Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-07-15

jealous of the ground you tread upon
of the air that touches you'll was
jealous of Fabio while he lived-and
by Heaven! Ibis eyes darkened
with somber warth-"if any other man
dared now to dispute your love with
me. | 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.
"Again! she murmured, reproach-
fully, you are going to be angry
againi"
He kissed her
Not |, sweet one, | 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, | should say our wife,
as We had both shared her impartial
favors-assented With arms inter
laced and walking slowly they began
to retrace their steps toward the house
Once they paused.
no YOU hear the nightingales? ?"
asked Guido
Hear them? Who could not hear
them? i shower of melody rained
from The trees OIL every side-the pure
sweet, passionate tones pierced the ear
like the repeated chime of little golden
bells the beautiful, the tender, the
IGCd-inspird birds sung their love
stories simply and with perfect rapt-
lure love stories untafnted by hypoc-
Irisy- by crime-diiferent,
oh, so very different from the love
stories of selfish humanity. The eX-
quisite poetic dyl of a birds life and
Ilove--is it not Q thing TO put us in
feriOr creatures to shame, for are we
ever as true to our VOWS as the lark
to his mate;-a we as sincere in our
thanksgivings for the sunlight as the
merry robin who sings as blithely IN
the winter snow as in the flower-filled
mornings Of spring? Nay-nct we!
Our existence is but che long impotent
protest against God combined With an
insatiate desire to get the better OF
one another in the struggle for base
coin
Nina listened and shiyered, draw
ing her light scarf more closely about
her shoulders.
Il hate them!" she said, pettishlyi
their noise is enough to pierce ones
ears. And he used TO be so fond of
them; he used to sing-what was it2
I'll salute. Rosignuolo.
Mel tue duolo, ii salute!
Sci L amante della rosa
Che morendo 81 ia sposa!'
Her rich voice rippled ont on the
air rivaling the songs of the night
ingales themselves. She broke off
1 with tttrie laugh
Poor Fabo, there was always a
false note somewhere when he sung.
Come Guidol"
And they paced on quietly, as though
their conscience were clear-as though
re just reribution logged their steps
las though no shadow of a terrible
Vengeance doomed in the heaven of
their pilrered happiness, | watched
them steadily as they disappeared in
the distance stretched my head
eagerly out from between the dark
nougns and gazed after their retreat
ling figures till the last glimmer Of
my wifes white robe had vanished
behind the thick foliage They were
gone-they would return no more
that night.
/ sprung out from nay hiding-place
stood on the spot where they had
stood tried to bring home to my
self the actual truth of what had
witnessed. My brain whired-circles
.of light swan giddily before me in
.the aiI-the moon looked blood-red.
The solid earth seemed unsteady be-
meath my teet-almOst / doubted
whether | was indeed alive or whether
was not rather the wretchcd ghost
of my past self, doomed to return from
the grave to look helpIessiy upon the
loss and ruin Of al the fair, once
precious things OF by-gone days. The
splendid universe around me seemed
mo more upheld by the hand Of Cod
mo more a majestic marvel; 1t was TO
me but an inflated bubble Of empti-
.uess-a mere ball for devils to kick
land spurn through space! Oh what
avail these twinkltng stars-these
stately leaf-laden trees these cups OF
fragrance we know as howeIS--this
round wonder of the eyes called
Nature? of what avail was God him
self / wildly unused, since even lie
could not keep one woman true? she
whom I loved-she as delicate OF form,
las angel-like in face, as the child-brlde
of Christ. St Agnes She even she,
was what? A thing lower than the
beasts. thing as vile as the yilest
wretch in female form that sells her
Iaelf for & gold pieco-a thing great
Heaven for all men to despise and
make light of-for the finger of Scorn
TO point out--for the foul kissing
tongue of Scandal to mock at! This
Icreature was my wife-the mother OF
my child-sue had cast mud or her