The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-08-23
A
Disappointment
By MARGARET BARR


But l must not begin at the wrong
end or there will be no story.
We are expecting to go abroad next
autumn, to be absent Mt least year,
and ] know no language except my
own native tongue and French. Since
we are to spend the winter in italy ]
concluded to study the Italian Ian
guage In order to be able to speak
it well enough to enter society, espe-
cially in Rome, where we have advan.
tages in the way of introduction, con.
cluded to take lessons. l secured
teacher who was born and educated In
Florence and member of a good fam
| lily there. so | could be sure that l
would get the language pure.
Having only n few months for study
| in order to progress rapidly l deter
mined to engage an Italian maid. ]
advertised for one and received num-
Der of replies. l called for several OF
| them to come to see me, and after in
| specting them all l chose one calling
herself Vittoria. She told me her 9th
| er name, but ! was not interested in
that.
l chose Vittoria because she seemed
to be of so much higher grade than
the others and because my Italian
teacher, after talking with her, told me
that she spoke the language with toll
erable correctness. Since this was all
I wanted her for l decided to give her
| the position at once. Clarlsse, you
know, is my personal maid, who at
tends me when ! am making my toilet,
does my hair and all that.
Well, found Vittoria quite valuable
to. converse with. While l got moth
ing from her of the construction of the
language. the practice of talking with
her advanced me more rapidly than
my regular Lessons. She spoke French
as well as Italian, and she and Clarisse
became very good friends. You know
how nice it is to have servants who
get on we'll together. If they are at
swords points one has no comfort Be
sides they divided the work very well
between them. Vittoria would have
nothing to do with my toilet, and Clar-
isse had no reason to fear that the ltal-
ian would become necessary to me.
The arrangement suited me exactly.
The friendship between Clarisse and
Vittoria seemed to be continually grow
ing. 1t appeared that there must be
some bond between them. question
ed Clarisse about 1t, but got no salts
faction. Then Clarisse began to look
worried. Again l tried to get out of
her If there was anything on her mind,
but she would not tell me. One day /
tried Vittoria, asking her what was
the matter with Clarisse. She told me
that Clarisse had lover. She had told
her (Vittoria) about him and had intro
duced him to her. Vittoria took a
great dislike TO him and advised Clar-
isse to have nothing to do with him.
Vittoria also asked me to say nothing
to Clarisse about the information she
had given me, for Clarisse would GER
tainly regard 1t as q betrayal of con-
fldence.
This seemed to me very satisfac-
tory explanation. Vittoria after hav-
ting Informed me OF Clarisse's infatua-
ton and that she was trying to induce
her TO give up an unworthy lover, made
no effort to conceal their interest In
one another and once or twice they
asked to have the same afternoon off.
This I granted, Of course, wishing to
give Vittoria every opportunity to ar
que with Clarisse against yielding to
q love that would likely turn out un-
fortunately. l suppose it was very
selfish in me, but / have been so de-
pendant on Clartsse for so long that
to lose her through q marriage or from
any other cause would break my heart
SO matters drifted on. One after
noon 1 returned from a bridge party
and went to my room. 1t was Cla
risse's afternoon out A bureau drawer
containing my jewels In use, which
! I kept always locked, stood open and
the jewels gone. Suspecting that bur
glars had been in the house, rushed
TO a closet where / kept an iron box
, containing my most valuable gems. 1t
too, had been rifed. / called for Wit
, toria. She did not reply. Great heav
/ ems! What did 1t mean? My Jewels
, worth many thousands of dollars, haC
} been taken, and my Italian maid, VIII
3 was expected to be close at hand wheI
my French maid was absent, did no
answer when called.
t In the midst of my confusion Clarisst
came in. When ! showed her m!
empty Jewel boxes thought she would
} faint. / was obliged 10 support her
, She tried to say something TO me, bu
her voice failed her.
I Never mind. Ciarisse," said sOoth
) ingly. 81 know what you would say
{ Vittoria has turned out to be a thief
She has deceived us both. She toll
5 me that you had lover who was un
] worthy of you and she was trying t
,; dissuade you from him"
}. "She," repeated Clarisse, coverin
her face with her hands. "Vittoria
q a man"
n Great heavenBr'
U "IIe confdad his secret to me: tOl