Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-11-18


Enricc walked forward, Carlo fol
lowing mere slowly; on past two
open-air cafes. with groups of idler:
beneath a shady trellis-work OF zine
and euonymus; on past a stall gayiy
wreathed with lemons and greenery
where thirsty Neapolitans were. drink
ing mineral water; on till the arscual
was in sight, and the red tower OF
tie lighthouse while in the fore
ground was the Teatro Mercadante
Little had he thought that the sigh
of its pink walls with their white
facings would ever have caused hin
such strange emotion. Huge placards
were posted here T. all directions
He read them over and over in a sort
of dream, taking in little but that one
name in larger type, "MademoiseL e
Merlino At length Enrico cam,'
forth, having made his Inquiries.
They do not seem to xnow the ex
act date OF their arrival he Eaid. u
answer to Carlos mute question
The man was just going off to his
siesta and was not best pleased at be
ing hindered. However. he ~rote
down the address for me. You will
find them whenever they do arrive
IL may be tomorrow or any day next
week. They are coming from amer
lea, but by what route the fellow
didn't know. However, you see by
the placards there are no perfor.
mances for another ten days.
Carlo took the paper and read the
address.
Il shall be here again tomorrow,
he said. Il will call and see If they
have arrived, and till then | shall say
noISing to my mother
THAT would be wise" said Enrico.
"Then she will be spared the worry
and uncertainty. You look tired,
AMIGO mic. Come home with me,
and have your siesta in peace"
mo, said Carlo; Il want to go
home. / want to tell Francesca"
You can't ride back in this heat;
you'll get a sunstroke."
But he only shook his head, and,
with an unmistakable air of wishing
to be alone. said goodbye to his
frined, and went to order his horse.
Enrico turned to look after him.
Profound detection was expressed in
his walk. The serpent had all too
soon invaded his paradise.
CHAPTER V.
A Threatening Sky.
Come, all ye faithful, come, and
dare 10 prove
The bitter sweet, the pain and bliss
OF love-
Trench.
Francesca came down one of the
shady garden paths to meet her
lover; she held in her hand a forkeG
branch, on which, nestled among the
pale-green leaves, grew four fresh,
looking lemons. For a moment Carlo
forgot everything in the bliss of see
ing her again. 1t seemed to him that
they had been ages apart; that he
had been toiling across a barren des-
ert to reach this cool green retreat,
in which his betrothed reigned SUI
preme How beautiful she looked in
that familiar. soft, white dress, and
with her white forehead and delicate
coloring shaded by large hat! The
hat was one of those shallow white
ones which can sometimes be bought
for two or three soldi; it was not cal
culated, however. to sustain the en-
braces of lover, and it speedily fell
back, leaving Francesca with her
wavy brown hair uncovered. For a
minute Carlo held her from him, that
he might the better see her. with a
datura-tree for back ground, and the
soft creamy flowers dropping over
her head. Francesca, having known
him and loved him for years, saw in
one glance that he was in trouble
You are tired, my own" she said.
1T was too hot for you to ride back
so early; YOU should have taken your
siesta at Naples"
Il couldn't rest" he said, with a
sigh. Il wanted to get back to you.
Something has grieved you. Does
Uncle Guido disapproye of our be-
trothal?"
mo, oh 10 How could he do that?
He treated me as though l had been
his son.
Yet something or some one has