Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-02-10
last foreverl And--is it not strange.
i did not know was beautiful till
tCnight"

Anu ne Is 100 none 10 say what is not
true so must be la piu bella don
celia, as he said, must / not?"
! touched the snow-drops that she
wore in white cluster at her breast
Look at your flowers, child" l
said. earnestly. See how they begin
TO droop in this heated air. The poor
things! How glad they would feel
could they again grow in the cool wet
moss of the woodlands, waving their
little bells, to the wholesome fresh
wind, Would they revive now, think
YOU, for your great Prince de Majano
.if he told them they were fair? So
with your life and heart, little oDe-
pass them through the seorching fire
of flattery, and their purity must
wither even as these fragile blossoms.
And as for beauty-are you more
beautiful than she?'
And ! pointed slightly to my wife,
who was at that moment courtesy
ing to her partner in the stately
formality of the first quadrille.
My young companion looked, and
her clear eyes darkened enviously.
"Ah, no, no! But if wore such lace
and satin and pearls, and had such
jewels. | might perhaps be more like
her,"
sighed bitterly. The poison had
already entered this child's soul /
spoke brusquely,
Pray that you may never be like
her. | said, with somber sternness,
and not needing her look of astonish
ment. You are young-you cannot
! yet have thrown off religion. Well
when you go home tonight, and kneel
beside your little bed, made holy by
blessing-pray-pra With all your
strength that you may never resemble
in the smallest degree that exquisite
woman yonder! So may you be spared
her fate
| paused, for the girls eyes were
dilated in extreme wonder and fear.
looked at her, and laughed abruptly
and harshly.
Il forgot" | said; "the lady is my
wife-I should have thought of that!
! was speaking Of another whom you
do not know. Pardon mel when am
fattgued my memCry wanders. Pay
no attention to my foolish remarks.
Enjoy yourself, my child, but do not
believe all the pretty sreeches of the
Prince de Majano A rivederci!"
And smiling a forced smile | left
her and mingled with the crowd of my
guests, greeting one here, another
there, jesting lightly, paying unmean-
ing compliments to the women who
expected them, and striving to dis
tract my thoughts with the senseless
laughter and foolish chatter Of the
glittering cluster OF society butter
flies, all the while desperately count
ing the tedious minutes, and wonder
ing whether my patience, so long
on the rack, would last out its des-
tined time. AS | made my way through
the brilliant assemblage, Luciano
Salustri, the poet, greeted me with
grave smile.
Il have had little time to congrat-
ulate you, conte," he said, in those
melliiluous accents of his which were
like his own improvised music, but
II assure you do so with all my
heart. Even in my most fantastic
dream | have never pictured fairer
heroine of life's romance than the
lady who is now the Countess Olivia"
| silently bowed my thanks.
Il an of strange temperament,
SUPPOSE" he resumed Tonight this
rayishing scene of beauty and splendor
makes me sad at heart, | know not
why. 1t seems too brilliant, TOO daz-
Izling. / would as soon go home and
compose a dirge as anything"
| laughed satrically.
why not do it?" ! said "You are
rot the first person who, being pres
ent at a marriage has, with perverse
incongruity, meditated on funeral!"
A wistful look came into his brill
liant poetic eyes.
Il have thought once or twice."
ne ItludI htu III Il low LOUe, OI lDdt
misguided young man Ferrari. A
pity, was it rot, that the quarrel
occurred between you"
"A pity indeed" | replied, brusque-
ly. Then taking him by the arm |
turned him around so that he faced
my wife. who was standing not far
off But look at the-the angel
have married. Is she not a fair cause
for a dispute even unto death? Fly
on thee, Luziano!-why think of
Ferrari? He is not the first man who
has been killed for the sake of wo-
man. nor will he be the last"
Salustri shrugged his shoulders. and
was silent for minute or two Then
he added with his own bright smile.
Still, MIC, It would have been
much better If it had ended in coffee
and cognac Myself, ! would rather
shoot man with an epigram than
a leaden bullet By the by, do you