary yachting and randi
| ing excursions, leaving his wife to her
own devices-a man who reads Plato
in preference to looking after her, de-
cides his own fate, and deserves to be
ranked with those so-called wise but
most ignorant philosophers to whom
Woman has always remained an I'M
guessed riddle. AS for mel am
jealous of the ground you tread upon
of the air that touches you'll was
jealous of Fabio while he lived-and
by Heaven!"-his eyes darkened
with somber warth-''if any other man
me, I would not rest till his body had
served my sword as a sheath"
Nina raised her head from his
breast with an air of petulant weari-
ness.
"AgaiQ!" she murmured, reproach-
fully, you are going to be angry
again.
He kissed her.
} mot I, sweet one! I will be as gen.
| tie as you wish, so long as you love
me and only me. Come-this avenue
| is damp and chilly for you-shall we
go in?"
My wife-nay, 1 should say our wife,