Halton Hills Newspapers

Flesherton Advance, 1 Sep 1898, p. 6

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CUAPTEIl XII. (Contiuuttd.) Tbe departure oi Mudelon left Zan- oni ia a Btate and cuuditiun uf mind aot to be easily described. He wished, »it«r she hud goiie and the full cruBh of the possible calamity bad fallen, that be bad oast aside uU i-esorve and questioned her mure closely. As it was he knew next to nothing. Be sure, the princess had sent to biui a hopeful, cheering word. He would havb sent the •aiue to her, though horrors untold had stared him in the face, und he kuew that sho was as brave as be was hiioself, BO he could not build upon bor show of courage. Ht stood for a iong lime in the self- â- aiue spot where the duenna had left him, gazing into vaouncy, the picture of l«Tior und consternation. More than onc«, whan his thoughts had return- ed; to bim, was he strongly tempted to rush aflor the old woman and cull her back, but the sober second thought re- â- traineil him. She kaew nothing iisyet of lbs Uve between the princess and bioiself. 8he suspected it ; she may have become morally convinced that such, in truth, wa.s the situation; but, it was very evident that Isabel had said noth- ing to her on the subject, and be felt that he bad no right to do no. No, bo eould not seek further inforinution at the hands of Mudelon. At that moment he wished the duke would eorao to him. Auything would be letter than this terrible hoart-rend- ing. soul-harrowing suupense. More- over, he was not at heart in fear of the man. There was sumetbing. he thought, too generous, loo naturally ^uai and noble in the heart and dispos- ition of Aulouio Farne.jie to »uffer him toi be feared by any honest well-mean- ing man. Yet he could not put away • certain dread of meeting the duke's benignant face with a lo<»k upon it of pained surprise, and, perhaps, of hit- ler blame. â- * Aye I" he said to himself, as these tbouphiB o<'cupied his mind ; " he has the right to bluius me, I am the stronger party, and by far the elder. I am ( strong, experienced man; she a young, tender-hearted, trustful, inex- perienced maiden. It should have been inj- part to hold my peace. 1 know the law. and though the extremesl penal- ties of former times have been expung- ed, from the statutes of the realm, yet the prohibition still exists in its old- timit force. A patrician may not mar- ry with a idebeian in Parma nor in Milan, aor in Venice, nor in Uenoa. In fact, nor anywhere in Italy is. the deed legally ueroussible. Ob, what shall be the end?' "Isabel I My love i Aly life I It 1 could know bow it is with ibea at this moment I What has the duke said? What has 8teffuno done!" An that last name fell from his lips he started as f i om an eleclrio shock, liad straightway began to pace tound iro. lie could not stand still with thoughts of that ainister-visuged man in bis mind. ••As 1 live," he said, "I believe the acoundrel has de<>p in his plotting heart â-  plan for the winning of Isabel's hand for hiniitelf I I em convinced it is so. But can the duke suffer such a thingi It does not seifm possibleâ€" Yet,"â€" af- ter a lengthy pauseâ€"" it may not be impossible. Antonio is likely to die childless. He can nut, at all events, leave a son old enough to asaume the scepter at his death. Hleffano is his only near relative; and, villain as he la, I verily believe he would command B large following amongst the nobles of I'arma. Ho wpulil pander to their worst vices, and wink at their wick- edness. Ayeâ€" in all that was low and vilo and dissolute he would join with all his heart. " Ob, heaven help the honest, pure- minded wotnau who shall full into his life-long comiianionship! I would bear the, dear one to the uttermost part of the earth before 1 wiiuld see her con- signed III such a fate." At this juncture he stopped in his walk, happening to stand as he did no ^directly before the canvas on his easel iaud,ns his glance fell upon the picture I a onange come over himâ€" a new direc- Itiun to his thoughts. ' " Oh, I shall go mad or bring my- self into a fever if I go on in this way I I am as helidess at this moment a* an Infant. I must leave niy love to the care of h«'r kind-hearted guar- dian, and patiently wait for a sign. It will oouie, X knim, when lh»re shall be great need, tihe can find niean.s of communication, tihould Mndclon fail her there hi"* others who would gliwl- iy serve her. Khe has told me thai." He turned his face heavenward and breathed a fervent prayer to the Good Father, ami (hen be took