The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-07-12
tcontlnuea from Frlaay 5

This Blanca heard not only once. but
almost every night And she dare not
mention II to others. she thinks that il
Is only q delusion. She Is afraid to let
ANYBODY know that she hears sounds OF
playing and singing. made by painted
picture. They would say that she was
bereft Of reason. and would take her to
worse prison than her present one. But
she was convinced that this nightly de-
fusion vas premonitory of mental disease
one evening In, ! az she was preparing a.s 70
laughing This lauhgter also came some
where from the clouds, or from the sub
terranean caverns OF Orcus but Blanca
she dropped the candle. And when She
put the porcelain shade over the lamp.
she again thought that she heard Sappho
laughing. She slipped into bed and. tim
curtains, looked at the painting in the
light OF the night-lamp. Then Sappho
laughed again. Her previous laughter
had been superciiious. pert; this time II
sounded as II coming from an fmmeasur-
able distance.
Was this. too. only dream?
live during dur s the day. 4 Why Only 50 later at
Every morning Blanca endeavored to
persuade herself that what she had heard
was only a dream, but at night she was
Impatient to repair to her bed room.
where she ordered fire to be kindied,
ard closely scrutinizeI the picture OF
Sappiio.
II was November: rainy weather. pre-
vailed, and this month Is rough and dis
agreeabieAe even in Rome. Blanca was
Obliged to discontinue her daily walks on
Monte Pincio and In Tivoii, to which she
had for some time been accustomed. She
even neglected a. visit the family of M.
Rossi. They were now probably occu-
pied with great concerns; why should she
nv q
faira2 There would be time enough for
this In the future.
In the fosgy and rainy. November
weather she could not 80 out during the
entire day; she could hardly wait for
night to set In. She sat before the fire.
place, upon the back wall of which was
radiant phoenix This was masterpiece
shop OF Finiguerra, who was the first to
use the hammer instead of the chisel. The
feathers of the flaming bird were of many
coI0rs, and were wrought of steel, copper,
brass, Corinthian bronze. silver. and gold;
especially gorgeous was the head OF the
mystical bird. and a flaming red aureole
surrounded the golden. sparkling eye. The
eye. shining forth from between the flick
eTing, cracking logs, gave the bird a
lifelike appearance. Why can not the
man subject himself to cremation and
then rise from the ashes a new being?
Suddenly the scintllating eye of the
phoenix disappeared from the middle OF
the flaming red head, and in its place the
Princess saw black spot.
This also, like the other. Is a delu-
sion. thought Blanca. After the hallu-
cinations Of hearing follow those OF
sight
But the phoenix did not content him
self with becoming blind: a moment af-
forwards ne few away with a noise like
the rafting of wheels. He had assembled
the chimney. The crate was full of
glowing embers and burning logs. In a
moment they cracked and went out; in
their place were black Goals. Only the
lamp on the marble table, covered with a
white glass globe, lighted the room
female form stepped forth with the
words:
II am the Marchioness Caidariva."
Blanca had threefold reason for wen
der; the mysteriousness of the occurrence,
the sudden appearance of the figure. and
the name which she had heard. her as
tonishment was mingled with fright and
The female figure in the dark back
ground of the fireplace. illuminated by
the light of the lamp and the fame Of a
cooled wax taper which she held in her
hand, was tall and slender, and in her
fiKhf-fittfng dress of soft raw material
enc resembled the antique statues of god
desses Her thick blond hair was loosely
tied and pinned up; her face was lily
white. with scarcely perceptible tinge
OF color; but Notwithstanding this. the
white. beaming face was mobile, and
ccduettish, conscious smile lent to it the
radiance Of life; the blue eyes were full
of fire. and the coral redness of the full
lips heightened the attractiveness of the
ccuntenance consisting of contradictory
features. There was charm in every
one of her motions. The carriage of her
head which was inclined forward, the
raising of her shoulders, the heaving CT
her breast, together with her swinging
gait lent to her figure a bewitching
charm.
AS soon as she had pronounced her
name she began to laugh. Familiar
laughter! That was the laughter OF Sap
pho. Blanca stared at the figure. She
thinks that what she sees and hears now
is only delusion: her mental powers are
unbalanced; although awake. she is
dreaming; this. too. like all the rest, is an
image of phantasy.
E1a. hal This is an original way OF
paying visits, Is 1T not. Princess? With
out being announced: through the wall,
through the chimney; entirely in negligeei
] have not even my stockings on"
While saying this she raised her dress
little, and displayed foot worthy of
an Aphrodite. She wore only red sandals
. studded with gems.
"If you don't come to me, I must come
to you, although. according to etiquette,
the honor of visit Is due to those who
arrived last. This is the most convenient
entrance to our respective apartments.
Yon did not know of II before, did you?
The back wall of the fireplace is secret
door. If the foot Is pressed upon this
green marble plate on the left of the
crate, the phoenix rises; IL upon the mar