The Forrest City times., 1905-01-27
AVILLA IN
 ITALY

| l WAS the IdSt cay or MATCH. ue signora, attended by her friends, was sitting in the cosy library. As she glanced down the columns of the eyen- ing paper this short announcement caught her eye: For sale. The villa of the Count Soragna."
 She clasped her hands.
 Just what I have been wanting so long" she cried "I will go tomorrow and look at the place.
 Tt has been for sale for five or six years at least" observed one of her friends. Tt must be frightfully spider webby by this time.'
 "A few spider webs are easily brushed away" replied the signora. who was al- ready busy finding directions as to how 10 reach the Soragna villa
 Yes, but the real point of my remark was that if no one has taken the house in that length of time it cannot be very desirable"
 .'I refuse to allow the point. l am sure that 1t is only jealousy on your part because you did not find the adver- tisement yourself and the signora smiled triumphantly
 The next morning among the rare travellers at the north station at Milan was lady, tall and distinguished look ing. She was evidently accustomed to admiration. fer she did not appear to notice the glanees universally bestowed upon her. and her whole attention seemed eentered in the little guiGe book in her hand
 Six months of country life. amid ab- solute solitude the signora thought. as she took her seat in the train.
 The Villa Soragna was situated in the very midst of the Alpine foothills. There were no towns, scarcely even villages, nothing but woods and fields in the neighborhood. The signora had found her ideal at last
 Not that the signora was an enemy Of mankind. On the contrary she loved her fellow creatures, sometimes in par ticular, but always in the abstract. as behooves all good Christians. But there were times when she felt an irresistible need to see people from distance in OlO6I tO lOAe IueHl
 The almost empty train ran swiftly on it's way and the signora amused her self when the swift glimpses of the villas dotted here and there upon the road,
 'I am sure that mine will not be like any of those, she said with a shrug of her beautiful shoulders If they were built by machine they could not be more alike"
 When the train stopped and the signora had descended from her com partment she turned to one of the three hackmen who pressed around her and asked:
 Can you take me to the Villa So ragna?"
 The Villa Soragna." repeated one oi the men, hesitating slightly, as if re calling something he had forgotten.
 Do you not know the way" said th, signora quickly
 Yes, indeed, Excellency. its not very far
 ''Very we'll! Let us start and tn, signora hastened to take her seat in tht rough country coach awaiting her.
 This is certainly the solitude fol which I longed she thought as tn, peasant drove slowly along the winding road. 'l think l could love my fellow creatures very dearly if l was allowed to gaze at them from this remote corner of the world ''
 At length the wagon stopped befor, an iron gateway which opened upon long avenue. leading to a long ston, villa. surrounded by graceful trees
 'Is this the Villa Soragna?"
 The same.' replied the driver. laeon ically
 As she spoke a man appeared at tn gate.
 You wish to see some one at tn villa?' he inquired. raising his hat DO Iitely.
 The signora smiled in quick apprecia tion
 ''The villa itself, please" she saic -Is it not for sale?''
 The man looked at her closely. scrutin tzingly, until the signora felt almos abashed. Then slowly opening the dool he said:
 Enter"
 The carriage drove lumberingly Il she beautiful avenue. shaded by tai Lombardy poplars, now faintly tinge with green Seen closer. the villa wa even more beautiful than from a dis tanee, and the signora drew a lon breath of pleasure as she murmured:
 'How lovely it is here!"
 As she stood on the threshold tb