up his palette together with two or three fight, delicate brushes. I<)re long the marks of pain and suspense left his face; the healthful r^ilor returned to bis cheeks and a wondrous lightâ€" a Mght almost divineâ€" had chased the ag- ony from his eyes. An inspiration bad come to him, and while it endured all other things would be forgotten. He was at work upon the face of .St. Peoilia. Minutes passed ; and hours ; and with each passing period a new beau- ty sprang to life beneath the magic of bis brush. He counted not the lapaa of time; he thought not of fa- tigue, -4t noon he suspended work long enough to partake of the simple re- freshments he hnd brought with him to the stuitioâ€" wine, and bread, and fruitâ€" for he well knewâ€" nature told him~tha(, if he would draw heavily upon the mental powers, he must keep tb«'b<idy in he.nllhfui tune. He diaposeil of I be frugal repast; then gave a brief space to such rest as he could finil ; und then, refreshed • nd invigorated he resumed bis work •nd worked until he was very weary. Be could paint no moHp after ibiit. And while her dear lover is thus busily employed, his agony held in check, by the inspiratioai that has pos- sessed him, turn we to the princess. It was near t he middle of the fore- noon, and Madelon had just returned from her mission to the painter's studio. " Madelon 1 Madelon I" she cried, with a sudden burst of si rong emoiion : •'if I would have you serve me tm the best of your ability. I must trust you ful- ly and completely ; and I know you will give me your sympathyâ€" that you will bt true "and faithful. Dear old mnmma, X love Ziinimi, love him with all my heart and all my strength: and h(* lovei me the seme. X have never in- tended to practice, deceit, but you yourself know how hard, how trying it Is to show one's innermost heart to the world. Are you .surprised, mam- ma I" "Oh, my deor, dear mistress I" the duenna exclaimed, seeming not to have heard the (juestion, "how I wish you had told me before. The signor had something to say to me which he could not say, because he dared not reveal to me his love." " Never mind, Madelon. Yon will know next time. But you saw him, and yo^l gave him my mes.nage just as I sent it I" " Yes, dear lady." And thereupon the good old woman went on and gave u full and very fair account of her late interview. " He said 1 was to t)«ar to j'oii a blessing from him ; and to tell y<Ai that he should suffer until he heard from you again." " Oh. he shall hear. You will go, Ma- delon .'" "Yes, I will go. But, dear lady, 1 have' not told you all. The signor sent something more. H« asked meâ€" so be- seechingly Iâ€" would X give to you three wi'rd.i from himself; and I was to tell you that he .sent them from his heart. I hesitated just a moment. Ah, I did- n't knew then what 1 know now. But I told him r would do it." " VVeli. Madelon I you have not for- gottem them I" â- â€¢ Goodness msrcy I t should think not. They were only these. Don't feel too hopeful, dear child, for they may disapiOTlnt you. What be saidâ€" his lips quivered, and I eaw the gleam of mois- ture in bis eyesâ€" what he said was only this, nothing more: 'Faithful unto death I' X promised binj I would give *^â„¢ '° y**"' ""<! then I came away " • rhanks, dear oVl mamma I You df>n't know how much good these three little words will do me. " The princess bent her head for a little time after •Hha had thus spoken, her thoughts 1 "Yv, By-^nd-by she lo<.ked up and â- â-  iv. liand upoin her duenna's arm. Madelon," she said, with an earn- "'f'u'^""'"* '"*''' '°'° "â- * "H^"** '"'â- "• I have a qusstioa to ask vou and I know you will answer me frankly and truthfully. You once had a daugh- ter 1" "^h' a darling, dear lady I My lit- tle Nsneltel I can see her now as I saw her in thii long, long years ago, when she was a laughing, loving, hap- py child. She wns only ten when she died." "Madelon, suppose Nanette had liv- •u to grow up, suppose she were now Jixat as I am, and you loved her wiih all your heart und soul and strengih; and suppose you should be told that she had a lover who wished to make her his wife; and, furthor, you should Jmd that her own love was equal to r*'i*"u' '° ""* *"''• 8UPPo»« you should lind thai Juan Zanoni was the mun , *â- â€¢'â-  ehoic<»â€" tell me, what would you iioi What would you suy when they came and asked for your blessing on their union ?" 