The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-10-31
BURIED ALIVE.
A Romance or the Tomb.

| A Romance OF the Tomb.
In the year 1400, Ginevra de Ami.
era, Florentine beauty, married
under parental pressure, man who
had failed to win her heart, that she
bad given to Antonio Rondinelli.-
Soon afterward the plague broke out
in Florence; Gineyra fell i'll, appar-
emily succumbed to the malady, and
being pronounced dead, was the
same day consigned to the family
tomb.
Some one, however, had blunder-
ed in the mattel, fot in the middle of
the night, the entombed bride woke
out of her trance, and badly as her
living relatives had behaved, found
her dead ones still less to her liking,
and lost no time in quitting the 81
lent company upon whose quietude
she had unwillingly intruded. Speed
ing through the sleep wrapped streets
as swiftly as her clinging cerements
allowed, Ginevra sought the home
from which she had so lately been
borne.
Reused from his slumbers by a
knocking at the door, the disconso-
late widower of day cautiously
opened an upper window, and see
ing a shrouded figure waiting below,
in whose upturned face he recognized
the lineaments of the dear departed,
he cried, "Go in peace, blessed spir-
it" and shut the window precipitate-
ly. With sinking heart and slacken-
ened step the repulsed wife made her
way to her fathers door, to receive
the like benison from her dismayed
parent.
Then she crawled on to an uncle's,
where the door was indeed opened,
but only to be slammed in her face
by the frightened man, who, in his
hurry, forgot even to bless his ghost
ly caller. The cool night air pene-
trating the undress of the hapless
wanderer, made her tremble and
shiver, as she thought she had walked
to life only to die again in the cruel
streets.
"Ahl" she sighed, "Antonio would
not have proved 80 unkind."
This thought naturally suggested
it was her duty to test his love and
courage; it would be time enough to
die if he proved like the rest. The
way was long, but hope renewed her
limbs, and soon Ginevra was knock
ing timidly at Antonio's door. He
opened it himself, and although
startled by the ghastly vision, calmly
uired what the spirit wanted with
throwing her shroud away from
face, Ginevra exclaimed:
1 am no spirit, Antonio; I am
! Ginevra you once loved, who
buried yesterday-buried alive"
fell senseless into the welcoming
is of her astonished, delighted
.Ooer, whose cries for help soon
brought down his sympathizing fam
lily to hear the wondrous story, and
bear its heroine to bed, to be tender
ly tended until she had recovered
from the shock and was as beautiful
as ever again.
Then came the difficulty. Was
Ginevra to return to the man who
had buried her, and shut his doors
against her, or give herself to the
man who had saved her from a sec
ond death ? With such powerful
special pleaders as love and gratitude
on his side, of course, Antonio won
the day, and private marriage made
the lovers amends for previous dis
They, however, had no intention
of keeping in hiding, but the very
first Sunday after they became man
and wife, appeared in public togeth-
er at the Cathedral, to the confusion
and wonder of Ginevra's friends
An explanation ensued, which salts
fed everybody except the lady's first
husband, who insisted that nothing
but her dying in genuine earnest
could dissolve the original matri-
monial bond.
The case was referred to the bish-
op, who, having no precedent to'curb
his decision, rose superior to tech
nicalities, and declared that the first
husband had forfeited all right to
Ginevra, and must pay over to Anto-
MO the dowry he had received with
her-a decree at which all true low
ers in Florence heartily rejoiced.