WHY DID HE LOVE HER?

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9878, 25 February 1901, Page 3

WHY DID HE LOVE HER?

CHAPTER XXXlX.—Continued,

During this investigation' Berkely had suffered untold agonios; he could.nob un. dertand the coolness of Fontani, nor approve of his resolution to do nothing that might alarm the'quarry they sought, till the clue was' in his own hands. Furnished with this the two friends,' with anxious faces and perturbed hearts, took their way to the spot once so familiar to one .of them. .

The cottage was situated among • the ruing of ancient Homeland had once hud some pretensions to ; architectural beauty; bufc it had now fallen partially to decay, and of all the; rooms it contained, -but three were fib for occupation.

The strangers cautiously approached and looked into the yard, choked up" with neglected shrubbery; they caught- sight of the quiet figure in the door way, and Fontani spoke to his companion:

"Walk among the ruins, George, while I speak with thia old creature. ' I can, probably, recall myself to her memory, and induce her to talk; but in the presence, of a stranger she would probab'.ybe reserved." . •" ' ■ Berkely" nodded intelligently, and took a side "path which diverged from the build ing while Fontani went,, forward, and greeting the old spinner, said:

"Good afternoon, Mother Benetti; you seem as industrious as ever. I have comt a long way to see you and the old home, but I am afraid you will not know me. 1 am porisKing at thirst; may I take a cup and dip some water from the old fountain at) the back of the house?"

She lifted her dim eyes and intently regarded him: "Water is the gift of God, as as the sunshine and the air. Make yourself welcome senor; drink as much as you _ will, and then tell who it is that .speaks with a voice that seems to come out of th< past—yet'l cannot call your name" Without replying, Fontani went to the old fountain, and filled, a cup which h< took from a shelf in passing. Old memorie* were stirring within .him, and, stolen, as he had once thou'g'hfc himself, he fe' 1 that las voice,must choke and grow trc mulous till he gained the mastery over hi.emotions. After lingering so long that Eenetf began to fear he had absconded with he cup Fontani came in and sat down ; few' feet from her. She looked curiousb. at him and asked :

"Who may you be, senor, who seen to know n.T the ways o fthe place s well? You must have been here before." ■ «Yes—you are quite right; I havbeen here before. Some of the brighter days of my life were passed under tti roof; also some of the saddest." She dropped her work and tremulous!, whispered: , "It can't be—it can't be. He wou-tln come back, and the other is far acros tho sea."

Fontani steadily went on

"Mother Benetti, can you mot remember the two brothers whoi came here r the days .of your young lady's brigi youth? Can you not recall him who sc retly took her to his heart as his wedcie wife? "Who paid the penalty of his ras' act with altoost the loss of life!"

The listener clasped her- hands an said, with emotion: "And ' you must be that one, thoug' they told me you were dfead. You a< Henry Fontaine, come back to the oV place; but it's bo use—they are a 1! goii' —all that you cared for. The evil ov> lives b"ut the good ones are gone t<> God.'"

#1 knew that before I came hither. Jis of that evE one I seek in£oa*miiutic| i Tell me what you know of her." "What do you wish to find out? Sli< did not tell me her plans, "but I suspec' them. She tried to make me believe th< girl was my darling's child, but I knev better. She left me here with a promis< to send me money, but till lately forgo' all about me. Then she wanted a servic and she sent me a hundred seuddi."

The 013 ■woman wandered on with, thf garrulity of her years, and FontanA listened with a rapidly beating heart. H' spoke however, with extreme caution: "I can tell you where Bianco, now is: and the nature of the service she asked. Senoru Roselli has gone to Virginia, tclaim my inheritance for herowndaugli ter. She han palmed off Savella, as th< OMld, tnajb was lost in the Tyrol seve;i teen years ago. Is it not so?" "How do you know all this? Wherhave you 1 been hiding all these year*. •while Bituica. laid her plans, and carrier 1 them out?" she vaguely asked, as if stupified with astonishment. ."It matters not now; I am here ii the flesh to undo what Bianca has acconi plisheA Listen to' mtei for I have^omethin p oven more important to say. I have fuv ther learned that a young girl who wn in her path has been spirited away an<' brought to this city; that she wiu

brought to this house by a man shew induced to believe was her father. 1 km>v that he is not, and so do you. The sen vice of which you just now spoke as re quired by Bnianca was to receive th'> young stranger till, a more secure nsyhu! 1 could be found for her. Speak is ii not so?"

(To be cwiMnuofi.?