'X'he old woman thought seriously, profoundly for several seconds. It was to her a subject of wondrous moment, and she considered- it as such. At length she looked up, with a rich mois- 1 ur«i in her eyea and a deeji pathos in h«r voice, und made answer: 'As true as heuveii I dear mistress, "I all the men I ever know I would choose Signor Zancmi for my daugh- ter s husband ; and 1 should feel it in my heart to praise tjod for his won- derful msrcy i" "Bless you, Madelon 1 BIcms you I You have made mo very happ.v." "But, Princess," said the duenna, af- ter a short pause, with a look of trem- ble In her honest face, " you must re- memlier, Nanette wimld not have lieen a patrician. I don't know, my dear child, that I do right in apeoking to you in such u manuar respecting the painter, who is only a plebeian, and poor at that. I am afroid the duke, if he knew would blame me very much, und he mightâ€" ah, hark I It is the step <M the duke himself." A mianent later a gentle rap sound- ed outside, and Madelou went to an- swer It. It was the duke, as she thought. 6he moved back and allowed him to pass in, and would then have followed and provided him with a seat, but he touched her gently on tha arm, and pointed to^vard the door. She took the hint and loit. The prinross knew not what she had t<> meet, but she was prepared. Ever since she arose from her bed she had been thinking of the ordeal now at hand, and bad been mustering strength to bear it patiently and bravely. A firm resolve to be entirely frank and truthfulâ€" to keep nothing back that her guardian had a right, or could have a legitimate desire to knowâ€" gave her support. She had l)een prepared loses dark frown on hia brow, and marks of stern disapproval. If not of anger, on hia face ;. but as she now raised her eyfts and gazed steadily upon him she focind nothing of Ihn kind. She found Iiain there and unrest, perhaps disap- proval ; but what there was of emo- tion in his brave, noble faoe was kindly ttnd sympathetio. All this she saw in a mcuneat, and by the time old £Ludelon had gone and closed the door behind hur, she hud arisen to her feet and set a chair for her visitor close to her own. He ac- cepted it with u nod of thankfulness; and, having waited until bi.s v.urd had resumed her own seat, he followed her example. And then fell a silence â€" a silence that became painful. 'J'he princess broke it. Bhe saw that her guardian w«j» suffering. He wished to speak, but knew not how to clothe the thoughts that struggled for utter- aiico. And she saw, too, that his great love for herself â€" his kindness and his sympathyâ€" tied his tongue. ijeeing this, she felt that she owed it to him to brejik the ice. If there had been offense she had been the offender, und hu only a .sufferer. She would help him if she could. "Uear guardian I" she said, laying a h;ind on hi.s aim and looking up into his face with a depth of affection not to be mistaken, "you have come to speak with me about the confession 1 made to you last night. I iwked you to give me time in which to rest and think and you kindly did it, I thank you for it." "My dear child," returned the duke, with a faint smile creeping about the corners of his mouth, "1 mustn't let ycu give me more credit than I de- serve. Xn putting the subject off lust evening X pleased myself fully as much as 1 pleased you, if not more. But we will speak now." He took one of her bands uid gazed upon her lovingly. A little while so, and he spoke. His lips quivered per- ceptibly in the beginning, and hiij voice threatened to break more than once, but he gained strength and self-con- trol as h» went on, though at no time did his speech become else than kind- ly and sympathetio. "Isabel, my beloved child, you must listen to me willingly and patiently, for you should know that I can speak only for your good. You will first let me say, it 1 could have known what Bteffano had planned to do 1 should not have suffered it. No. not on niiy account nor under any pre- text whatever would I have suffered it to be (loae. But it is done and â€" " "One moment, ' brok« in the princess at this point. "Will you tell me if Count Denaro had any part in it?" if the duke would have .shielded the count, whic;h he was evidently inclin- ed to do, not being positive one way or the other with regard to his culpa- bility, he should have ansuered prompt- ly and without reserve, but instead he hesitated and took time to think, and when he would have spoken the keen- sighted girl slopped him. "Never mind, dear guardian. You c.in answer me no further. You are not sure, but you have your doubts." "I nw sure of one thing, Isabel. If the count gave his consent, he had no hand in