The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-02-11

serve it, Murdered him, indeed ! why, ought
to have torn him to Bhreds land slowly, too
1 should have tortured him I the false villain =!
He ceased to speak. Qaivering with sgita'
ton, he fixed his eyes upon the ground. Soon
tears began to overflow from his eyes the
However, it was not for long that this fit OF
depression had the mastery over him. With a
horrible curse be sprang from his seat, seized
the bag which lay at his feet, and, bowling in
articulately in delrious fury, dashed it, heavy
as it was, to the Furthermore corner of the
vault. As the mass of coin struck the ground
| a hollow sound was returned.
"Hs I" cried Thys, with joyful surprise, cha
what is thatf'
Beside himself with renewed hope, he hastily
sPrang forward, the lamp in his hand, and
threw himself on his knees upon the floor of
the cellar, rapping hither and thither with his
knuckles, and nodding with his head in glad
| response to the hollow sounds he elicited. 10
q few moments he bad opened little trap,
which disclosed an excavation in the floor, and
in it number of linen bags evident fly foil of
coin. With sort of sensual delight he gloated
upon the treasure
The silly cheat" he muttered, as he took
out one of the bags; $50 he'd set q trapf and
baited it too 7 hidden some copper where it
couldn't but be found Bat his device hasn't
had much success; here must be the stuff"
Then, rGoldl An that is gold = he suddenly
exclaimed, in voice strangely resem bling o
nextH what will that bef Ab, gold! again
| gold Aud the third Gold nothing but goldp'
One after another he thus extracted and
empty; then, somewhat retire ating, he sat down
upon the ground, and, forgetful of all beside,
began to shake out the contents of the bags
into one great heap before him. For some time
he kept his eyes undeviatingly bent upon the
golden store, with q radiant expression upon
his countenance, as had heaven and all its glo-
ries suddenly stood open to his view
preston, in fact, of transcendental felicity
narrowly trenching upon the idiotic.
Ha, ha,' he muttered; THAT looks we'll
How it glsnces it's downright alive with
anil end I'd yEit r1n AID pphn Of -
Bat it's the price of my soal! Well, and
good price for it, too! more than it's fairly
worth! Ha, ha! now for life and Dluty and
enj pyment! now for being laster and having
servants, for eating and drinking and riding in
my Carriage! now for power and obsequlous
friends, and for crushing into the dust what
lies here in this gold this giittefing mass of
souIless metal. o., let nie touch it, feel it,
possess il!'
Aud, quite beside himself, he began to rout
with his fngers in the gold, while INDIFFERENT
EXPLANATIONS OF delight fell from his lips and
then be began TO count over the money again
and again, apparently without any precise
purpose or CONSCIOUSNESS.
Eutranced in this occupation, rather !
play, and in entire forgetfulness of all else, he
spent considerable time, till aroused from it |
lamp. Then suddenly his countenance re- !
sumed serious expression he cast his eyes |
anxously around, stood up, and rubbed his
forehead as seeking to collect his scattered |
thoughts, mutterIDg the while:
But what was IL came here for Have 1 |
lost my sensesH All, yes quick! must hide
t le gold in some other place, where no one but
myself can find it. Bat must make haste;
the lights going out"
He niei two of the largest bags with gold,
took mp one under each ARM and thus, loaded
almost to sinking, mounted the steps. At the
door he set down his burden and proceeded TO
unlock the door. But, though the key turned
readily enough and tue bolt of the lock shot
back, the door refused to open, even when he
put forth all his force against it immovable it
like piece OF the wall itself.
Thys began to tremb!e, aud an icy thrill ran
through all his limbs. Sill no could not he
would not, believe his fear, and went on max
ing violent efforts to open the door. He forced
the key backward in the lock he set his back
against the door and essayed with all his might
to force 1T from its hinges. He strove and
struggled till the sweat tricked from his
brow. But all in vain; nothing even gave him
the shadow of hope. At last, wearied and
exhausted, he stood as snnihiated before the
door, and his head dropping in despair upon
his chest.
"Frightful!" he exclaimed Fastened on the
outside! But no that cannot be | must be
who should have done itR Kate |
But there's the share she's looking for from m e.
Heavens, the lights going the lamps out!
quick, one trial more!'
Aud again he put the key to the lock, and
wrenched and wrested at it so long and with
such fevered violence that bis hands were GOV.
cred with grsZes aud bruises, while back
knees, and shoulders TOO, ached painfully with
tho strain they weIo PIT to. harsh, dry
rattle in the throat accompanied the hopeless
labor all was in vain: tho door stood fast IA
Il rock. i
Convinced at last that 10 cff3rts could avail
to release him, Thys desco nd ed the steps and
rac IN ably up aud down IN the darkness of the
cellar,-a very Egyptian dark Gess,-n which
not The tAIntest gieam or GiiCI mer of light was
darkness as of q close sepulohre
PRESENTLY tho wretch began to tear his hair
and to dig his nails into his cheeks and fore
head; then he strobe along the floor from one
corner of the vault to the other, seeking
some hidden outlet for escape. He groaned he
wept he blasphemed, he stormed with luce
herent words and inartcuate cries; then he
mounted again upon the bteps, and through
the keyhole called npOn Kate by name. Again
be dashed his body with all It's force and all
lIa weight against the door, and again de-
5cended into the cellar aud round and
round about il TIL utterly wearied out. At
last his foot struck against the great stone,
and lie sank down upon it quite exhausted.
" And SO this is the end I" he mu gtertd, in
his despair; " the end of all my striving For
the sake of gold I've made myself n fend
have become murderer and now here sit
IN this dark vault, where no one can hear me
and here, perhaps-perhaps-I shall die here,-
hDu 40 hat |