Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/274

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��Stranger than Fiction.

��many are the hearts her pretty feet have trampled on. She will have none of the Florentine beaux, but declares her lover is coming from over the sea some day to claim her. or such is the report. The young lady has been greatly inter- ested in you since your illness, but you frightened her much in the old castle, a week ago. She thinks the American Milord, as they all call you, is very hindsome, and she is extremely sorry he is indisposed. The old castle is one of her favorite resorts, and her grand- father had that huge reclining chair put there for her especial use."

I did not talk much that afternoon, I was content to sit and watch her, as I could do, from my window. Later, I saw one I took to be the grandfather, saunter down the path with two more females, one of whom I could see was young and beautiful, the other evidently her mother. Carina jumped up with a little cry of delight, and flung herself into each of their arms alternately. Later still I found they were her aunt and cousin, come upon a visit.

Daily I grew better, my appetite re- turned, I was no longer haunted, my keeper's office became a sinecure. My insane ideas left me, about as suddenly as they had taken possession of me, and I resumed my painting with a zest.

I went upon long rambles, now mak- ing a companion of my former keeper, and astonishing him with my hearty appetite and exuberance of spirits.

In a month's time no one would have recognized me as the poor invalid who had come to Florence for his health.

Well, I had got it, and what was more, I had become acquainted with beautiful Carina, and a healthy, earthly love was fast ousting the unnatural, in- sane passion which had so long pos- sessed me. One day she was in my sitting-room, after our betrothal, and

��she saw the casket Mr. Travers gave me.

" Why ! How did you come by Aunt Nita's casket? " she asked,

" I do not think that ever was your Aunt Nita's casket. Carina. It was given me by a gentleman in America, and I brought it here with me. Open it." She took the key from me and did as I bade her, and to my astonishment and her confusion, it was stuffed full of bank-notes. I had told her it was empty. It was Mr. Travers' polite way of paying me the money I had refused to take from his hand, and I, thinking the casket empty, and too sacred to be used for anything ordinary, had not opened it before. Now I could not, and did not care to refuse it. I told Carina she might keep the casket, as she admired it so much.

" Do you know the secret of these caskets, my Winn?" she asked in her pretty foreign accent.

'' I was not aware they had any secrets, Carina, mia." I said.

She laughed shyly, and pressed a tiny spring, and a false bottom fell into her hand, and not the bottom only, but pa- pers, some yellow with time, others white as snow. She quickly gathered them together and placea them in my hands, her face sobered at the look of astonishment on mine.

" Pardonez," she murmured, blushing. " Freely, my love, for I knew not they were there."

That night when all was still, and I was alone, for I was left alone now, I looked over the papers put there ; by whom ? Perhaps by Elinor herself

The first paper, yellow, and dated nearly nineteen years ago, was a marriage certificate between — Raphalio Russino, and — Elinor Travers ! The second a certificate of birth and baptism, of an infant girl, by name, Carina Russino !

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