The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-20
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d. |c< would be enacted there.
The girl was so handsome and there
was something so stormy in her Italian
black eyes. I said so to Stanhope, of
The Locusts. our lion.
'1The girl is handsome enough for q
romance, certainly" he answered,
stroking his blond beard.
He was much at the villa. for he and
Tavernier were friends-indeed, he
had brought Tavernier over from
France. He had been my husbands
colonel, and since Franks death had
been my friend. 1t was my secret
hope that be would marry my pet Sis
ter, and he-but l will not anticipate.
As said, he went often to the villa.
Riverside, with its walks, terraces, and
fountains, was a beautiful place, and
Tavernier kept open house for his
friends. When he first came there, I
occasionally attended his entertain
ments with my family, but after Cata-
line Ricci came I went less often.
There seemed to me something hard
and defiant in her manner of meeting
all Tavernier's friends.
Stanhope was the exception. There
was something in the sunny, gay young
Englishman that pleased her. ! have
thought since that perhaps 1 Gid not
like her because thought she would
win him away from my sister Carrie.
/ need not have feared. She never
tried to please him; she was only
thankful to be diverted from her sor-
row. He would enter the drawing
room sometimes to find her pacing the
floor like Gagged animal; but at sight
OF him her mood would change; she
would come and nestle at his feet, beg
ging him to tell her war stories, which
much diverted her. She liked best the
scenes of fierce encounter and victory.
1t was wonderful to me that he could
recount these episodes, in which his
own heroic part was unavoidably con-
spicuous, and she not worship him
with all her fiery foreign nature; but
even my jealous eyes could not discov-
er the slightest desire for anything but
her OWN qualification. She was pas
sionate, selfish. and yet her nature
held a depth of fervid sweetness which
my cooler Northern blood could not
comprehend.
: The most beautiful spot about the
town was where the river was spanned
by its bridge. The great elms on each
side almost arched across it; wood
bine hung from its messy piers; the
slow, blue river ran silently beneath,
and in both directions the water shone
in basky vista. Here the robins
built, and on moonlight evenings the
whip-poor-wills called melodiously.
Cataline liked this spot. 1t was the
only scene around her new home that
was like Italy, she said; and as she
said that, while We stood there one
night, knew that She was homesick; A;
] saw it in her great eyes.
l. Would you so back:" asked.
/ Would 60 backw
l shall never forget the thrilling pa-
thos Of that cry. Though / could not
like her, after that l was very, very
sorry for her.
1t was only few days later that l
went with Colonel Stanhope and NV
sister Carrie to spend the evening at
Riverside.
We had music, chess, and refresh
ments. The time passed pleasantly to
me, in spite of some secret anxieties,
Carrie had never met Cataline before
and saw, when she looked upon her
dark, naughty beauty, that her heart
died within her. Her manner became
unnatural, cold, constrained, and l
was sorry to see that she appeared only
Toll against which to set off Cata-
lines ease and grace. Travernier, ug-
~, polite and charming, as only a
trenchman of fifty can be, entertained
us happily in spite of all this.
But the evening was at an end at
last, and Stanhope, my sister and nv.
self were going down the avenue. Sud
denly l discovered that I had left my
handkerchief. 1t was a delicate thing
that had been one of my bridal gifts.
and l was naturally uneasy. The
colonel released my arm to 60 for it.
NO." said I, Il will 60. l may have
dropped it upon the piazza; if not.
know just where must have left il
in the music room"
l sped back. 1t was not upon the nj.
azza. I passed in at the open door
for it was summer weather.
and through the long drawing-room tc
the music room, without meeting any
one. There was the precious mouchoil
upon a chair. I snatched it up and
was about to turn back, when two per
sons, talking. entered the drawinc
room. One was Tavernier; l knew his
quick, imperious step, and / hesitatet
about making my appearance after his
late elaborate adieux Then 1 heart
Cataline's voice:
Il demand that letter"
ut. is already destroyed replied
Tayernier, with polite malice.
A storm of Italian followed. Though
terrified half out of my senses.
learned that Cataline had lover il
Naples, one Enriquez Beneditti. WHOM
Tavernier had forbidden her 10 hol(
any communication with, but through
the agency of her old servant, Hinda
she had been in the habit of receiving
letters from him since her ar-;va: i.
America. One Of these letters Ler III
, Gle had discovered and coIfscated. SAt