Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-01-20

rose from my sent beside her |
could not answer for my own COM
posture while sitting so close to the
actual murderess of my friend and
her lover. Had she forgotten her
own familiar" treatment OF the dead
mantle thousand nameless wiles
and witcheries and tricks OF her trade
by which she rad beguiled his soul
and ruined his honor?
Il am glad you are satisfied with my
cotton in that affair."" | said, coldly
and steadily. Il myself regret the
death of the unfortunate young man,
and shall continue to do so. My
nature, unhappiy, is an oversensitive
one. and is apt to be affected by
trifies. But now, mia bella, farewell
until tomorrow happy tomorrow
when l shall call you mine indeed"
A warm flush tinted her cheeks; she
came to me where | stood, and
leaned against me.
Shall | not see you again till we
meet in the church," she inquired,
with becoming bashfulness.
NO. | will leave you this last day
of your brief widowbcod alone. 1t is
not well that ! should obtrude myself
upon your thughts or prayers. Stay!"
and l caught her hand and toyed with
the flower in my button-hole. 81 see
you sdll wear your former wedding
ring. May l take it off?"
Certainly" And she smiled while
l deftly drew off the plain gold circlet
had place there nearly four years
since.
viii you let me keep it?"
IF you like. l would rather not
see it again
You shall not" answered, as /
slipped it into my pocket
1t Will be replaced by new one
tCmorrow-one that | hope may be
the symbol of more joy to you than
this has been"
And as her eyes turned to my face
in all their melting, perfidious Ian
guor, | conquered my hatred of her by
a strong effort, and stopped and
kissed her Had | yielded to my real
impulses ] would have crushed her
cruelty in my arms, and bruised her
delicate flesh with the brutal ferocity
of caresses born of bitterest loathing,
not love. But no sign Of my aver
sion escaped me-all she saw was her
elderly looking admirer with his
smile, and almost parental tender
ness; and she judged him merely as
calmly courteous demeanor, chill
in influential gentleman of good
position and unlimited income, who
was about to make her one of the
most envied women in all Italy.
The fugitive resemblance she traced
in me to her dead" husband was
certainly attributed by her to purely
accidental likeness common to many
persons in this world, where every
man, they say, has his double, and
for that matter every woman also.
Who does not remember the touching
surprise of Heinrich Heine when, on
visiting the picture gallery Of the
Palazzo Durazzo in Genoa, he was
brought face to face with the portrait,
as he thought, Of dead woman ne
had loved-"M Maria la morte." 1t mat
tered not to him that the picture was
very old, that it had been painted
by Giorgio Barbareli centuries before
his Maria" could have lived; he
simply declares: III est vraiment d
une resemblance admirable, ressem-
blant jusqu' au silence de la mort!
Such likenesses are common enough,
and my wife, though my resemblance
to myself troubled her a little, was
very far from imagining the real
truth Of the matter, as indeed how
should she? What woman, believing
and knowing, as far as anything can
be known, her husband to be dead
and fast buried, is likely to accept
even the idea Of his possible escape
from the tomb Net one!"-else the
d;sconsolate widows would indeed have
reason TO be more incOnsolable than
they appear!
When | left her that morning |
found Andrea Luziani waiting for me
at my hotel He was seated in the
outer entrance rail; ! babe him fol-
low me into my private salon. He did
so. Abashed at the mSgnifitenc or
the apartment, he paused at the door
way. and stood. red cap in hand, hesi-
tating. though with an am'able smile
on his sunLurued merry counte-
nance.
Come in, AMIGO, l said, with an
inviting gesture, land sit down All
this tawdry show Of velvet and gid
ing must seem common TO your eyes,
that have rested 50 long on the sparkl-
ing pomp Of the foaming waves. the
glorious blue cGrtain o. the sky and
the sheeny white Ct the sails Of the
Laura cleaning In the gold Of the
sun. Would l could live such a life
as yours. Andrea,-there is nothing