The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-07-22
: You can't tell what may come of it,

marriage, he spent a part of nearly
every evening with us, and I, like a
blind Fl oil, was pleased at his friendly
interest in us.
"He rarely spoke when he was with
us, mostly sitting silently in some oh.
scurc corner, apparently buried in
thought. l should never have known
that he had ever paid any attention to
US, but for what he said to me one night
as we were going home together. He
paused abruptly in the road, and, layine
his hand on my arm, said, in a harsh
tone:
Salvatore do you really love that
girl p
II was startled, but 1 answered,
quickly:
"'Before my own soul, Angelo
:" Strange he muttered: unstable
minds like yours are not prone to strong
attachments
"'Unstable 1 may be- I returned,
offended, but know her value as well
as any man could know it,
Yes he answered, walking on,
even fool must love that woman. A
wise man might sacrifice his chances for
her.
The subject was not renewed be-
tween us but did not forget the occur
renee, and shortly after mentioned it to
Pauline. She had never liked my
cousin from the first, and she appeared
to find something to alarm her in what
he had said to me.
Salvatore she said, nervously, your
cousin is an evil man. He does not love
yon, and would not hesitate to do you
an injury. Avoid him. Do not bring
him here again. Trust my woman's
instinct. / have seen the serpent where
| you have only seen the eccentric friend
81 laughed at her fears, but promised
that if could avoid Angelo without Of
tending him | would do so. But it ap-
peared that some subtle instinct had
revealed our thoughts to him; for from
that day he Stunned my society and
never entered the doors of the Di Porta
mansion again. I had not forgotten the
| debt of gratitude l owed him, but
Pau ines fears had impressed me more
deeply than / knew. and l was glad
that he had chosen of his own free will
to avoid us.
"On the eve of our wedding, | met An
| gelo by chance at the door of my lodg-
| ings. He was engaged in conversation
with the lodge-keeper's daughter, u
coarse, low-bro we'd Catalonian girl. He
urned sharply as approached, and the
girl ratreatc in haste.
He looked st me suspiciously, as il
he feared that l had overheard their
conversation.
"The girl is going to Rome to-mor-
row. he said; | wished to send mes
sage by her.
80 Very good,' I returned, laughing.
BY the way, cousin, am to be married
to.morrow; will you not be present"
ly-at hn 1oxt Is, hop
upon my shoulder with smile, don't
count on any event until it is accom-
pli he'd. My words seem mysterious to
you. Well, come to my lodgings with
me and l will explain.
His odd manner gave me sense of
underlined alarm. but permitted him to
take my arm aud lead me to his lodgings.
His rooms were on the top floor of an old
building. The arched windows were
shaded by masses of rank vines, and
glazed with squares of stained glass,
through which the moon was shining
with weird. blood red hue as we en-
tered the room. A feeble taper was
burning on the table, and near it stood
n bottle of wine and two glasses. Evil
IDENTIFY Angelo had counted upon my
visit and had prepared to be genial for
once in his life. He invited me to sit at
the table, and took a seat opposite to me,
where the red glare from the window
lighted up his haggard features. He
filled the two glasses with wine. | no.
ticed, incuriously, that he held his hand
over mine an instant before he passed it
to me.
To the futurer he said, as we both
drank. And what is that future to be
for you, SalvatoreP Not the idle dream
of banpi,,occ Won haua nhorichpd It
must be what l choose to make it. Your
lite, Salvatore, is in my hands,
81 stared at him speechlessly. Had
the man gone madP
LIN that glass of wine he con-
tinued, with slow, deliberate accent,
was subtle poison, known only to my
self. If so will it you must die, and
leave no sign by which to convict me of
the crime. l do not desire your death,
but ! do desire something from you
which only the fear of death can ex~
tract. If you refuse to comply you have
but halt an hour to live. No human
power but mine can save you, for l
alone possess the antidote.'
- looked wildly at his haggard face.
What | saw there convinced me that
he spoke the truth.
"'What have done to deserve this?'
/ cried. what do you wish me to
do?'
Salvatore said he. with harsh,
vibrating voice, you forced me to the
bedside of Pauline di Porta. You
tempted me to visit her afterward. l
warned you, but you would not heed
the warning. 1t has come to this-I
love her. l love her we'll enough to
sacrifice my salvation for her. You
must vjpl6 her tn me or die
"'Then l will die where Sit an
swered. resolutely. Do your worst
K" He glanced at me with a haggard
smile
"See what love can do even with one
so weak as you, he said, almost mourn
fully. See what it has done with an
iron nature like mine! pity you but
will not yield. / saved her life and it
belongs 10 mep
"'You are a madman as we'll as a
villain 1 said. Thank God she is
safe, from you whatever happens to
men
g. Read that paper he returned,
without needing my outburst. 1T con-
tains my conditions
IL read it by the feeble light of the
taper. 1t was letter TO Pauline, break
ing our engagement in insulting terms,
and stating that had left for Rome in
company with my lodge-keeper's daugh-
ter. When / had finished he said:
"I have bribed the girl to leave
Padua. Copy that letter, sign it and go
where you please in safety, so that you
neither see nor communicate with
n