The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-12-21
CHAPTER XVI
Marriage.

the best thing she could do; she was
touchingly ready to be happy; she
was only too willing to view her lover
with bemused eyes. At first this was
made easy by the fervent congratula-
tons of every one she saw; she lived,
for a while. In an atmosphere OF
adulation, for when the announcement
was printed in the papers, the future
Contessa AveZZana became, all at
once, an important person. Enthusias-
tic acquaintances stopped her on the
street to assure her of the good looks
of her count, and of the romantic ma
ture of her engagement. 1t was ro-
mantle. she told herself a hundred
times day, and she delighted In
Guido's dark beauty. When she was
not with him, she thought of him with
fair similitude of ardor.
Their interviews, however, were not
so satisfactory; the girl found them
strangely battling. AvezZana brought
TO them a sensuous atmosphere. 1t is
true, of which Ann was tinglingly con-
scious. but which served only to make
more barren the fact that she really
knew nothing about this person she
was TO marry. Hitherto her erotic ex-
periences had all been of an eXplora-
tory nature, but this man defeated all
her tentative efforts to pry into the
closed shell of his inner personality.
In the beginning his careful formality
amused the American girl; she liked
10 tease him into impulsive betrayals
of it, but as the days ran on she had
less inclination to do so. Their talk
was of so trivial a nature that she, too,
grew formal, but with the important
difference that hers was a response to
an inner recoil rather than compli-
Gated convention.
She made, one day, an unfortunate
attempt to establish companionship.
Guido, should like to take you over
TO the hospital. I haven't been there
since we became engaged-I am al
most ashamed to go-but l want you
TO see where I've been working"
you will pardon me, carissima milo,
but 1 prefer to forget those hospitals.
-. Here, in these so charming
surroundings. you are all a young girl
must be. Beautiful-without
experience. No" He reached
out and took her hand in his as
carefully as though it were made of
fragile stuff. "My Ann, have this to
suggest-that you do not speak to my
mother Of those hospitals. :.
She would not understand"
''But-there was nothing wrong In
my working there. I'm proud of hav-
ing done it; it was my share of the
war"
ISL carissima, but now all is diff
ferent." He kissed her finger tips, one
by one, with an air of savoring them,
adding, work is for men-non e
veroP'
Ann looked at him curiously. She
found his life amazingly difficult to
understand he was like an unsuccess-
full bas-relief; she could not imagine
him in the round. what work do you
do, when you are at homer" she asked
definitely.
81 am an officer" Avezzana straight
ened Importantly.
But you hope soon to have peace,
in Italy,"
"Che e intelligence! Peace-yes, but
there remain much duties"
What kind of duties?"
"Drills-reviews-bu why should
you understand"
''Why shouldn't II"
"You are woman"
What of it?"
AveZZana smiled deeply upon her.
"Some day you will know" he muir
INJURED.
In spite of the fact that he evident
iy considered the matter closed, Ann
persisted. Haven't you any work to
do, outside the army?"
But yes-there is always politics"
"Shall you run for something? How
exciting!"
"R-r-run?
Eyes. For congress-or whatever
you have. in Italy,"
AveZZana laughed at that, but Ann
could see that he was affronted, too.
''No shall not-what you say?-'run'
for political position. You
would better leave all this to me,
carissima milo. 1t is not for you"
She found 1t impossible to think be-
yond the reunion with her guardian in
Paris. The fact that she was to spend
the rest of her life In Italy was unbe-
lievable, and she let 1t go at that She
<-ir foI in ;ynx
incredible. She wondered if any other
girl was ever married in this way, al.
most without her own volition, but she
was too tired and to detected to pro-
test. Instead, she tried to do exactly
what was expected Of her every day
and every day a swift current swept
her nearer the vortex. The wedding
invitations were ordered, addressed
and sent off by hand with extraordi-
nary efficiency and haste Ann was
dazed by the speed which this machine
of her own making attained.
Guido was a Catholic, and he ex-
planned casually to Ann that it would
be necessary for her to join his
church. She had no objections to do
ing so, and Mr.. Renneslyer's facetious
remark that he was afraid she would
not enjoy confession won only faint
smile from her. Her father must have
been a Catholic, she supposed The
marriage was to be celebrated in the
Catholic cathedral, and she went up
to look it over, late one afternoon. The
distant altar swan in the tremufous
light of the candles, and boys i'm robes
were moving mysteriously about
Guido belonged there, she thought, a
part of all this traditional beauty, but
she felt like rude intruder She