Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-11-04

hand over both grief and disgrace
Certainly Carlo felt nothing but hap
piness-unalloyed happiness-as he
rode home from Naples that sunny
spring day He knew nothing of that
ominous little paragraph torn out of
the Piccolo, but galloped on over the
white, dusty road, past fields of In
dian corn. past olivegardens and
vineyards, through the long, dark
grotto Oh Posilipo, and on toward the
picturesque little southern town OF
PozzuolL He scarcely noticed all
the beauty round him; he could see
nothing but the face OF his dreams:
and the very households flying over
the road seemed to repeat again and
again the word. Francesca Fran
cesca! francesca"
CHAPTER Ill,
Francesca.
Mortal! II life smile on thee, ard
thou find
All 20 thy mind,
Think, Who did once from
heaven To- he'll descend,
Thee 10 befriend;
SO shalt thou dare forego. at His dear
call,
Thy best, thine all"
-Keble.
While Carlo rode back from Naples
and while Signor Merlino and his OPP
cratic company steamed between the
Pillars of Hercules into the blue Med
iterranean, Francesca Britton sat in
little stone beIvedere in the garden
of Casa Bella. from time to time rails
ing her eyes from her needle-work to
glance at that same blue Mediterra-
mean, or at the lovely mountains of
Ischia, which were plainly visible
through the arched doorway.
Beautiful as a child, Francesca was
more than beautiful in early woman
! hood she was lovely. 1t was not
alone that the outline of cheeks and
chin was perfect. that the nose was
finely chiseled. that the masses of
dark hair draYn back from the white
| forehead were rich and wayy; all
this might be set down in black and
white without conveying the faintest
idea of what she was And In truth
his had happened over and over
again: the photographers had done
what they could but had failed griev-
ously. Photography could not give
the ineffable charm of her ever-vary-
ing expression, the depth and sweet
ness Of her dark gray eyes. the dim
pie in her cheek which seemed in
deed, the sign and symbol of her sun
shiny nature 1t could not convey the
least notion OF her shy grace. Of her
delicate purity. or of that keen sense
of humor which sparkled so deli
ciously in her home life. Outsiders
sometimes deemed the beautiful Eng
lish girl cold and distant, and coun-
try life had tended to increase her
natural shyness; but even had she
lived in the midst of the fashionable
world. francesca Britton never could
have been thoroughly known out of
who kept their best for their own.
She was reused from a reyerie by
seeing a little miniature of herself
flying down the straight, sunny walk
which led to the summer-house, Dor
dered on either side by azaleas glow
ing with crimson blossom and tall
white oleanders
Dino sent me" painted the little
girl-"Dino sent me with this for
father. Where is father? They
thought he was out here And only
fancy, Dino says, Fran, dear, that
Carlo came and rang the bell just like
IA visitor. and handed in his card.
Think of Carlo ringing the belll"
And Sybil broke into a peal of
laughter as she skipped about the
summer-house. Her sister let her
needle-work fall, and taking the card,
glanced at it, smiling and blushing
in way that would have enraptured
anyone but unobservant Sibyl
Dino, ne Is nodding and smiling
and looking so fuuny!" continued the
little girl; "and he says Carlo has
perhaps come acquiring. but h.
won't tell me what it means. Whs
is counting Franz Anything to do
with the new tennis-court 7"
Ills a game which you play for
love, Sibyl dear. There, run and take
the card to father, he is down in the
u1an pe-yrnya -