Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-08-12
THE RED DEATH.
A LEGEND OF VENICE.

1eous iiuiu0 anu dssdssIHdtlUu, ant
a mere within, or unjust suspicion
was often sufficient to bring th,
deadly poison or secret stiletto t,
bear upon those supposed to be il
highest favor.
1t was the custom OF this noble
man to give costly banquets in th,
great hall of his palace; but Their,
was always one thing to mar the fes
tiyity of the occasion-the constan,
dread OF some secret agent of death
1t was known that OF those who at
tended these feasts, some one OIL
more generally died shortly after, and
not unfrequently in manner to lead
to the suspicion of secret poison, and
this knowledge filed the minds O
all with dread, though none dared tc
remain away on this account, lest
what they most feared should happen
through the anger of him who was
powerful enough to reach them any.
where in Venice
And what tended still more tc
mystery and fear on these occasions
OF festlvity, was the presence of the
Red Mask. Next to the lord of the
feast, on his left hand, always sat a
silent, mysterious figure, in a red
domino, with blood-red mask con
cealing every feature. No one could
say who he was, and only conjecture
why he was there. His face was
never seen-his voice was never
heard. He ate and drank with the
rest but never spoke. Before the
guests separated, he always rose,
gave his hand to the noble host, and
then went slowly, solemnly and ST..
lently around the table, shaking
hands with each. This done he
gllded out of the hall, through pri
vate door, and was not seen again
till the reassembling of the guests at
another banquet. AS all believed he
was the dukes secret poisener, he
was regarded with awe and dread,
and came in time to be spoken of
and known as the Red Death. How
his fatal purpose was effected, none
could say but it was coniectured
that upon one Of his jeweled fingers
he wore what was known as the
"Death, Ring" ring ouriously con.
structed, with deadly poison in the
interior, which could be injected, by
sudden pressure upon q concealed
spring, into the hand OF any one
taken in apparent friendship, and
from the mortal effects of which
though no wound, however slight,
could be discovered at the time
not all the medical skill of Venice
could save the victim
In the very zenith of his life and
power. the duke one day received
the singular intelligence, that a gen.
tleman bad made his appearance In
Venice, SO closely resembling him in
face and figure, that more than one
person had mistaken him for his
grace, and even some of his grace
friends had been thrown so much in.
to doubt as to stop and think of ad.
dressing the stranger for himself. To
one as proud and naughty as the
duke, the idea of another human be-
ing in the whole world looking like
himself was anything but pleasing,
and the fact that this unknown coup.
teipart was actually IN Venice, caus.
ing great talk and wonder, was irri
tating in the extreme.
Who is this adventurer this base
counterfeit 2 angrily demanded the
duke. 'Of what nation is he? aud
what business brings him here p
None could answer.
go seek him out, and say it is my
pleasure to see him at my palace =
The stranger was found, and read
lily accepted the invitation OF the
nobleman, who received him in his
private apartment, with only one at.
tendant present.
The resemblance OF the two was
certainly very striking. Both were
slenderly built, about five feet eight
inches in height, of dark complex.
IONS, black hair and eyes, with slight
ly aquilne noses, cold, stern naughty,
sinister expressions, aud between
forty.f five and fifty years of age
Each saw himself in the other, as if
looking in a glass, and to men OF
their peculiar tempsraments, the
counterpart was not pleasing to eth.
err.
who are you?' demanded the
duke, in an imperious tone.
Your equal ! was the sharp reply.
sir, you forget your manners 7
Sir, you have not shown any 7
'S'death, sirrah do you know in
whose presence you stand p cried
the duke.
No more than yourself 7 was the
naughty answer.
4 am the Duke of Fraucavslla 7
And | the Count of Palmera =
AT the mention of this title, the at
tendant of the duke gave slight,
quick start, and fixed his eyes search.
ingly upon the stranger.
4 am glad at least to hear you are
a noblemsn, pursued the duke, 'as
the thought Of having my Likeness:
borne by plebeian would have been
too humiliating. 1t is raid, count,
and my eyes confirm the report, tina,
you and I look remark bly, alike
which is fact very displeasing t.
me-
And to me also, duke =
There should be but one such faot
in Venice. count !
so think |, duke 7
4 may hope then you will tax,
early leave of our proud city.
4 was il hopes that your grae,
had made arrangements to quit tn,
country ?
You are insolent, oount!'
so are you, duke /
BY the bones OF St Mark I th,
duke began,iu malignant rage bn
suddenly reoollecting himself, b,
stepped, smothered down his anger
and added, in quite different tone
with forced smile "Your pardon
count! | am too hssty. It is not th
fault OF either of us that we look alik
and have tempers alike. Ii we can
not be friends, there is no need Q
our being enemies but as the frs