The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-10

seat. "Where are you going, Emilia2"
said be, in bland voice. "On the deck;
the heat here suffocates.n "As you please
marchese; we will take few glasses
more wine, aud then follow you.
| On reaching the deck l found Andren-
20 pouring out wine from great Jug for
the sailors, all Of whom were already in
toxicated. Two of them were lying
the Geek fast asleep, Andrengo, seeing
me, made some remark about the fishing
lines having got into disorder Without
knowing exactly why, | returned to the
cabin below. and saw that the marchese
had Just poured two large glasses Of wine
for himselfand SebastianO. c'Vhe fishing
lines are all i'm disorder said /. The
marchese stepped out Just TO the foot Of
the ladder, aud called for Andrengo. |
emptied the wine in the glass of themar-
chese under the table, placed it in front
of Sebastiano, and then placed his full
glass where the other had stood. My
lover stared at me with provoking sur
prise The Detestable re-entered the
cabin, and glancing at SebastianO's empty
glass, he drank the full one before him,
and proposed that we should all go up to
the deck. We went. Perhaps there had
been no Supplying drug employed. |
did not believe It 10 be poison Some
thing more fendish than that was evil
dently intended. 'SNye him sQmeh V J
save him somehow n WIS FapidlyrtpeQt-
ed within myself as 'you0fleh hear pei
sons Who have lost their wits keep on re-
peating, Whether sense or orgibberish, the
same thing; SO Save him somehow
save him somthowW was rapidly repeat
ed within me.
The fshiug trickeri6s were not yet in
order, SO We walked up and down the
deck. The two platforms werenow rais-
ed BY Andrengo' and one OF the Sailors,
and were lined up TO q Level Tith the
deck, and the cords made iast The two
long iron brackets were then carefully
drawn outward by their cords. Andrengo
placed chair upon each platform, and
the marchese himself went upon the
foremost platform, and laid the fishing
lines ready for Sebastiano. His own
were not yet disentangled. "We will 90
down again for few minutes" said he,
"and take another glass of wine" Sowe
slowly descended. The marchese watch
ed Sebastiano, and | watched the mar
chese The only efiect the wine had ta-
ken upon him was degree Of dizzy ex-
citement causing yolubility of speech.
Meanwhile my dear Sebastiano, notatall
aware of the dreadful death so systemat-
ically prepared for him, looked now at
the marchese and now at ME with an IN
nocent though troubled perpleXity that
was most pathetic to witness. He de-
clined, however, to take any more wine;
but recklessty drank some, feelinga wish
to be uplifted beyond myself Andrengo
now came to say that all the fshingtack
les were ready. "Eery well, said the
marchese, with sprightly air. tell the
men they may retire for the night" He
then turned to me. Emilia" said he,
"we shall return to Naples tomorrow,
and wish, Immediately we land to send
off few words to one or two of my in
tended guests to arrange another excur-
sion for next week. VIII you do me the
favor to be my amanuensis, and write
what / wish to sayY Signor Sebastiano,
be pleased to remain here /; we shall tin-
ish in very few minutes" He took me
by the hand with eetemoniOus grace
the detestable, the maddening torturer-
and led fne TO the remotest of the little
cabins. Closing the door, he said, with
hideous smile, The time has Gomez
looked him full III the face. Gould you
not" said !, in a tone between last
pleading and last stTeproach-"c "couldyou
not effect your murderous revenge by q
far more simple process" He. smiled
horribly as before. "Of course could,
said he, "but your oath was to the pur-
port that he is to die by your hand or
agency. Go now"-and he lowered his
voice to q gruting whisper-"go now up
to the deck and draw back the iron brack-
cts from the foremost platform-the fore
most one rememberw | stood still and
took long breath Again | looked with
anguish into his face, but it was utterly
bevond mercy or humanity and went.
Upon the deck there was not q soul.
No. not even my own soul, for that was
below with my dear, my beloved, my
doomed life-oi-lite! There was not a
breath Of wind, and the night was very
sultry. looking over into the sea, hor-
rible dorsal fin moved along the surface,
and passed downward under the yacht
| started, and drew back the brackets
from the foremost platform. Without
pausing to think, then, in passing, has
tily drew back the brackets from the af-
termost platform also, and descended.
The two platforms were left in their pla-
ces. exactly on a level with the deck as
before, but supported only by the thin
ropes b 7 which they had been drawn up
to their level position. ri'-.., ,it
The marchese was awaiting me just like
a wild beast in his lair. saw the gilt
ter of his eyes directly / had arrived at
the bottom of the cabin stairs. He closed
the door, His whole face was livid with
exuting anticipation, and cleaned as if
it mad been lighted by lamp from with
in. Well, " said he, ''ha you :" Yes,
| have done it," "The foremost platform,
as directed?" "Yes." Completely
done ~ completely" "Tradaoracciaf
calculated he between his teeth, "you
have not done it you are lyingP Com
fronting him, said, firmly II tell you
that ] have done ii completely" !" and
stamped my foot upon the floor. He
paused an instant, looking at me, and
then steadied himself with one hand on
the door. Perhaps the wine had begun
to affect him. Come, nowp said he ;
and repeating the words in loud and
quite altered tone, he walked with hasty
strides to the larger cabin, where m
doomed lover was awaiting us. Now
for half an hours fishing before We go to
bedw said he and We all three assembled
to the deck.
None of the sailors were visible, and
the helm seemed to be fastened steadily
by a rope. There was scarcely a breath
of air, so that the yacht lay asleep like a
water-bird upon the surface. We took a
preliminary turn up and down, the mar
cheese talking all the time, rather loudly
and almost inCoherently, about the stars
and the clouds, so as to keepSebastiano's
attention. directed upward. A splash OF
/ ell f1,a NH ~