originating it." "Well, well; it does not matter. Go on. I will listen patiently, for I know you love me. und wUb me well.'" "Oh. my blessed child ! I can not tell you how much I love you. I can only tuiy "this; You are to me as my own flesh and blood. Were I your fatherâ€" in fact, as in heartâ€" I could not love you more truly, nor more deeply. But enough of that. You kuow it all. I'ell me, how far boa the love between you and Zanoni gone ?" "It hiN gone into our hearts and in- to our lives. Woman's love can go no further, if you ask. When will it end f I answer, If there may be a love of earth continued beyond the grave â€"never. If tli.il is not to be, then our love will end when life or re;iHon fails." "I.Siilwll Are you serious? IX) you me;in all that your worda would eeem to imply ? ' 'l>ear guardian." she answered, look- ing »ip into his face with tii- light of her great Jove filling her gi I .en eyes, "1 v/i^h I c<iulil tell you liow much I love my hero. May i oak you a ques- tion ?' "CVftainly. Ask anything you please." "You D)arried young. You have told me about your wife. Do you re- member how you loved berY" The duke .started, and a deep soul- sent Ki^b Imist from his lips, .''^' u hi^o tol I mo I bit she was beau- tilul," the princess went on, after a little pause; 'and I know she must have lijjen |)Ure and good or you would not have taken her for the partner of your life. Was she very noble?" "Isabel." crie4 the duke quickly with strong feeling, "she was one of the noblest, truest women I ever knew." '"Vou <lid not quite understand ine, sir. I meant, was she of very e.xulted rank by blith?" Antonio caught his breath, and changed color. The princess had ask- ed more than she dioamod of. 8be had tombed something of which she had never held a .suspicion. The fath- er of the girl he b.i.l married bud been one (if the foienio.>vt men of his timeâ€" ft bmve and gallant soldier, and an e.\- perienced militju-y couimandeiâ€" but he had been bom under a cloudâ€" illegiti- mate ; nM though his patrician fath- er hail Mc<iguized liim after be had und station, the stain was ^aiid many knew it. dian, have I unintenlion- .. «j«.Jll J'"u f Oh, if I have I anov; yuu willk-" â- 'Hush I It id nothing my child. My wife was of patrician birthâ€" of ancient lineage. Her father X knew well. There waa a misfortune in his life ; but he was one of the best men that ever liveil, and one of the bravest." "Ouardian, do you think your wife's accident of birth had anything to do with your love for her ?" "Ah I Isjilml 1 Isabel I That will not do. You must not beg the question in that manner. X can tell you this: Hail the lady whom X made my wife been of plebeian origin I should not have been permitted to marry her. It would have caused a social and civil revolution. No, no ; you must not ap- peal to my affections. This ia a case where calm reason and plain, practi- cal common sense must hold sway. Do you not see â€" does not your own better judgment tell youâ€" that you can not marry with Zanonl? Stop I Hear me through I Implore you. J will n»i tire you if I can help it. "Think, my child, of the position yon occupy. Not only are you one of the most noble ladies in Italyâ€" .sole repre- sentative of one of the oldest and weiiUhiest families, yourself possessing great wealth and influence. Not only are you all this, but you are, further- morn, a representative of the reigning family of the realm. Do you know if I i-h- uld be t<ikeu away and anything should happen to prevent Steffano from following me, your husband, if you were worthily wedded, might be (Sailed to the throne of Parma. Think of this, Isabel, and tell me if you will persist in the wild, fanciful schema of love you have so unfortunately enter- ed upon I Oh, I know you will not. You will pluck it out or you will be brave and true and Uve it down." "Sir," she replied, with a sharp pain in her voic« and the shadow of deep .suffering: on her lovely face, "the good Father in heaven has given me life, and the capacity to love, ana He has .so constituted me that my love is my life. When I love X love with all my heart, and that love is no more the cre.iture of my will thitn is the breath I breathe, which X could not stop if X would. My love for Zauoni Is more than my liJ'sâ€" more than the life of my body ; it is a part of myself â€" it has become my heaven on earth. Ask me to give up my life, and X would do It sooner than give up my love. I said my love was more th.