Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-04-25

often INDUCED in fits of weeping, 70,
which she had no explanation.
And then, suddenly, one day, he
i. found her smiling, radiant and full
of happy excitement. "Oh, Albert
she cried, what do you think. Sig
nor Giovanni, the Italian artist whom
/ told you / sat to for head of Ma
donna, has come to America and has
opened a studio only a few blocks
away from Us. He called this after
US tomorrow"
a strange chill passed over Albert
as he listened; why, he could moi tell.
"Some one is walking over my grave
he said to himself, and then he rallied
and entered into his wife's plans for
! the entertainment of the guest with
evident pleasure.
Signor Giovanni was a young man
of p, romantic in appearance, and
bearing a striking resemblance to the
famous "head of a Neapolitan boy
Nanette seemed transported by his
presence, and yet, deep-seated as was
the desire of Albert's life to see her
happy, the sight of this new phase OF
her nature truck an icy chill to his
heart. But of all roles he most de-
tested that of a jealous husband. 1t
was one he could never condescen,l
to play. He would be cordially itself
to Signor Giovanni, and tenderness It.
self to Nanette, and all would be well,
Surely Nanette could not feel more
than a passing fancy for this man
the sort of ideal fancy which many
sentimental women entertain for Il
foreign artist of any description. So
the weeks slipped away into months,
and Signor Giovanni was a constant
caller at the house. And then one
day in the early summer. when the
town people were getting ready to fly
away to the s~eashore, the country or
foreign lands, Albert surprised his
wife in tears, with a letter pressed 10
her lips.
He stood silent and pale before her
for a few moments. Her expression
passed from guilty surprise to def
ance, then to shame before the solemn
sorrow and febuke of his kind eyes.
She covered her face and fell to wild
weeping, while Albert sat down and
passed his arms gently about her
swaying figure, and drew her head to
his breast.
There, there, little one he said,
soothingly, "be calm. and tell Albert
all about it. Has he not always been
your best friend? You love some one
else better? Is that it?
A new access of tears and sobs was
the only reply. The pallor of AL
harf'S f1na nrnIU rhoctIu hn+ h;. oJ,r,,
upon his wife's form only frightened
and he stroked her golden hair softly.
There was a long silence and then he
spoke again. "Nanette, from the hour
I first saw you the one desire of my
heart has beer to make you happy.
Do you not know this to be true?"
She bowed her head silently. 81
still retain that DESIRE" he continued.
eff you have found that o love some
one else better than you love me; if
some one else is more necessary 10
your happiness than | am, surely | will
not be an obstacle in our way. Only
L want you to be very sure you are not
making a mistake. We mortals are
such complicated creatures we cannot
always trust our own emotions.
'oNtIu Il ION Oc "CIl u - III ESlD-
nor Giovanni to try a year of separa-
ton to test the durability of yo,ir
sentiments? Sometimes these attach
ments are wholly the result of phys
zeal magnetism. If o can remain
apart until the current which your
association set in motion exhausts it.
self-the i~nfatuatiOn dies Il natural
death and you awake as from a fever
dream. Had you not better make the
test?"
"But we did make it. and it was no
USE" cried Nanette. I'VE loved each
other the ome we met last year, |
and when l came away it was like
death to both of us. We meant never
to meet again; but he could not bear
the separation-it was killing him. anil
SO he followed me. And now it is
worse than ever. Oh. Albert, I was
but a child when L married you'll
did not know my own mind. Now L
am a woman, and | know / feel the
love of my life for this man-God help
him, God help him."
So absorbed wa she in her own
sorrow that she never saw the CHASTITY
pallor that overspread her husbands
face, the look of a wounded animal
came into his kind eye 1t was
only of her own suffering she
thought; and she threw herself face
downward on a Turkish divan in Il
paroxyism of tears. Before Albert's
vision as he stood gazing at her there
the picture of that May morning
when he had seen her for the firsc
time. and he could recall with anus
ing distinctness the droll little patch
of black on the face of the white
cat which he had caught and given to
to assuage her grief. and
make her happy. He recalled, too.
the r%eproving glances of the
Did nurse, who stood by him in ST.
lence.
Well. % years had gone since thar
May morning-23 years devoted in the
to the same effort--the effort
20 make Nanette happy. and this was
he end. There was but one more sat-
to make-the sacrifice of ri.
OWN hopes and happiness. He must
pass out of Nanette's life. and give
Ter the man whom she said she loved
With the great passion of her woman
hood. Even that could be done, must
done, to secure her happiness.
1t was all understood between them