Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-02

fresh voices of children singing in the
next room:
D'ou Went lie petit Gesu?
&c joli bouton lie rose
Qui feurit, enfant cheri
Sur lie occur de notre mere Marie. y
Then came a soft rustic Of silken
garments, the door opened, and my
wife entered
CHAPTER XVII.
She approached with her usual
panther-like grace and supple move
ment, her red lips parted in charm
ing smile.
so good of you to comet" she be-
gan, holding out her two hands as
though she invited an embrace; land
on Christmas morning tool" She
paused, and seeing that l did not move
or speak, she regarded me with some
alarm. What is the matter?'' she
asked, in fainter tones; has anything
happened?"
| looked at her. | saw that she was
full of sudden fear. | made no at
tempt to soothe her, l merely placed
chair.
Sit down." l said, gravely. L am
the bearer of bad news
She sunk into the chair as though
unnerved, and gazed at me with terri
fed eyes. She trembled Watching
her keenly, l observed all these out
ward signs of trepidation with deep
satisfaction. l saw plainly what was
passing in her mind. A great dread
had seized her-the dread that | had
found out her treachery. So indeed
l had, but the time had not yet come
for her to know it. Meanwhile she
suffered suffered acutely with that
gnawing terror ana suspense eating
into her soul. [ said nothing. 1
waited for her to speak. After a pause,
during which her cheeks had lost
their delicate bloom, she said, forcing
a smile as she spoke
Bad news? You surprise me! What
can it be? Some unpleasantness with
Guido? Have you seen him."
Il have seen him. | answered, in
the same formal and serious tone; Il
have just left him. He sends you
this" and | held out my diamond ring
that | had drawn off the dead mans
finger.
If she had been pale before, she grew
paler now. All the brilliancy of her
complexion faded for the moment into
awful haggardness. She took the ring
with fingers that shook visibly and
were icy cold. There was no attempt
at smiling now. She drew a sharp
quick breath; she thought L knew all.
was again silent She looked at the
diamond signet with a bewildered air.
Il do not understand" she muir
INJURED, petulantly. Il gave him this
as a remembrance of his friend, my
husband; why does he return it?''
Self-tortured criminal! I studied her
with a dark amusement, but answered
nothing. Suddenly she looked up at
me and her eyes filed with tears.
why are you SO cold and strange,
Cesare?" she pleaded, in sort of
plaintive whimper. DO not stand
there ike d SlOOHy SSuUluel, KISS U6
and tell me at once what has hap
pened."
Kiss her! So soon after kissing
the dead hand of her loveri No, I
could not and would not. [ remained
standing where l was, infiexibly silent.
She glanced at me again, very timidly,
and whimpered afresh.
"Ah, you do not love mel" she
murmured. You could not be so stern
and silent if you loved me! If there
is indeed any bad news, you Q light to
break it to me gently and ki dly. [
thought you would always make
everything easy for me-
Such has been my deavor,
madame l said, interrupting her
complaint. From your own state
ment, | judged that your adopted
brother Guido Ferrari had rendered
himself obnoxious to you. l promised
that I would silence him-you remem-
ber!-I have kept my word. He is
silenced-foreyeri"
She started.
To be Continued.