The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-03-18


shepherds had recovered from their stupe
faction. the creator Of it had cantered ou
Of reach of the voley of stones they
sent after them, clasping the rescued girl
to his breast
Her story was soon told She was the
young bride of the farm, ON her way home
from another hacienda had been stopped
| by the half-savage shepherds, as he had
seen; SO, riding and talking they came to
the door Of the house where he was an
honored guest and she drudge.
Great as the social difference between
them was, her gratitude and his admiration
bridged it over. They met often, he al
ways loftily kind, | wish, on his return
from an occasional visit to town, with
trltilng gifts; she ever humbly proud
of his notice, truly grateful for his mag
nifeence.
The husband saw this, too, and saw it
with pride. Poor fool he thought that
the valley, where men honored women as
their own mothers, wives and sisters, was
the world.
At last the guest departed. Next day a
peddler from Mercadel passed through the
valley. 1t was afterward recollected that
he held some speech with her while ex-
hibiting his wares to the people of the
farm.
Many other things were recollected, too,
when, next night, her place at table in the
Great kitchen was vacant; her side of her
husbands bed was cold. When the coun.
try all about was secured only to discover,
two days later, that stranger and coun-
try-girl hadmet in the market-plaee of Mer-
cadet, and had gone together to Port Mahon.
| Thither the husband followed them, mad
with outraged love for her end deadly
hatred for her destroyer.
He found them not. They had gone in
the yacht which had brought the traveller
to the island, and which had lain waiting
his pleasure, in the harbor. Whittier
To France, some said. To France he
therefore went, by the first vessel that
sailed.
1t would not profit to tell Of the long,
fruitless search; to tell how, following
them from place to place, always too late,
he traversed all the Mediterranean coast
until, one day, hearing of him and that he
was now travelling alone, he knew that the
inevitable had come to pass, and that she
had been cast aside for fresher face, o
newer love.
Still searching, he found her at last.
Found her in slum, surrounded by
thieves, by vagrants, by women who were
only women in name, dead, with breath
ing babe on her rigid heart.
He took the child, and returning with
it to his native place, put it among those
who would care for it, and once more turned
his restless face toward his goal. He car
ried keen knife now and had a use for 1t
sworn over her sacred grave.
1t was dreary waiting, and sometimes his
heart failed him. The knife-blade rub
bed so often to kill the rust, was becoming
thin.
1t was becoming sharper, though, and
he smiled each time he felt its constantly
keener-growing edge.
1T will do its work all the better" he
thought. ut will do it all the more sure
ly, swiftly and fatally"
Sometimes, however, fear would beset
him, Might he not die9 The very rowing
life his pursuit led him exposed him
to perils which might balk his purpose.
"If I should die before meet him =!
he thought. my Godl if that should
be |"
And at this thought his blood would turn
to ice, and a strange horror come over him,
horror that would set his brain whirling
full of mad devils, that had all one single,
mocking face, and seemed to jeer a,
him and taunt him with defeat - de-
feat
In one of those despairing fits let
ter reached him from what had beer
his home. 1t told him that the child-hel
child-was ill, and besought him to re-
turn at once.
With curse upon the fortune that in
terrupted his purpose even for few days
he set about it to obey the letter, never
theless.
He was in Palermo. The old bris
yonder lay there, bound for Majorca, anG
he shipped on her.
On the night Of the third day out they
came upon boat, drifting, and in it faint
ing man-the last survivor of pleasure
yacht foundsred in gale two days be.
fore.
He was taken on board, revived and re-
stored, and next day appeared on deck