Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-12-16

that miserable one-the murderer |
came to me-lhe offered marriage. / !
accused him Of his crime---he denied 1t !
he said the rock slipped from his |
hands. ne knew net how | struck |
him on the mouth and babe him leave !
my sight and take my curse WIFI MIN.
He Is dead now-and surely II the
s,fnts have heard me, his soul is not
in heaven
Thus she spoke, with flashing eyes
ard purposeful energy, while with her
strong arms she threw open the wide
easement Of the sitting-room had
taken, and babe me view her orchard.
1t was fresh green strip of verdure
and foliage about eight acres Of good
land planted entirely with dTpie-trees
yes truly" she said showing her
white teeth in a pleasing smile as
made the admiring remark she ex-
pac,ed. "Avellino has long had name
1 for It's appes-but, thanks to the Holy
| Mother. think in the season there IS
no fruit in all the neighborhood inner
THAN mine. The produce OF 1t brings
me almost enough to live upon-that
ond the house, when t can find slgnoi
w,Ili,a TO dwell with me. But few
strangers come hitler; sometimes an
Iartisi. sometimes a poet-such as
these are soon tired Of gayety and
ARE glad to rest To common persons
| I would not open my door-not for
pride all. no! but when one has
girl, one cannot be too careful.
You have a daughter. them
Her fierce eyes softened.
-One-my Lila | call her my bless
| ing and too good for me. OFTEN |
/ fancy that it is because she tends
them that the trees bear so well, and
the apples are 50 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 | had no fair faith left
Il 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 solcitude that touched while
II gratified me. I had been fully three
DAYS in my retreat before he ventured
1 TO enter upon any conversation with
I me, for he had observed that always
sought TO be alone that | 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
my light luncheon, he fingered in the
room.
THE eccellenza has not yet seen
Lila MONTE" he asked, hesitatingly'
] looked at him in some surprise,
There was a blush on his olive-tinted
cheeks and an unusual sparkle in his
eyes. For the first time ! realized
that his valet of mine was a handsome
young fellow
Seen Lila Month" / repeated, half
atsently; ooh, you mean the child of
the lan1lady? No. | have not seen
her Why do you ask?'
Vincenzo smiled, Pardon, eccel-
Ilenzal but she is beautiful, and there
lis a saying in my province; BE the
neart heavy as stone the sight of
fair face will tighten it,"
| gave an impatient gesture. "All
folly, Vinceuzo Beauty is the curse
of the world Read history, and you
shall find the greatest conQuerors and
sages ruined and disgraced by its
snares."
lie nodded gravely. He probably
thought OF ,iio announcement / had
made at the banquet Of my own APP
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 merely said:
mo doubt you are right, eccellenza.
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
20 see Lila Month"
] turned round in my chair to oh
serve him more closely the flush
deepened on his cheek as | regarded
him | laughed with a bitter sadness
In love, AMIGO, art thou? So soon!
three days-and thou hast fallen a
prey to the smile of Lila! am sorry
for thee!'
He interrupted me eagerly
"The eccelenza is in error! l would
mot dare she is too inn0cent-she
knows nothing! She is like little
bird in the nest, so soft and tender