The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1898-12-09
THE THIRD POPLAR.

AhO ody was COios AhO gay. ohy
promised the first December snow. Be.
tween one row and another of her en-
broidery Adriana thought what felicity
it was to sit in the warmth of this sew
ing room. In this elegant nest, prepared
by her Enrico, she realized all the love
that he had sworn for her.
The new apartment, full of bright
ness and charm, was her own. She was
at last Enrico's wife, the absolute queen
over this enchanting kingdom. She rose
from her seat, moved her feet over the
downy carpet, undertook pilgrimage
through this miniature world, which
had always been her dream and was
now her dearest reality. This solitary
journey had new attractions for her
these possessions appeared to her like a
prize. AS she went from one room to
another she came upon one where En-
rico wrote and studied. 1t was the first
time, after two months Of marriage,
that she had set foot in this elegant
room, which had an original look from
its artistic disorder. She entered here,
her heart touched. He was away from
home and was ignorant of what she was
thinking about him. No one, where he
was, could speak of her, but she felt his
presence in every minute particular,
from the delicate perfume of the cigar
clinging to the furniture even to the sill
yer paper cutter between the pages of a
book lying on the writing desk. Against
the wall, behind the sofa on which she
was sitting, hung a shield of plush,
crossed by band of rose colored silk.
On this band she had embroidered 9
spray of fo1getmenots. She had giveI
this to him when they were engaged,
and he had stuck their two photographs
in it. She stood moment to look at it,
rose ON the tips of her toes and kissed
his with her red lips. In the stove tht
| fire slumbered. What delicious atmos
phere this room had She seated her
self in the armchair in Enrico's place
and read with curiosity the titles of tht
books scattered on the mahogany writ
| ing desk. They were the masterpiece
of modern literature.
Here and there many sheets were Il
be seen covered with minute and ele
| CANT writing-his own writing. How
readily she recognized the long sen
tences in which he had written his pro
| testations of love. She glanced at shee
which contained few lines in the form
| of a note. There were three or fou
erasures. To whom could her Enric
| write? She would find out in minute
| She read:
| "Adored Amelia:
''The blessed hour is finally reache
when can whisper in your ears the mos
/ passionate words. My wife has no sus
| picion. Tomorrow, Friday, at in the aft
| ernoon, will meet you at the public gar
| dens. 1 will be waiting under the thir
| poplar tree to the left for you to come
| Farewell now. For me eternity com
/ mences from today. 1t will finish tomor
| row with your first kiss to your
WHO KNOWS?"
Ad1iana had finished reading it th
second time, but kept on reading, hole
ing her breath, pale as a corpse, wit
her eyes fixed on the Internal note
which she crumpled in her rigid hands
i Poor child! A spasmodic sob came frol
her throat. She threw herself on til
sofa in terrible fit of desperation. ]
her youthful mind, maddened wit
, grief, she made the most dreadful rest
lutions, but this was the one that can
uppermost:
To fly to her mother and weep, wee
forever on her bosom until death shoul
release her.
Suddenly she Gained herself. 81
read the horrid note attentively and i
these words escape her:
Tomorrow, Friday, at 4 o'clocl
, poplar to the left x but today
. Friday it is half past 8, bu
= then, there is barely time to go out al
learn the worst of my torture al
fly"
The gray clouds sifted down ii
snow. Adriana walked along under
icy caress. She was fatigued. The ga
dens were far off. The people hastenil
by turned to look at her. She saw on
the interminable street. Painting, W
with perspiration, covered with sno,
she finally reached the gardens. 81
entered-the third poplar to the lie
was there In front of the accursed tr
few bushes shivered in the wind. s.
hid behind one of them and waited wi
death in her heart.
Now the perspiration froze ON b
skin. The piercing cold made her shi
er. The snow fell faster and faster, al
coon the bare branches, the trunks, t
few leaves and the street were cover
with it, but Adriana did not notice t
snow nor pay any heed to her wea,
ness. Her beautiful blue eyes were fix
on the third poplar to the left, and S
blessed the abundant snow and the fu
Gus wind which permitted her to
there, quite alone, at the downfall
her love.
Four o'clock sounded, but she saw