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Show GAZETTE ENTERTAINMENTS. 16TH, gUPFLlMElTT ItTO- 3-18- 90.- ONLY AN IRRESPONSIBLE WOMEN S!ia Was Fond o Admiration and Claimed It AlwaYs Evan at tiie Price of Unman Lite. A Story of One Man's Passionate Adoration Under Italys Warm Sim She Only Laughed. (Translated Iron t Sit Italian of Tnllo Fornioni.) lie had met liere at Casa del Itio, one of the few houses that lie frequented in Florence, and his first ini. of her was repulbve. Tiie thoughtlessness, the contiiiaal laiighllier itlid jest upon everything, which seemed line a trait of c nicism; the familiarity of manner, winch went rowfar, und the impertinent quite towliicli Lea Conn made the dyism di Muja a type quite ly livrselT, had caused him to avoid tier. Fr Massimillano Mont alto was re fatly"" a manf bygoio? times. wiiir'a soul of Hie ciiivaimus and inyslie temper of iiiediseval days. The great love iof iiis life was his mother, who lived hi a small town of l'iedmmit. and with whom he umiiilaiiied a constant daily or a lover. correspondence, like a child Of love. Ins ideal was too elevaje 1. IliioU relations seemed to Inin abject, like a betrayal; thev were repugnant to him; and lie had never found a to his ide.il i tc ifiil who misweied id wile. The girla of the present day seemed to him loo frivolous and too l.adiy hi ought up. Therefore ht rarely society of wm.ien; and ..sought the all those whom he hud met more Lhan in Florence, disgusted and repelled him. lint Lea ha quickly div:ned the dislike of Mass' Ills friends called hum. and her fulsu self esteem of a woman iiciaistomed to adulation and incense was piqued and even oiTended by it. It seemed to her I'linsii oral. However good at heart she may have on been, Ja-- was ilomiuted !vananoverconscious desire to charm, by powering wish lo le admired and mui jlit. The wave of admiration amt wois'up rising around her caused her an arm sensation of pleasure wlnc i intoxicated her. On the line of the she redouhhd her greatest resistance, will and energy, without meaning any harm or wishing to injure anv one, but as a display of women's power was a proof of her ow n fascinations. Lea had promised herseff to conquer amt tame the wild mail.'" She had been obliged to do eerlaiii violence to his reserve, lint she hud .succeeded, party by force amt partly fry stratagem, in penetrating So the last iiitrenchments of tiie enemy. At Casa del Ilm Mass had become tier aim. She call'll him, she attracted him bv looks ami by words; she showed herself to him sos. kind, so simple, so after a little holdfriendly that Ma-emleil liiul by aecepting the ing hack, fiimiliiiiy so spontaneously offered to him. So there was established between them a friendship tluiL quickly attain ed the degree of it genuine intimacy. Montalto, come here; tell me what von have been doing with yonrsell these dava. Yon know that you most keep me Informed. And between them went on interminable conversations, which generus disputes, ally turned into for these two were ulmost always at opposite poles. said: Once, in saluting him. Lea had the I, too, receive my friends on do not go out; I hope evenings when I see me, too. you will come to I And Masa has quickly replied: And he had gone there, will come. again anil again, at llrst rarely, then frequently, then almost every evening. Thev often had little quarrels. Mass rebuked her for her waywardness and her small follies. lie had assumed the tone of an old friend, of an elder brother. Lea laughed and gave herself a word of amusement in this con-or tinual contest, this play of jests, repartee, of ruses, with which she provoked and teased liar wild man." One evening she asked him to his race. Then von never have loved? You Truly, do you not love Inny one? conmust tell me. because am your e-- rt 1 1 11 -i. 1 a semi-serio- lidente. The question strangely disturbed him. and he answered No. ihii are mt then an anchorite? And Lea s eyes, a Ui lie mocking, fascinated him. .Mass had quickly turned the couver satiou, bn i that night he had not been a le 10 sleep. He did not appear fm sever.il days. Wi n i he did leapar. Lea reproved him affectionately; then that evening toward turn, aim she , greatly occupied wim a new acqiia'nt a nee, an elegant young man from It. mic, tiie brother of one of lu-friends wlm had uom-- lo pass u tilth lime w:lh his sister. Mass fell unenraf irtah'e. He did not unde; stand wny. hut that new comer and the manners, a little too faunii.ir as usu 1, of Leu. gave him annoy ance. A uni tier evening a lievier blow i l,im. were only present himself. There . a ni her uiisban I, a man of the vviT.d, mi lodger very young, aniable. expi riem ed. wiio gave a loose hr id ids wife, ill tne conviction that she would not go loo far. Lea had liegnn :t frolic wit. i him; she tantalized lulu, tea.d him. pelted him; slie