Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-09-02

'DOat NaS SNNa1 "a II past hSlDHIlcSSt
rocked in the air as though it were
about to fall. A choking sensation af-
fected my throat. Even the sternest
men shed tears sometimes. Such tears
too! wrung like drops of blood from
the heart. And IL could have wept
thus. Oh, the dear old home, and
how fair and yet how sad it seemed
TO my anguished gaze! 1t should have
been in ruins surely-broken and cast
down in the dust like its masters
peace and honor. Its master, did |
say? Who was its maste ? Involun-
tarily | glanced at FerraIi, who stood
beside me Not he-not he; by Heaven
he should never be master! But where
was my authority | came to the place
% a stranger and an alien. The starry
ing beggar who knows not where to
lay his head has no emptier or more
desolate heart than / had as | looked
wistfully On the home which was
mine before | died! | noticed some
slight changes here and there; for in
stance, my deep easy-chair that had
always occupied one particular corner
of the veranda was gone; a little tame
bird that | had loved, whose cage used
to hang up among the white les on
80 wall, was also gone. My cid but
'er, the servant who admitted Fer
rari and myself within the gates, haC
an expression of wearine and injury
@ his aged features which he had no.
WCrn in my time, and witch | was
sorry to see. And my deg, the noble
black Scotch colly, what had become
of him, | wondered? He had been
presented to me by a young Highlander
WI, had passed one winter with ne
in Rome, and who, on retr cling to his
native mountains, had S>1t me the
deg, a noble specimen OF its kind, as
a souvenir of our friendly intercourse.
Poor Wyvis! | thought. Had they
made away with him? Formerly he
had always been visible about the gar
den or house; his favorita place was
on the lowest veTanda step, where he
loved to bask in the heat of the sun,
and now he was nowhere visible. !
was mutely indignant at his disappear
alec, but ! kept strict watch over my
feelings and remembered in time the
part | had to play.
Welcome to Villa Romani!" so said
my wife. Then, remarking my silence
as | looked about me, she added, with
a pretty coaxing air:
Il am afraid after all you are sorry
you have come to see mel"
| smiled. 1t served my purpose now
to be as gallant and agreeable as
could; therefore | answered:
sorry, madame? If | were, then
should | be the most u%ngrateful of al
men! Was Dante sorry, think you
when he was permitted to behold
Paradise ?"
She blushed; her eyes dropped softly
under their long curling lashes. Fer
rari frowned impatiently-but was
silent. She led the way into the house
into the lofty cool drawing-room.
whose wide windows opened out &c
the garden. Here all was the same as
! ever with the exception of one thing
a marble bust of myself as a boy had
been removed. The grand piano was
open, the mandolin lay on a side
beard, looking as though it had been
recently used; there were fresh flowers
and ferns in all the tall Venetian glass
vases. ! seated myself and remarked
on the beauty of the house and its
surroundings.
Il remember it very WELL" l added,
quietly.
You remember it," exclaimed Fer
rari. quickly, as though surprised.
Certainly. l omitted to tell you,
my friend, that | used to visit this
spot often when a boy. The elder
Conte Romani and myself played about
these grounds together. The scene is
quite familiar to me-"
Nina listened with an appearance of
interest.
Did you ever see my late h%usband?'
she asked.
once" | answered her, ~grayely
He was a mere child at the time,
and. as far as | could discern, a very
promising me. His father seemed
greatly attached 10 him. | knew his
mother also"
Indeed" she exclaimed, settling
herself on a low ottoman and fixing
her eyes upon me; what was she
like?"
| paused a moment before replying
Could / speak Of that unstained sacred
life Of wifehood and motherhood To
this polluted though lovely creature?
She was a beautiful woman uncon-
scious Of her beauty ! answered at
last. There, all is said. Her sole
aim seemed 10 be TO forget herself
in making Others happy, and to sur
r,una her home with an atmosphere
az goodness and virtue. She died
very young
Ferrari glanced at me with an evil
81 Ger In his eyes.
THAT was fortunate, he said. "She