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

happy Italian nome, she cOuht hob
linger there when needed in another
place, and at any rate she should
have her children for yet another
year. That helped to break the part
ing. Captain Britton was glad for a
time to be with his brother. and a
year of English life, In which to finish
Francesca's rather unconventional ed
ucation, was deemed a good idea by
all. So once more Casa Bella was 81.
lent and deserted and Carlo was left
to his own devices.
1t was just at this time that Mia
returned from her convent. A great
change was at once effected in the
peacefulness of the villa Bruno, for
the girl while retaining enough of
her religious education to h.eke her
persecute her hereto brother with
endless arguments and remonstra2c es,
was yet so wearied of its strict re-
straint that she broke out into vio-
lent reaction and tyrannized over her
mother, much as she herself had till
now been tyrannized over.
The Signora Donati was an invalid;
she had never recovered from the
cruel shock of her husbands death,
nor had she at any time been noted
for strength of character Carlo had
been too loyal ever to take advantage
of this; her slightest wish had been
to him a command, and the two had
idolized each other. But somehow it
happened that Nita coming home
from her convent felt like an in
truder; she could not find niche for
herself In the home, and, measuring
the hearts of other people by her
own. fancied she was not cared for.
Perhaps her mother did show a little
too markedly that Carlo was her ia
vorite; but then It really was difficult
not to love the son who treated her
with such tenderness, such respect
full devotion. somewhat better than
the daughter, who sought for nothing
but her own amusement. and never
voluntarily performed for her the
slightest service.
IL was also, perhaps, true That
Carlo did not greatly care for his sis
ter. at any rate she tried his temper
severely He was impatient with her
aggravating little displays of piety.
her deep genufexions, her paraded
fasts TIe was constantly detecting
her in petty deceits, and once, after
some worse specimen of duplicity
than usual. he had angrly upbraided
her.
You are not fit to bear the name
of Donati." he cried, holly, his boyish
sense of honor deeply wounded, and
his family pride hurt to find that Nita
was no better than the rest of the
world
Perhaps | shall not bear it much
longer she retorted, angril!
And those words haunted poor
Carlo for many year, For, not long
after, all Naples rang with the news
that Anita ponati had eloped with
her singing-master, a certain basso
who had been engaged that winter at
the San Carlo.
Fortunately The villa Bruno was
far away in the country. and the sig
nora too great an invalid to go into
society She could bear her agony
in solitude and was not obliged to
wear mask and go about as though
nothing had happened.
But Carlo was in the thick of the
fray; he had to listen to Uncle
Guidos indignant denunciations. he
had to bear the brunt of the endless
questions of the outsiders. had TO en-
dure the bitter consciousness that
his sisters name was being banded
about in the city. and that, for the
FIRST time. DOnati had incurred well.
merited blame.
Since then nothing had been heard
of Anita, except that about a week
after her fight. she had forwarded to
her mother a newspaper with the an
nouneement of her marriage But
the Signora Donati never recovered
from the shock. nor could she ever
forgive herself. for she rightly felt
that had her relations with her daugh-
ter been happier such thing could
never have happened.
Five years had gone by since then,