-xn my life. X meant, in this, Juan's life has become a part of my own, and what would kill one would strike down both. If it were not the death of the body it would be that worsi'â€" that more dreadful death â€" the death of all that makes life worth living â€" a lifelong agony and lamenta- ti«n ! Oh, do you â€" can you»â€" bid me do this?" "Oh ! My child I My child I What can I Buy? What can I do ?" So the duke exclaimed, in bitter angui>:h of spirit. She was his darling ; his pride; the one thing in the woild be deeply, heartily loved. Marriage with the plebeian meant social death and ban- ishment from Italy. That he could nut endure. He must find a way to cru.sh out the evil at once, and forever. He had reached out to take his ward's hand, and was on the point of speaking further, when a quick, sharp rap .sounded upon the door. He recognized it instantly. It was the summons of his page, Kilippo, ojid he was wanted in hLs plao4) at the head of the council. "Isabel I I must leave you. The af- fairs of stale will not wait. Uefore I go I know you will give me a solemn promine that you will not, from this time, see Zanoni, nor write to him. until I have .seen and spoken with you again. Y'ou will not refuse me that." "1 shall not see him nor write to him?" 'That in what I as)f." "And X give y<ju tne promise." "Ah I I do not proini.se that I will not send my faithful M^idelon to give him <'beer un<l comfort I' the princess said to herself utter the duke had gone. (Continued.) THE SENSATIONALIST. "She is one of the women who would Imi willing to have a m.tLrder commit- ted upon her door-atep for the sake of the notoriety and commiserating sym- pathy it would bring to her." The speaker was a physician, and the subject of hi.s remarks a young and at- tractive AMuman, who was merely a type of the sensationalist class. The sensationalist is a common fig- ure in our midst, bbe it is who tells of an ordinary incident that has be- fallen her in sun'h a manner that she shines in the light of a heroine. Her illnesses are a little different and more painful than the ailments from which other people suffer. In speak- ing of the alfection of a friend for her she refers to it as an undying love. Her whole life ia surrounded with a halo of romance and coloring that may Ix; delightful fur her, but that is certainly Utth amusing and annoying to the spectator. The sensationalist craves sympathy, and will have it at any price. Her lit- tle annoyances assume gigantic pro- portions as she narrates them to an often-lH)red listener. She is positively jealous of an event in which she i.s not concerned, and re.sents any atten- tion or sympathy which her friends nuiy bestuw upon any other than her- self. And when trouble touches her ever so lightly, sfie has a grief-stricken expression that proclaim.s to the world at large. "Was there ever sorrow like unto mine ? ' One wonders what method of ex- pression the sensationalist will have left with which to show genuine sor- row, when it does come to her with a cruslting blow. IVrhaps then, all her superlatives exhausted, she wi^ at last lie dum'i. Hut it seems hard^j*,'>.s.Hil)lo that any ioy or grief can evef affect her to such an extent that she will ac- tually forget herself and cease to pose. 'Phi.s is not an exaggerated sketch. We may at least draw one lesson from the weaknesses of our sensationalist. It is not to bemoan and wail aloud against fate when comparatively unim- portant troubles visit ua. This habit of thus complaining is more easily ac- quired than one guesses. Ho is strongest who suffers silently. And when one must cry out, let it be at the great grief, not at the petty annoy- ance. Then he will find ready sym- pathy, and not the annoyed incredul- ity that greets him who has cried "Wolf" so often that now his appeal Is of no avail. THE SUMMER HTTSBAND. Now Dolly's homo againâ€" dean me I My rest and peace are o'er; I cannot dash my garments off And drop them on the floor. No more I throw my jmpers round; My smoking I restrain ; To neatue.ss I am tightly bound. Now Dolly's home stfaui. . UNABLE TO WAUL I DlatrrHlng Malady Cared by Ike Fw vf »r. Wllllama' Pink P1IJ>. From the Haxtland, N.B., Advertiser. Xtight in our own village is reported another of the remarkablie cures thai make Dr. Williams' Pink Pills so po- pular throughout the land. The caje ia fhat of Mrs. E. W. Millar. Tljs Ad- vertiser interviewed bar husba.ad, w]mi was glad to relate the ciroumstanciM for publication, that otbeiii Jaish% rsod and havsi a remiedy put 'into theif hands, as it were. "For five jioars," said Mr. Millar, my wife was unibi* to