ended by sciii.ig lu-- r e I on his knees and kiss big linn. At this kiss the heart oi Mas gave a oo.iiul, and Ins veins were Was lie jealous? in a tiim iiL. Why? Amt of tier bus a id? It was like a .1 jilting Hash b which lie liein-h- l himself lost. He Look leave almost immediately, euL mil ns it bewildered ami began to wander through the s. reels, beyond the city walls, upon the hills, without knowing where he went, tiveroi 111" iimi liorrnied. by that sudden revela lion, and with a pricking down in the depths of his heart tiiat kins. Us hss to delude himself, to diasun iilatu any longer to himself. It was love; love of that s.iiiiul. true soil tliai of age one can experience at ill! with a mystic, virgin soul like his Ami it burst forth with impetus, with violence, like a great intox ieat ion Unfortunate that tie was! Now soul was wandering in the tempest of an uuruily passion, now all the mural sti'iictiire'nf his hie was He wandered ii a frenzy until dawn, seeking to reiresh his burningi bend d wilh the co d breeze. lie tiiat it was needful to lake an inline diate decision. If resolved lo task lot a furlough and to go awav. Hayiiu obtained leave of absence, he excuseu his sudden departure in a note to Lea ullegin r urgent family affaiis. and hastened lo take refuge with his mother. The linage ofLea haunted him mid ah sorted his vitality. He f ll that she was established in his heart, never to Is torn away from it. The remorse ul loving the wife of another toriured him, but passion Was st ronger than remorse. Should lie kill himself? No. There was his mother. And then, it would he aunther crimp, and a cowardice. moreover. He hoped that he m.glit die. Meanwhile a letter frntnLa had not failed to arrive. Site complained of his strange departure, site reproved him. if their good friendship, and informed him, with her usual amlacitv, tiiat without him site missed something lie cessary to her, and begged him to re turn soon. It was oil upon the flames. He determined to return. An invinc ble force drew him. The evening after lie presented himself, excited and feverish, in L'u's salon. With a great Oh! of aurprise Lea sprang toward him. holding out both hands, urging upon him one of L-a- h-l- vv vt-ur- '' tiilli-r.iig- . iimli-rsMi- tier magnetic glances, which were at one a delight and an assassination. You! Heallv you! Hut you are become a man of coups de theater! You will be tne death of me. deal Miss! A little regard, a little pitvl Ami she showered upon him a thick hailstorm of questions, epigrams ami witticisms that seemed endless. There were oilier persons in the saloon. Matts fenced with monosyllab-les- . with broken phrases; he hardly knew w hat lie was saying. As Lea was occupied exclusive with him. little hv little the others went away, and Mass liegau to wander up i nd down the loom, trying to dominate the emotion which possessed him. Hut Lea stopped him, and aftet having burst into loud laughter, in li is face, she took him by liie hand and made him sit beside tier. Oh, heavens, my poor Mass, what nas happened to you? If it were not ou who are speaking I should say von were about to tell tne Hie news of wnir dentil. Have yon. perhaps, decided to kill yourself in order to seek for vour ideal. in the next world? No, Lea. I have uni decided to kill blit I have decided lo tell you iiyseir. hat I can live mi longer without von, for I love you desperately. Old And she gave a long, ringing nigh. Hilt how is tins? You. even von. in v poor Mass, to pay such a trib-i- l e to human frailty? To love such a light headed thing, a creature so im- I perfect as 1 am! It is not possible. lever will believe it. Now yon are mak-m- r fun of tne. You wish to take a revet. gj for all my rogueries us oii rail hem. Hravo. tiravissimo! And slit, laughed and menaced him with her sarcastic, :est tires and shot at him provoking glances Du mu laugh' Lea. It is no jesting .natter, on my word as a gentleman. speak lo you from my soul. candidAnd he made to her briefly, ly w it.li the undeniable accent of truth md passion, the complete confession if his love. II t i!d her all from Ihe soon afterii ist impulse impression words changed into liking, to the gradual conquest of his sou!, the iiucousc-miiirresistible allraet inn .1 lie sudden revelation which had illuminated verything to him. his denials, the irrefutable proof,! lie jealousy toward her nusband which li .id determined his lien flight. Ila told of his sufferings wconaway from her.the struggle of his science, then the decisive onslaught of passion. and his return. Lea hud punctuated the story with interruptions, exclamations andof epiher grams, all the finest repertory rogueries. Olil my poor Mass, wliut are you telling me! Ail Hi is isto men lightning flash out of a clear sky; but for yon.Iet ne say to you, all this is only a hulltici-latioiI I