Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-02-10

| clear-toned bells broken through by
the singing of birds My heart beat
furiously, by brain reeled, my senses
swan as | felt my wife's warm breath
on my cheek; clasped her little
gloved hand more firmly. She felt
the double pressure, and, lifting her
white eyelids fringed with those
long dark lashes that gave such a
sleepy witchery to her eyes, her lips
parted in a smile.
''At last you love me!p she whis-
pered.
AT last, at last" | muttered, scarce
/ knowing what / said. Had | not loved
you at first, bellisima, | should not
have been to you what | am tonight"
low ripple of laughter was her
response.
Il knew it," she murmured again,
half breathlessly, as | drew her with
swifter and more voluptuous motion
into the vortex of the dancers. You
tried to be cold, but | knew could
make you love me-yes, love me pas
sionately-and | was right" Then
with an outburst of triumphant vanity
she added, II believe you would die
! for me-
I bent over her more closely. My
hot quick breath moved the feathery
gold of her hair.
81 have died for you | said; Il
have killed my old self for your sake"
Dancing still, encircling by my
arms, and gliding along like a sea-
nymph ON moonlighted foam, she
sighed restlessly.
Tell me what you mean, amor
mio," she asked, in the tenderest tone
in the world.
All, God! that tender seductive ca
dence of her voice, how well | knew
it!--how often had it lured away my
strength, as the tabled sirens song
! had been used to wreck the listening
mariner
Il mean that you have changed me,
sweetest" | whispered, in fierce, hur-
ried accents. II have seemed old-for
you tonight / will be young again
| for YOU my chilled slow blood shall
again be hot and quick as laya--for
you my long-buried past shall rise in
all its pristine vigor; for you | will be
a lover, such as perhaps no woman
ever had or ever VIII have againl'
She heard, and nestled closer to me
in the dance. My words pleased her.
Next to her worship of wealth her de-
light was to arouse the passions of
men. She was very panther-like in
her nature-her first tendency was to
devour, her next TO gambol with any
animal she met, though her sleek,
swift playfulness might mean death
She was by no means exceptional in
this; there are many women like her.
| AS the music of the waltz grew
slower and slower, dropping down to
a sweet and persuasive conclusion,
led my wife to her fauteuil. and re-
signed her to the care of a distinguish
ed Roman prince who was her next
! partner. Then unobseryed, | slipped
out to make inquiries concerning Vim
cenzo He had gone; one of the
walters at the hotel, a friend of his,
| had accompanied him and seen him
into the train for Avellino. He had
| looked in at the ballroom before
leaving, and had watched me stand
up to dance with my wife, then with
4 tears in his eyes said the vivaci-
Gus little waiter who had just re-
turned from the station-he had
I started without daring to wish me
goodbye.
/ l heard this information OF course
with an apparent kindly indifference,
/ but in my heart ! felt sudden va
cancy drear, strange loneliness.
With my faithful servant near me /
had felt conscious Of the presence Of
a friend, for friend he was in his
own humble, unobtrusive fashion; but
now | was alone-alone in a loneli-
ness beyond all conceivable COMPARE
/ son-alone to do my work, without
prevention or detection. | felt, as IL
were, isolated from humanity, set
/ apart with my victim on some dim
point Of time, from which the rest OF
] Tie NbIlu ltCtNNui hitIS Nut Stii tli~
/ ing eye Of the Creator alone could be-
hold me Only she and | and God
these three were all that existed for
me in the universe; between these
three must justice be fulfilled.
Musingly, with downcast eyes, re-
turned to the ballroom. At the door
young girl faced me-she was the
only daughter of a great Neapolitan
house, Dressed in pure white. as all
such maidens are, with a crown OF
snow lrops on her duEky hair, and
her dimpled face lighted with laugh
/ ter, she looked the very embodiment
of early spring She addressed me
somewhat timidly yet with all a
/ child's frankness.
rs not this delightful? feel as
If l were In fairy-landi Do you know
/ this is my first ball?"
| smiled YEARLY.