Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-07-20
Continued.

after that. A hundred things nigh
happen. He would trust to fate an
fortune The present was alone wort
itself. That he might desert tn
young girl he had taken such pains t
win was just possible. The idea f1aShe
once or twice across his mind; but b
dismissed it, as he did every othe
thought, and dwelt only upon the hap
piness of winning the lovely, innocen
child, who trusted him so implicitly.
1t was this reckless, unprincipled
selfish man whom the poor girl in
trusted with her love and her life
At first the thought of a secret mar
riage was distasteful to the proud
high spirit. 1t was not so, she felt
that the last of the Monteleones should
be won; but he knew her generous ma
ture, and appealed to that. He dwell
upon the poetry and romance of theil
love, growing like a beautiful flower
in the shade, unlike the common vul
gar love that sought the light of day
He appealed to her generosity. She
was SO young, so child-like in hel
simplicity, she must be pardoned thai
she yielded to his fervent prayers, anC
promised to become his wife in secret
The count undertook all the ar
engagements. Inez bribed old Juanita
telling her she was going to spend g
long day out in the grounds. A car
riage stood waiting a short distance
down the road, and no one saw her as
she stole from her home
No one missed the lonely girl. Ca
terina sat all day in madame's room;
Nita, who was supposed to wait upon
the young lady, said nothing of her
absence. When she returned late in
the evening, with a pale, frightened
face no one saw her but Nita, who was
waiting for her; she kissed the trembl-
ing girl, and made her drink some
wine, telling her she had walked too
far, and must not go out alone again.
In her heart, the old servant deeply
pitied the solitary fate and lonely lot
of the signOrina.
Even while the glamour" lasted,
Inez never liked to remember that
day-the hurried flight, the half-con-
fused ceremony, that bound her for
ever to Rinaldo, the introduction to
her husbands friend, Luigi Carnello,
the hasty return. Even the passionate
thanks, the loving words, and tender
caresses of her husband, did not efface
these things from her mind. She
w 70 e 20
to remember that she had helped to
deceive Madame Monteleone. In after
years she could not endure to think
how she had been duped and betrayed
herself.
For six whole weeks, despite this
one shadow, her life was like a dream
Of romance. Her young husband
seemed day by day to adore her more
and more. They spent long and hap
by hours together in the orange
grove, where he had first told her OF
his love. He never ceased to thank
her for what he called her generous
sacrifice" Neither of them thought
much Of their future, or how their i'll
starred union would end.
For six weeks Inez drank deeply of
the cup of happiness. Day by day she
grew fonder of the handsome, kindly
man whose every word seemed like a
a caress. Only once did she ever ask
of the future, and then he told her
that, when all need of secrecy was
ended, he should go to Madame Mon
teleone, and claim his bride 1t was
easy for the skillful, accomplished
man of the world to deceive that in
nocent child, and make everything
plausible to her.
Never in his life was the Count
Rinaldo constant to any one so Ions
as to his wife. Had she been rich
he would perhaps never have tired o.
her. AS it was, when the first wilC
infatuation began to wear off, and the
future looked him in the face, he sale
to himself that he had done rash
and foolish deed; yet he never Wa:
anything but kind and gentle to her
he never relaxed in his visits, or SPOKE
less tenderly to her.
But difficulties began to press upoI
him. In his first eager pursuit 0
Donna Maria he had involved himsel
largely in debt While all his thought
and energies were bent upon winnin!
Inez he had done the same, and nov
creditors began to press him on al
sides While he had continued hi
wooing of the heiress they were no
anxious; but now that rumor said h
had ceased his attentions, they bega
to dread losing their money. 1t wa
not pleasant, whenever he returne
from his beautiful young wife, to fin
his table strewn with bills and clamor
Gus demands for payment.
One evening among his papers b
found an invitation from the father c
Donna Maria to a grand fete to b
given at his house. Rightly cor
occurring that the lady herself mus
have been the originator of the inv
tation, he accepted it. Donna Mari
received him kindly, and told him thi
ate was given as a farewell to a
heir friends in Seville. They we1
going to live at Madrid: and it We
possible, the lady added, that ST
might see the count there. Her mar
ner was even f1atteringly kind. Wit
q low bow he declared that he shoul
know no happiness again until he ais
was at Madrid.
Again that evening, despite Il
beautiful face that haunted him, Il
count said to himself that he had dol
rash and foolish action. 1t W;
evident Donna Maria meant him to u
derstand that he had risen in her e
timation and held high place thel
PerhapS his absence had piuued he