Catoctin clarion., 1905-06-15
, Ic,o Vof,or or;no Groon Author of "The FOrsaken
hhhd hothaih hS uiSsh, Inn" Etc.

lay upon the couch, beautiful lady
with fair hair and aristocratic features.
She had come in a carriage which stood
before the door, and when l first saw
her, was strewing flowers over the bed
and you. Sec! they lie withering now
in heaps upon the floor. Her YOU
must surely know, for both her beauty
and her wealth make her conspicuous
81 am sorry began the signorina,
"but | cannot tell you who she is. l
might guess"
"Chat may be sufficient"
"But l cannot be sure. There is
lady, both beautiful and rich, who
once took an interest in me. She was
pupil of one Of my masters, and
though l was never introduced to her,
| was given to understand that she
was watching my career and hoping
much for its success. 1t may have
been she; but why she should have
sought me out in my despair, when she
held herself aloof from me i'll the
time of my prosperity, and why she
should have brought flowers and
Gtrewed them over my Door body. |
cannot explain. But perhaps Annetta
can. She was here and may have seen
something or gathered something from
the lady's manner which will help us
to comprehend the meaning of her ac-
tions:" and beckoning the Portuguese
toward her, the signorina asked one
or two questions. which being duly
answered she turned pack to Mr.. De-
graw and exclaimed:
at must have been the lady spoke
of. She came without flowers at first,
and asking for me. seemed to be great
ly shocked when | was pointed out to
her, lying, as she supposed, dead. She
attempted to question Annctta, but of
course got no answer from her. as
my good friend does not speak a word
Of English; and when the lady went
away she made a gesture that must
have meant that she would return, for
in half an hour or so she did come
back, bringing these beautiful flowers,
which she at once began to strew over
me. That is all Annetta can tell.
Would you like to question her
further?"
Il would like to hear what she has
to say about these candles and your
dress and the drapery of your couch.
1t may explain who MOntelli is, and
this you as well as myself ought to
know"
True, true" came in murmur from
the young girls lips. "Annetta must
be able to tell how | came to be dressed
thus, though the robe itself is no mys-
terry. being one of the costumes pre-.
pared for my debut. But the lights,
the drapery. all that | cannot under
stand"
And she drew the old crone nearer,
and holding her by the arm, put ques
ton after question, while the young
man stood still. gazing from one TO
the other. devoured by a curiosity that
the signorina's rapidly changing APP
pearance certainly tended to aggra-
vate. For at the explanations which
lil' oiti W ttubtItNl NllHUul ltSIli-
ton, the young girls head sank lower
and lower in manifest confusion, while
Oh her cheek and brow a flush slowly
gathered, which. If 1t added to her
beauty, could not but add also to the
watchful artists impatlence and dis
trust.
What is It? Tell me-" burst from
his lips as the Portuguese finally drew
back, leaving the signorina standing
by that forsaken couch.
"Ah. how can ~ was her cry,
though her eyes looked up fearlcSsly,
and the smile on her sensitive mouth
was simply deprecatory one 1T is
such a story Of-of an unreasoning
passion-of-of love of which | was
gnorant, and would never have counte-
nanced If l had known of it, that"
He appreciated her confusion; he
loved her for its evident depth; but he
would not help her even by word
to speak. This story, whatever it
was, he must know. She saw his de-
termination and summoned up her
courage.
"Annetta tells me-" she began, that
Tor the last three months | have been
pursued by an Italian who has been
determined to marry me. She says he
found no favor in her eyes, and that
she was sure he would find none in
mine; and SO, to save me anxiety and
pain at time when l needed my full
strength and liberty, she had persist
emily placed herself between us, and
by artifices and stratagems of various
kinds succeeded in keeping him out of
my presence. She says that, owing to
my preOccupation and determination TO
see nothing but my art, she was
strangely successful in this, though
!here were times when he almost
! brushed my garments i'll the streets,
and others when it nearly took the arm
Of the police to keep him away from
these doors. He had seen me at the
| theatre one day, and hidden behind
| the boxes or among the wings of the
/ scenery, had heard me sing. and moth
! ing could rob him of the idea that he
| was destined to marry me and make of
me the leading prima donna Of the
world; not even my failure, for he was
present at that, nor my consequent per-
sstent shrinking from sight into the
obscurty that became me. Nothing
affected him or changed his mind; and,
while he showed some sense in not
attempting force after this Annetta
knew that sooner or later, he would
find some means of crossing this