The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-05-23


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 81, romantic in appearance, and
bearing striking resemblance to the
famous "head of 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 struck an icy chill to his
heart. But of all roles he most de.
tested that of jealous husband. 1t
was one he could never condescenl
to play. He would be cordiality itself
to Signor Giovanni, and tenderness IT,.
self to Nanette, and all would be well.
Surely Nanctte could not feel more
than n passing fancy for this man
the sort of ideal fancy which many
sentimental women entertain for n
foreign artist of any description. So
the weeks slipped away into months,
and Signor Giovanni was 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 seashore, the country or
! foreign lands. Albert surprised his
wife in tears, with n letter pressed to
! 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 rebuke 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.
bert's face grew ghastly, but his clasp
upon his wife's form only frightened
/ and he stroked her golden hair softly.
There was long silence and then he
spoke again. "Nanctte, from the hour
I first saw you the one desire of my
heart has been to make you happy.
Do you not know this to be true?"
She bowed her head silently. "I
still retain that DESIRE" he continued.
''1f you have found that you love some
one else better than you love me; II
some one else is more necessary to
your happiness than am, surely l will
not be an obstacle in your way. Only
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.
Would it not be well for you and Sig
nor Giovanni to try a year of separa-
ton to test the durability of your
sentiments? Sometimes these attach
ments are wholly the result of phys
ical magnetism. If you can remain
| apart until the current which your
association set in motion exhausts it.
self-the infatuation dies natural
death and you awake as from fever
dream. Had you not better make the
| test?"
''But we did make it, and it was no
| use," cried Nanette. 1--WE loved each
other the moment 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, and
| so he followed me. And now it is
worse than ever. Oh, Albert, was
but n child when l married you'll
did not know my own mind. Now l
am a woman, and I know l feel the
love of my life for this man-God help
him, God help him"
So absorbed was she in her own
sorrow that she never saw the CHASTITY
pallor that overspread her husbands
face, the look of a wounded animal
which came into his kind eyes. 1t wns
only of her own suffering she
thought; and she threw herself face
downward on Turkish divan in a
paroxysm of tears. Before Albert's
vision as he stood gazing at her there
rose the picture of that May morning
when he had seen her for the first
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
Nanette to assuage her grief, and
make her happy. He recalled, too,
wildly, the reproving glances Of the
old nurse, who stood by him in 81
lence.
Well, 23 years had gone since that
May morning-23 years devoted in the
main to the same effort-the effort
to make Nanette happy, and this was
the end. There was but one more sac
rifce to make-the sacrifice of his
own hopes and happiness. He must
pass out of Nanette's life, and give
her the man whom she said she loved
with the great passion of her woman
hood. Even that could be done, must
be done, to secure her happiness.
| II was all understood between them