The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-07-21

former self, as Q warning to ethers ?
There were maay 10 Venice. poor, shat.
tered beings, heart broken, half-erazed,
slammed by every bsdy. who had once
BEEN the leaders of fashion. science, OF
politics. until an anonymous note
dropped into the LIor's mouth had
caused Their arrest, and their trialless
detention in the underground - or
rather prisons Of Seren
issima.
But then, who could have denounced
himy Who could have an interest Ia
destroying him in this cowardly fash.
icn? All the people he knew were
ADORE suspicion, anu yet even the Ser.
snissima would not have arrested an
Englishmsn. king's messenger, with
out some good reason. In that dread
ful silence. broken. only by the quiet
plsshing Of the water on the stone
valls in which he was imprisoned. his
memory was particularly vivid. and re-
called To his mind all the incidents of
his stay. At last he remembered these
few hot foolish words ne had used that
very light; they. and they alone could
be the Cause ot his present condition.
This. however. brought no relief il
aggravated only his fears and his des.
pondencv. since he knew what awful
punishment was inflicted on those whs.
u use the Venetisn phrase, bias
phemed the Government"
Having settled the cause Of his ar
rss,. he gradually fell into dull, drow.
sy state Of haif-unconscioasnes Q. st > ring
blindly In the d.rkness, listening va
csntly in the vain hope OF catching
some sound. however faint. of the out
side world he had % recently left. The
silence was as complete az the darkness
that surrounded him, and hours passed
without bringing any change. Now
aud then mufned sound reached his
ears. Was it . iootstep in the passage /
Was it wsye little higher than the
othersI Was il only the plaintive cry
Of the seamsw? Or was it the dying
gasp of . fellow prisoner He could
not tell. After very long time. Of
which he could not svsa guess the
length. he distinctly heard noise % Of
bolts aud keys at has prision door; sud
denly it opened. aud fleod OF light
illuminated every corner Of his dismal
cell. DAzxeled at first ut the glare OF
the torches. be could not see the men
by whom they were carried. but gra iu-
ally. ~ his eyes grew accustomed 10 the
light. hs saw they were ell armed. oil
masked and all dressed in black. In
the meantime his hands had been re-
leased OF their fettsrs. and his guards
had quietly surrounded him. Without
. wckd. without . sound. they led him
on iutheir midst. Through dark halle
aud narrow s;sircases, through crooked
passages and low beetling doors they
marched rs group of ghosts surround :
ing . mortal man.
At last their goal is reached dosy
10 flung open. and Sir 1ohn is ushervd
into spocious room. At one end. ON
. raised plato, IN. sit ten judges, all
masked. all drsped in large black
closks. by their sides, but . little
lower down. are the scr,bes as motion.
less - if they had been stsiues, and
NOT human beirgs The first gllmpses
Of dawn struggled through the painted
windows, powerlsss as yet to superseds
the wax cagdles. gave 10 the whole
scene the most weird sspect. Outside.
oil was sleeping. and no sound reached
the inmates of this hall u remind them
that . powerful city. o numerous pspu.
lstion, surrouu2ed their silent abode.
As soon - the several actsrs in this
strange scene had reached their proper
places. . man still masked. and dressed
In the same dark hue. bsssn in . mo-
notinous slow tons TO give his evidence.
Though mufflsd BY the fields Of his
mask. his voice was peculiarly distinct
and clear, and Sir John at once knew it
- being the Same hs had heard when
be wss arrested. Cold end pitiless -
steel. without Q pause. the voice repeat
ed oil the words used BY the culprit
when. in his rash bsrst Of passion, he
had deeidsd and mecked the kuowi-
edge and power Of the Susenissima.
Slowly and regularly the words fol-
LEVIED saoh other - the links Of .
lengthened chain. - steadily - The
drsps Of rain on . winter's day. The
psns Of the scribes creaking - they
hurried over the paper, made ft 80.
compnimsnt TO this recital. Except fee
them all Was motionless. a. still - II no
human hearts we're beating usdes thess
blsck ,silk msntlss. II ended q last:
snd With sense Of relief Sir Jshn
strained his senses to see. to hear what
would follow.
After short pause. the Judge who
sat ct the center OF the table stood up
and addressed him in these terms
"You have heard the ovidsncs against
you now follow % and bear yous
sentence.
In st Louis the Cube Democrat Il
knovn A the (3eA Der. and the Post.