walk without aid. One pbysicia* diagnosed her case as coming from • spinal affection. Other doctors called the malady nervous prostration. ^1***" ever the trouble was.ahe was weak a«a nervous. Her limbs bad no streogtB und oould not supixirt her body. There was also a terrible weakness i« her back. Three months ago she oould not walk, but as a last resort, afte» trying many medicines, she began t» use Dr. Williams" Pink Pills. In> provement was noted in a tew days, and a few weeks has done wonders la restoring her health. To-day she can walk without aasistajQOS. You can im- agine her delight as well as my own. We owe her recovery to Dr. WiUiaas Pink Pills and X raoooimend them for any case of nervous weakness or gen- eral debility." Mr. Millar is part owner and mana- ger of one of our lumber mills and i» well known throughout the country. Dr. Williams' Pink Pills cure ny go- ing to the root of the disease. They renew and build up the blood, and strengthen the nerves, thus driving disease from the system. Avoid muta- tions by insisting that every box yoa purchase is enclosed in a wrapper bear- ing the full trade mark. Dr. Williams Pink Pills for Pale People. NOT TO BK FOOLED. Now, jest you go right along; you needn't stop here, said Farmer Hay- fork, authoritatively. I don't want no lightnin' rods. 1 am not belling lightning rods, re- sponded the sleek-looking peddler, vvbo^e sudden appearance at the gate had aroused the ira of Farmer Hay- fork. ,,. , ,. , . I don't keer v.-hat yer selUn , replied the farmer. X donl want it, an' wont take it, and that's all tharo is (^l»ut It. I know the tricks of you city sharpers. I read thu papers, I do. You i-an't catch me on .luy doulde-h^co-ac- tion pumps, or any self-v\orking cbumj, or patent Egyptian corn tresB from the pjramidstâ€" not much; and t don t want to take anj mowers on trial, either, and sign a receipt fer it and hare it ocme back as a ninety-day note fer »10,«00 No, slrise. And vou cant buy my farm, either, and then have me butf It back at a big advance, l)ecause some confederals of jours omes along and off irs twice what yoa gave fet it. Nixy I I'm no chicken. Now clear out. X only want Oh, jos; you only want to get my name to anything at all, so you can make a note out of it. I'm up to all such tricks. I read the papers, I do. I only want to show you our new patent reversible hens' nests. What on airth is thens? It's an ordinary ben's nest, only It reverses itself every time a hen lays an egg, and drops the egg into a bas- ket below. What good Is that ? Can't you .' ee ? The hen turn.t round to look at the egg. but It ain't theire and she concludes she didn't lay any, -its right down and lays another one, and so on. Only $50. By gum t Gimme a dozen. WOMEN FACTORY INSPECIORS. The Home Secretary of Englsnd late- ly reduced the authority of wonwn fac- tory in.si>ector8 to initiate prosecu- tions for breaches of the factory acts, though it was not charged that they had abused the power, Xle haai now re- fused to appoint a woman inspector for the potteries, though a large propor- tion of the workers are women and girls, and they often become afflict- ed with blindness and jmraly.sis in con- sequence of the lack of proper isadltary precautions. Tha London Women's Sig- nal says: "Where the physical trou- liles of female workers are concerned it is fully proved that it la desirable to have a woman Insiector, for they will speak to her with a freedom and readiness that they will not use toward a man. Hence, it would seem desirable to give the women potters this aid and prot6<;tiou." Hut when a deputation waited on the Home Secretary, to urge (he aj)- iKjintment of a woman as inspector, he objected that "anything in the na- ture of dual control betwe«n the wo- man and the man inspector would be to be deprecated; and that he would not contemplate making the woman .subject to the authority of the man." A contingent of w orkers blinded by t he industry were brought up to .see the Home ."Secretary, l)ut hie refused tu re- ceive them. PI,KA.SUiHE, THEN BUSINESS. My wife is a financier; I told her we hadn't money to go to the sea.shore. Well f When I came home at night, she had sold all our fui'niture and h;d the trunks packed. NOT WHOLLY HATEFUL. Did you recommend to Marie that country place where you were la.st summer ? No; I was tempted to but X didn't. AGHFED TO. Cum.so â€" Snickers is a dry joker. Cawkerâ€" in the sense of always be- ing thirsty, yes. "N,^ ssar '-''^' •Maaut

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