Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-08-26

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the wound of one so young and beau
tiful as you are. Person ally speaking,
| much regret your husbands death,
but would entreat you not TO give
was to grief, which, however sincere,
must u%nhappily be useless. Your life
lies before you-and may happy days
and as fair q future await you as you
deserved"
She smiled, her ~tear-drops vanished
like morning dew disappearing in the
heat.
Il thank you for your good wishes,
oonte," she said; but it rests with you
to commence my happy days by honor
ing me with a visit. You will come,
Will you not? My house and all that
it contains are at your service"
| hesitated. Ferrari looked amused.
Madame is not aware of your dis
like to the society of ladies. conte,' he
said, and there was a touch of mockary
IN his OF | glanced at him coldly,
and addressed my answer to my wife.
'Signor Ferrari is perfectly right"
| said, bending over her and speaking
in a low tone: Il am often |ungallant
enough to avoid the society of mere
women, but, alas! | have no armor of
defense against the smile of an angel"
And | bowed with a deep ard courtly
reverence. Her face brightened-she
adored her own loneliness, and the de-
sire of conquest awoke in her imme-
diately. She took a glass of wine from
my hand with a languid grace, and
fixed her glorious eyes fun on me with
a smile.
THAT is a very pretty speech" she
said, sweetly. and it means, of course,
that you VIII come tomorrow. Angels
exact obedience! Gut, l mean Signor
Felrari, you Will accompany he conte
and show him the way to the villa?'
t'errari bent his head with some
stiffness. He looked slightly sullen.
Il am glad to see" he observed, with
some Ietulance, thar your persua-
sions have carried more conviction to
the Conte Olivia than mine. To me he
was apparently intiexible."
She laughed gayly. "Of course, 1t is
only a weman who can always win her
own way-am | not right, conte?" And
she glanced up at me with an arch ex-
preston of mingled mirth and malice.
What a love of niechief she had! She
saw that Guido was piqued, and she
took intense delight in teasing him
still further.
Il cannot tell, madam | answered
her. II know so little of your charm
ing sex that | need to be instructed.
But | instinctively feel that you must
be right, whatever you say. Your
eyes would onvert an infidel!"
Again she looked at me with one OF
those wonderfully brilliant. seductive,
arrowy g~lances-then she rose to take
her leave.
can angels visit truly" | said,
lightly, sweet, but brief"
I'VE shall meet tomorrow" she re-
piled, smiling. Il consider l have your
promise; you must not fan me! Come
as early IS you like in the afternoon,
then you viii see my little sri Stella.
She is very like poor Fabio. Till to-
morrow, adieu!"
She extended her hand. | raised 1t
to my lips, She smiled as she with
drew it, and looking at me, or rather
at the glasses l wore, she inquired:
you suffer with your eyes,"
"Ah, madame, a terrible infirmity,
| cannot endure the light. But |
should not complaint is a weakness
common to age"
You do not seem to be old" she
said, thoughtfully. With a woman's
quick eye she had noted, l suppose,
the u%nwrinkled smoothness of my skin,
which no disguise could alter. But |
exclaimed with affected surprise:
Not old! With these white hairsl"
Many young men have them" she
said. AT any rate, they often accom-
pany middle age, or what is called the
prime of life. And really, in your
case, they are very becoming"
And with a courteous gesture of
farewell she moved TO leave the room.
Both Ferrari and myself FASTENED to
escort her downstairs to her carriage,
which stood in waiting at the door
the very carriage and pair of chest
nut ponies which | myself had given
her as a birthday present. Ferrari
offered to assist her in mounting the
step of the vehicle; she put his arm
aside with a light testing word and
accepted mine instead. / helped her
in. and arranged her embroidered
wraps about her feet, and she nodded
gayly TO US both as we stood bare
beaded in the afternoon sunlight
watching her departure The horses
started at a brisk canter, and in couple
OF minutes the dainty equipage was
out of sight. When nothing more OF
II could be seen than the cloud OF dust
stirred up by its rolling wheels, /
turned to look at my companion. His
face was stern, and his brows were
arawn together in a frown. Stung al