In-- r 1 H. i. A hallucination! Yes. indeed, a h.illucinaliin of your Inn ingenuous. From the fancy. Mil! ear wii Ii which I umpired you at the egimi'ug. ion came to be a Mttle fond if me; and, in vour iiiueiiiicnsiiess.ynii elieve that you have fallen in love. With your character it could not lie therivise. You have mistaken glow' worms for lanterns; I assure you of It, nd I am in experienced woman. In a ew days you will be the first to laugh at it vouraelf. Mass, irrdated, denied and inter-rt"d her words. Hear me. Lea. I am not a man or fe un or to imagine a feeling which I have not, that 1 should wish not to have; you should know' that 1 have torn away my flesh to let you look into my heart. What 1 have said is the sacred truth The mere doubt offends me. Oh! nli I place myself at your disposal. I shall expect your seconds morning. L struggled. 1 tell yon, and I have had to declare myself conquered. I have setoff against you my mother, mv career, my 3onvietions of mv whole life, my duty and religion. You have been stronger than ail! Altogether it is really a serious affair, poor Massl Hut do 1 not doubt that I shall cure you. If have given tiie wound 1 will also give tiie cure, like tiie lance of Achilles Nmt lor mu there is left only one thing in the world you. -- m to-mo- rrow And I return your friendship so No, listen to me. What! Is there something still more serious? Although I love you, because I love vou so, I could never share you with any other man even could I do so the hypocrisy would be too repugnant to me. It would be torment. Listen, laia. I propose lo you I conjure you to accon must accept ept-) Hut what? Id short. I will take you and carry you awHy openly .because you are mine. ecauseyou ought to be mine. anil we will go to live far away from here, out sideof Italy, outside of Europe, wherever you will Lea, who had been listening to him in astonishment, at this point arose to her feet. Ma-if anv one else should make such a proposal to me I would show him I lie door, witli you I will be toleryou really are out of vour ant, because you. Hut 1 forbid you head, ami L pity lake notice. L rorbid you, ever to repsuch disepnrses... eal "Hut do you not tiuderstuhW?'unders-stand I uiideiotand everything. I are tint :u your normal tiiat you condition. 1 understand now that I have done verv wrong to show yqu any liking, because you are a dangerous and lake tilings as thev shocharacter, al. I not he taken. Then, bursting afresh into laughter: Hravo, Signor LJuii-lut- i, that wishes lo run away witli an ntuer mans wife! Muss, with iiis head between his l.ands. sat shuddering. No, no, my dear Muss. I am not a woman lo la taken so seriously. I am lint, made for grand passions, I do not leel them, ami never shall feel theui.l like to amuse mvself, laugh and be gwuil friends. Whoever likes me so. ery well; whoever does not like me lias only to leave tne. Have pm not even a little love for fully s, In-hi- me?- Friendship, as much as you will: not' iag more. Lea, Lea, think that; upon your words in tins moment depends tiie fate of tny life, lierause.. were I to die of it. I shall never enterst you again Hravo! Did 1 not tell von Unit if vou ever ret timed to this discourse 1 should In compelled to break off even friendship? Lea, wait to answer ine I give you a mouth, 1 give you a year. Let me hope that you may change, tiiat you may consent Are you mad? Never, never anil never! Then farewell. And he resolutely extended his liaml to her. . until we meet Farewel- l- that nga ii. Uecause we shall meet again, shall we nut ? Stay away from me fulsome days, and then come a ml tell me that your mood is passed, tiiat vou are my good friend again as at first. Farewell. Mass repeated. I tell you. till we meet again, tny tamed wild man, my puritan gone to Hie bad. All. ali.ah, wuen I think of it 1 cannot help hiugliiug.Hut laugh, you must laugh, too! They had reached the dour of the saloon. We shall see each other soon, shall we not. -- 4 Mass? Mass looked her mournfully in the eys and said: Farewell. Jea! Several days passed lieforeljea heard at once anything oMiim. Then all Montalto it was learned tiiat Captain had solicted and obtained a com miss ion to Africa, and that there, according to Iiis request, he had been given the command of a corps of irregular troops. After some mouths tiie news arrived of an encounter between tiie irregulars of the Italian arnir and the hordes of an Abyssinian raider.Mass had fallen, fighting desperately. Lea was overwhelmed. The true.the fatal drama of that soul, she alone coin prehended, A copious flood of tears that arose from her heart poured from her black eves, while a sharp stab of remorse went to the depths uf her conscience. She swore to herself that she would never again would kindle such flames of passion. Hut it is doubtful whether she kept her oath. . |