The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-06-01
[From The Galaxy for June.l =
THE LAKE, OF, DEATH.

cause his family had treated her with
such marked contempt. "a 1t lie. true she
had many qualities which might readi-
~ have attraced young and impulsive
man. She was beautiful to an extra
ordinary degree, and there was q charm
in her childish, innocent ways that was
almost irresistible; yet she lacked depth
and strength Of character, aud was pro-
badly incapable ofaa strong and en-
during attachment. Even toward her
her conduct was not always
to the psssionate insanity
of his love fer her,, She, was easily
pleased and fattered by the attentions
Of other men, and it was frequently
whispered in the regiment that Da
Francis would yet learn that he had
thrown away his heart to Q woman who
could not prize it.
They had heen married about year
aud halt, when young French officer
who had been wounded in Algeria and
was absent from his regiment on sick
leave, came to Naples. He soon be-
came acquainted with Da Francia, and
. warmed friendship sprang mp between
the two men, who were by. no means
unlike each other, except in the inn
pertant particular that the Frenchman
was totally destitute Of principle in his
toward women, while the
Italian was q mar of the strictest
honor. As o matter of course, Captain
Cassinot became q frequent visitor at
his friends lodgings and soon was the
chief favorite among Teresa's many ad-
mlrers. t'.. IS. -ffF fI- Il
Totally uususpiciOus, both of his wife
and of his friend, Da Francia ayas not
in the least troubled at the intimacy
which was soon subject OF. notoriety
in the regiment. 1t was not until he
was warned by one of his oldest friends
of the disgrace that impended over him,
that his suspicious were awakened.
Even then, so firm was his faith in
Teresa, that he would probably have
his half-awakened fears had
he not discovered, in his wife's room. q
miniature of her lover, together with a
letter that conld leave no donbt of the
black depth OF her guilt.
He acquainted no one with the dis
covery he had made. The Frenchman
came and went at his will, and Teresa
never doubted that she had success
fully deceived. her husband. For two
DAYS he preserved the same smiling
face he had worn in the days of his
and if his manner toward
his wife was in the least degree chang
ed she was too much engrossed with her
lover to.notice it. Meanwhile he was
a scheme of revenge suf-
ficiently cruel to satisfy the tiger that
had awakened within him. He had
decided at once that the Frenchman
must die, but he wished his wife to be
the agent and the witness in the pun
shment of her partners guilt.
On the evening of the second day,
Da Francia apprised his wife that he
had obtained q weeks leave Of absence,
and that he proposed to take her for
, brief visit to her old home at Grotta
Minarda. To her surprise and delight
be insisted that CassiDot, who was
should accompany them, and
Is Teresa Joined her entreaties to her
husbands request, her lover willingly
consented to go with them.
And here, at this dull, quaint old
town, where he had met and loved
his woman, q sadness new and strange
came upon Da Francia. On the even
ng of their arrival, he went to the IA
miiiar cafe, and seating himself at his
former place in the corner, asked Iere- |
"a TO bring him his coffee, as in the old
laws. The guilty woman wondered at
his unusual stiffness and reserve. She
was half afraid of the passionate, re-
yretful, longing gaze with which he
read her eyes as they sat together side
by side. To please him, as she thought,
The recalled the hours they had once
spent together so happily in the cafe,
It church, or among the waving corn
fields outside the walls. "And you love
NE lust as dearly nowr she asked him,
With a sweet, imploring look. "Just |
a. dearly" he answered, quietly. |
Then / am perfectly happy said
Teresa. Ah! what grief aud hopeless.
ness, and mad despair must have surged
IN poor Da Francia's bosom as they re-
the happy idyl Of their un.
married days, and this woman played
her part with q skill that made him half
believe her to be in earnest. And yet,
while her false protestations Of love
ere vet murmuring in his ear, her
overs portrait and his letter were
ying securely in Da Francias breast
pocket.
The next day Da Frsncia proposed
10 show the captain the wonders Of
The lake. He privately charged Teresa
not to mention the deadly popularity
hat had given the lake it's weird repu-
,ation as the mouth of hell. "We
will surprise him, and made him &C.
that France has nothing 40
wonderful as our lake." he said, and
,is wife unsuspiciously fell in with his
plan. '' 80.
when they reached the valley the
Wind was blowing lightly frem the
north, and the three leaving the coach.
nan at . distance approached the lake
IN the safe side. Scarcely had they
reached the the margin, when Da Fran
,ia discovered that he had dropped his
cane, and Cassinot rstraced his steps
to search for it. What passed between
husband and wife while they were
alone can only be conjectul ned, but
when the Frenchman returned, the
woman was pale and trembling and Da
Francia was rallying her upon the
fright which, as he said, she had receiv-
ed from the sight of q viper.
Teresa assured her lover that she
had been frightened, but was now per.
fectly herself. Then she paused for
. moment, while Da Francia looked
at her with stern, darkenine
gaze.
A shudder passed over the woman,
and then she laughed nervously. 81
wish, n she said presently, "that / had
hat beautiful flower just across the
lake" - o. @F
ut is yours" gsyly replied Cassi-
not, sad springing down the bank,
walked rapidly 70 the lower end of
The lake, and began to cross the mar
row outlet. "Txke care Of your
self, /" shouted De Francis; "the peasants
call this place the mouth Of hell.n
He nodded gayly and crossing the