Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-01-20
Continued

AT last he gave up all thoughts Of
rest for that night, and began to won
der how his neighbor was faring; the
young Italians face haunted him.
Now he saw him boyish, eager and
impulsive, coming nearly five years
ago to tell of his love for Francesca,
and receiving his sentence Of proba'
ton with an odd mixture Of hope, de-
spair and courtesy. Again he recalled
the day only three weeks ago in real
ty, though 1t seemed more like three
mOnths-when sibyl had run down to
find him In the olive garden. bearing
that significant card with the words
Advocate Carlo Poeri Donati. which
conveyed to him so much. He remem-
bered Fastening back TO the house.
and could see again in imagination
the bright look of hope which had
flashed like sudden sunshine over
Carlos face when he had told him to
go and find Francesca In the belvc-
dere And then, lastly, and most Wv
idly of all, he recalled that face as he
had last seen It, Such anger once
seen is never forgotten; and the cap
tain knew that so generous and sweet
tempered d man must have been al
most maddened by pain before his
face could have worn that look Of
yindict We fury, before his eyes could
have b.azed with the fierce glow that
recalled to him the eyes Of wounded
Fa4r I'd
OF even a man with highly-strung
nerves. he would have trembled be-
fore such look, for to meet such
eyes is to look death In the face.
But, with all his faults, he was a
stanch, brave-hearted Englishman
and oil that he had felt was great
surprise when the fierce CLEAN had
suddenly died away. and Carlo had
turned sharply round on his heel and
left him without word.
He wondered what had happened to
him afterward. and began TO feel
troubled as he remembered the DESC
lateness OF the villa Bruno
Only q fortnight had passed since
the gentle Signora Donati had been
laid in her grave; he had forgotten all
that when In sudden wrath he had
driven her son away Bitterly did he
now repent the unkindness Had he
been an imaginative man, he would
have conjured up a tragic ending TO
that nights work. and have suffered
yet more; but, luckily. he was not OF
an Imaginative turn so he was only
vaguely and increasingly miserable
Then he began to think Of poor lit
tie Francesca, doomed through his an
CRY command never TO zee her lover
again; No; at least he would yield on
that point, he would go to see Carlo
after breakfast. would apologize to
him for his hasliness and permit him
to come once more to the Casa Bella
and take leave of Francesca. This
Idea gave the poor captain little re-
lief, but he groaned aloud as he
thought OF I'll the grief In store for
his child
At length he heard Inc welcome
sounds o. iiie IN the house. The
night was over; Rosetta was banging
the door-mat vigorously against tie
porch; Dino was trampng up and
down The marble passages fetching
and carrying. Presently there was
the refreshing sound OF the rap at his
door, and the servants familiar sum.
mons "Halfpast seven. signor, and a
fine morning"
TIM captain rose more promptly
than usual unlocked his door. and
took in his hot.water can: on the lid
there lay an envelope directed to him
In Carlos handwriting He tore It
open with sense OF sickening anx
lety.
What was Il that brought sudden
mist before his eyes? Only short.
manly lettei~~a letter OF apology from
the man whom he had wronged.
Carlo had forestalled him. and the
letter which had cost the writer so
much cost the reader yet more There
was very little in IL, with its careful
English and neat foreign writing: but
Is cords had come straight from the
heart. and they went straight as an
arrow TO the heart of the captain.
The Brittons. though SO long resi-
dents in Italy. kept English hours and
brealaasted all together at eight
O'Clock.
The captain came down that morn,
ing with curiously guilty feeling.
Francesca was in the dining-room be
fore him, apparently absorbed in cot.
fee-making He glanced at her anx-
iously. and saw that she was pale and
worn, and looked as If she had cried
TIL she could cry no longer she felt
her fathers anxious glance and
WINGED beneath It, Uncle George.
With more tact. made as though he
noticed nothing and adroitly kept the
conversation going: while Sibyl was
luckily at that age which takes
no account of faces when once they
have b come familiar 1t was an I'M
comfortable ueal and they all hailed
as a relief f,c appearance OF the cap
tain of The Pilgrim. a weather beaten
Scoichnan who had driven over with
a telegram which had just arrived for
Mr.. Britton.
Captnin l}fi'ton had never felt more
glad 10 have guest 30 whom he
could show hospitality