Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-01-22
THE FASCINATION OF
FORBIDDEN FRUIT.
BY HENRY S. SPIcCR
Copyright 1909. by American Press Aseo
cigfiOn


Bunker & co. of New York. whose
business involved some correspondence
with olive oil merchants I'm Italy.
concluded TO learn the Italian Ian.
suage i'm order TO be able TO write
those In their own tongue from whom
we bought oil. | inquired OF n friend
for teacher. He told me that he
could recommend one. a young won.
an, native Of Italy, but there must
be one condition attached to her giving
me IessoDS-I must promise not TO
make love to her. Somewhat surprised
that such promise should be exacted,
j asked reason for it, but received
no satisfactory reply. AS | had no
intention OF making love to any one. I
readily agreed to the terms. 1t Is only
too true, however, that such promise
was very iucOnsiderate on my part, for
several episodes I'm the past had demon
strated my extreme susceptibility to
the Goddess Love and her subtleties.
But my word had been given and in
all the verities 1 was placed upon my
honor.
Miss Tor. rather. Signorina) Aboni
turned out TO be teacher In the Few
York public schools. She was about
tWeB'y I've years old. with the dark
hair and eyes prevalent among her
countrymen and. unlike most Italian
women. possessed n very sweet voice.
No language is musical when rapidly
| spoken and in rough voice. but as
! Miss Aboni spoke Italian to me SLOWLY
and softly 1t was very meiihuous.
Now. verify believe that If II had
not been for the promise | had mad
might have taken lessons of Mi
J Aboni for an indefinite time wfthoI
danger To my bachelurhuod | shou
not have thought of making love I,
! her But all the while she was I'm
stTucting me my mind. instead of be
Ing on the Italian language. was or
the question, why was | pledged moi
| 10 make love TO my teac herr" Thai
we wish TO do what we are forbidden
| to do is curious psychological coudi
! ton for which | cannot account.
| can more readily understand why one
| should dislike to do what he is com
PEELED TO do. and yet this condition H.
| by no means SO universal as the other
However this may be. was soon
seized with an uncomfortable desire ~
make love 70 my teacher. resisted
till | had been some time under her
tutela9e. then made break.
The pain expressed in her face told
me that ! had in some way hurt her
and sudden sensation OF shame told
me that had dishonored myself.
stammered an apology. promising not
10 break my word again. n condition
IKE that laid down by the poet when
he says II is weakness to be wroth
with weakness" The poor girl couIo
only accept the apology and hope tina.
l would be stronger in future.
But was tampering with a passion
and the passions usually master con
science. The only safe way out Of the
matter was to acknowledge myself
beaten In the first encounter and avoid
a second by ceasing TO take lesson,
OF Miss Aboni This course occurred
to me, but persuaded myself that II
would be more manly to conquer my
SELF than to ingloriously run away.
| continued 10 receive instruction. but
there had come feeling OF constraint
between me and my teacher | went
on conquering myself, as l persuaded
myself j was doing. listening to the
melodious Italian sentences as they
elided from my teachers lips. Then
too. we frequently read from the same
book and this compelled us to sit side
by side. dangerous position for those
who are forbidden to be lovers.
One day while thus looking over the
same page ! suddenly found my hand
resting on my teachers waist. can
only assert that did not put It there
1t put itself there. Then another un.
fortunate circumstance led 20 a fatal
step. Feeling a tress softly Craze my
check, with my hand--the hand not on
Der vaist-I turned her face to mine
and Kissed her on the lips.
/ shall never forget the shudder that
PASSED over her frame. knew az
once that ] had done something terri
bic. But terrible things cannot usual.
ly be undone. Whatever It was Il
must stand. One thing was certain ]
had given my word and broken II.
y am beneath contempt" cried.
No. ! have made a mistake"
What mistaken"
Instead Of cxacting promise
should have taken you into my con
hdcncc. But you were a stranger e.
u" and If you told
Well. n 7 told what them
would lose my position; we would
stofvc"
We Who are weT
~ and my husband Married women
oro not permitted 10 teach in the pub
Do. schools Of New York. My marriage
' been kept a secret"
Ihe announcement that she was
wife foIl like q load on my heart
What bad started iu a desire to broa'
IL .IL.u f.rnldnnn r.rnllnH Rid rn..l,Il.-n