The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-17

The charcoal" she said. They stab her
20 the heart like knives"
NO. no. that would be wrong" said the
Doctor They are not yours 70 destroy.
Bring them 10 me. 1 Will Judge II they
be such as will do her no harm. OC
course. whatever news they bring she
must know it some time. but softly.
gently, by slow degrees"
Was 1t right 10 do this? Nerina was per-
picked. She always saw Ser Lilo respect
ed and listened 10 by the inhabitants. He
was n learned man who read and wrote
and held the keys Of the grave She was
poor. ignorant soul Could she dare put
her judgment against his? She was torn
In two by the doubt
Tut. tut said the doctor, impatient
after many a conflict with her. well.
XIII Madame Tina IL you like. woman.
lis for good service that she housed
you and fed YOU and taught you all these
years! Go TO. you wicked imbecile, Never
dare to summon me to your aid when
your lady shall lie a-dyinC"
BY such stinEs and threats OF crunI
speech he made her believe that she
would really cause the death OF her mis-
tress IT she let her learn, unprcpared. OF
the death or the imprisonment OF her
youngest boy.
i fear me It's no little thing that NIno
mas done. said the leech darkIy. IF he
lives still he hides for his life az oil ~
IDS do with price put out for him A.
aye, good lad. l know that. but rnisIad
and mistaken, and jailbird. l fear lika
so many of them nowadays. the Young
lunatics" '"4s
lie so wrought with such discourse uno,
Nerlna terror OF written messages tbat
ne Ilaue her feel that she no more dared
10 give her mistress letter or "A paper -
any Kind than she would dare Ia s,,i,e
the cheek OF the Virgin I'm the sbrir.
aboNe their doorway. When a letter a.
last came she met the pnstnlan midway -
the street, snatched IL from him. and btJ
IL under her apron. and ran with IL To tho
doctor. lie took IL inside his sbon y,,bors
she could not see what he did with II ord
reappeared afssr fifteen minutes. Tho H..
ter was closed, and 10 all appearance
was intact. -
IL Is good news. but news Of Gino" ba
said Gino was the eldest son. '.Talxo 9,
20 Madame. and. of course, you will nor
say word OF ne" -'''
The stout frame OF Nerina tror,b1o,,
She believed that he had read II ,,i,t,1.'.
opening II, by some occult mower r.
other letters came: but those v,era g.
distant relatives. There was notbinr. So.
Romanino They passed through the a.
tor deft fingers and Madame Tina W.,
never the wiser. ""'
~'''J ZINC htNdIle AFRAID TO he
eyes. Inc doctor had told her she ala
right In obeying him. but her consciencs
told her she did wrong Oi'Se
Inc summer months passed away and q,
became autumn, and still there was no
tidings of Romanino. ''O
one evening, when she was dra vyfnr. IN
water at the well on the rampant. - the
silence and cleaning, whilst the b,iis
tolled for vespers. a young man q
stranger, came out OF the thicket of laurel
and oleander and whispered timidIy, when
he was close 10 her ear:
Good woman, you are Nerina Taccari
the servant of Madame Caterina Loren
zetti, are you not?"
Nerina set ner fun pail with a cIanr IN
the parapet OF the well and answered
CURLY. looking askance at the unknov,,
questioner. that she was so.
Give her this when she IS alone" said
the youth, and slid note into her hands
and made off again toward the shelter Of
the laurels and oleanders.
stop cried Nerna. But he did No,
stop. and was lost To sight I'm the shadows
and foliage. The note remained I'm bo-
hand. She would have looked at dust.
adder with less terror 1T must tell us