The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-11-18

"To the gate, brigands, with you
bludgeOns !" shouted GasparOni. Hi
order was obeyed-beneath heavy an
repeated blows the wicket gave way
Anselmo would have entered frs
"Way for your captain" sternl
shouted Gasparoni. "Dispute my pre-
cedence and dier The appalled, rot
Der stepped back hastily, and Gaspa
roni was the first to step within til
hallowed precincts.
Several doors in the body of tn
building were successively forced, ant
the armed heels of the brigands ran;
along the stone-paved corridors, as
headed by their captain, they strOd
onward to their crime. The nuns hat
assembled in the chapel and were nov
covering within the precincts of tn,
altar. The lady abbess alone was self
possessed and dignified. She was /;
woman of middle age, of lofty stature
and possessing some claims to til,
epithet of beautiful, though her c0un
tenance was somewhat worn and fur
rOwed.
Commanding lis band toshalt on th,
threshold of the chapel, Gasparon
doffed his hat, walked with firm stel
up the central aisle, and halted at thu
railing of the altar, on the lowest steI
of which the abbess stood. There wa.
something in her bearing that awet
even the lawless brigand. Sensible o
the feeling she inspired, and determin-
ed to profil by it, .he lady addressed
the intruder.
Gay, pause" she said, "well may
you, for you are i'm the house of God
and shall pronounce His curse, which
now hangs suspended over you, if you
do not instantly retire, nor farther mo.
lest those devoted to His service"
Dear lady, l came to do you a SER
vice." answered Gasparoni, recovering
his bitterness and self-possession. '"Tis
really pity such a bevy of beauties
should die in convent. L cannot an
swer for you, madam, for you are past
the hey-day of your youth; but fOl
these sweet girls, / believe they're
ready to quit your roof without compul-
sion."
"Hear him! =" cried the abbess, lifting
up her hands i'm holy horror. Hear
the unliallowed infidel." She gave a
private signal, which was understood
and answered as she wished. The
notes of the organ suddenly broke upon
the midnight air, the echoes rolled
along the vauited roof, and died away
like distant thunder. Then rose the
sweet, wailing voices of the nuns, clus-
tering around their altar, and chanting
to their Maker-,S0nctuD, ct terrible no
men ejus, h,ituHt supiCntioe tiDlOr DOM
ii9. Then the voices ceased and all
was mute. Perhaps even the brigand
chief would have fled the holy spot,
appalled, and chilled, had he not seen
among the shrinking nuns, a lovely,
a we'll known FACET was LeonOra's.
He sprapg over the fretted barrier, and
seized his victim. She sbrieked with
pious horror as his burning lips pressed
those she had vowed to purity and
prayer.
"Each to his nun" shouted Gaspa-
roni, lifting the fainting girl from her
feet" and let those who are covetous
bear off the crucifix and plate. Away!
before the morning comes to tell the
tale"
His orders were Obeyed with all the
promptness of inclination. Some tore
the loveli.st nuns from the pillars to
which they clung convulsively, while
others seized the gold and silver vessels
of ethe chapel. One gigantic robber
wrenched the golden cross from its pc
destal, and bore it off in triumph.
Long before the daylight dawned, the
sacrilegious band had secured its retreat;
still breaking the solemn:silence of the
early hour, the mighty bell of the con-
vent was heard tolling forth dolorous
alarm.
CHAPTER ILL.
AS the weary robbers reached their
mountain assures, the clear rays of
broad daylight bathed the heights of
the AbruZzi. Fatigued with toll they
flung themselves upon the ground to
sleep, regardless of their victims, who,
half-dea with terror, awaited the con-
clusion of their unfortunate adventure.
The captain alone refused to sleep, but
seated Oh an isolated crag, watched
over the inanimate form of LeonOra.
AT length sensation revisited the wret-
ched girl. She arose from her recum-
bent posture, opened her eyes, and then
closed them again with heavy sigh.
"Where am I?' she murmured
family.
ain the arms of a lover" answered
Gasparoni.
~ am the bride of heavenw Shrek
ed the hOrror-stricken nun.
"Do / look like celestial bride
groom" asked the robber, bitterly
No! am of the earth-earthly. But,
LeOnOra, you can reform me-you can
make me happy"
AWAY! your hands are stained with
bloOd.n
Penitence shall make them as
white as snow, or gold shall purchase
absolution of the Pope himself-Oniy be
minen
"My yowr
"Ay-vows do very well for the ul-
initiated, but not for us who know the
world. The noble takes vow of allie
glance to his sovereign, but he turns
traitor when interest commands him.
The sovereign swears to protect the
people, but, Notwithstanding this, he
betrays the people. Why should the
vows of a nun be more binding than
those of prince or nOble"'
"GasparOni, l abhor you. Sooner
than submit to your sacrilegiOus em-
braces, will dash this frail person from
the eminence OIL which l stand, and
roll a mangled cOrse, before your eyes,
to the foot of the mountain. Sooner"
More she would have said, but from
their very feet there broke the wall of
q solitary trumpet. In q moment the
crags were bristiing with bayonets,
and emerging from cOncealment the
arms of cuirassiers and light infantry
glistened in the rising sun.
r
saved from worse than death. The
ben has been heard-our prayers have
been heard-and the Lord hath saved
his servants J"
"Too late they comel" cried the rob-
ber, struggling to bear away the almost
frantic girl. There is yet time for re-
treat"
"Quick. quick! for the love of hea-
ven, gentlemen" shrieked the nun.
"Too late!" repeated Gasparoni.-
" Away" And he succeeded in fore
ing her from the rock TO which she
clung.
"A hundred ducats to the man who
puts ball through the head of Gaspa-
roni !" cried dismounted colonel of
Dragons, rushing up the rocky steep.
\ carboneer sprung upon a rock, lev
elled his piece, and fired. Santa Ma
ria. the bullet pierced the heart of Le-
Onora, and mortally wounded the bri-
gand chieftai.l. No sooner had the
wretched girl sunk at his feet, than the
robber uttered deep groan. For an
instant he seemed crushed, and then
all his energy returned. Though the
blood was pouring freely from his
wound, he cooked his gun. aimed at
the unlucky carbineer, and fired. The
soldier sprang into the air, and fell |
headlong from the precipice. ON fhe |