Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-04-23

fledro was behind them. Twice he had
drawn his dagger to stab his rival, but
had sheathed it without striking, for
Pedro could hate as holly as he loved
but his life was precious to him, and he
feared the wrath of Luigi's kinspeople,
If it were known that he had been his
murderer.
"Alone, when no eye saw him, Pedro
had resolved to do the bloody deed.
alone, near the dark crater of Vesuvius,
or on the lonely road infested by brig
ands, who robbed the wealthy or made
them captive until their ransom was
paid. Signors and Signoras, it was not
always brigand who drove the knife to
the heart of the dead man found at dawn
staring with blank eyes toward heaven.
1t was sometimes the very kinsman who
most bewailed his taking off, who had
followed and done him to death for the
sake of an Inheritance, and oftener a
jealous lover in whose way he stood, fol
Italians love and hate as they do not
elsewhere.
"Piedro waited his opportunity, bear
ing his tolen glimpses of Paradise as best
he might, and the moment came at last"
There was another pause. The Amer
lean tossed handful of coin into the
hat. The improvisatore wento on:
"Signors, Sgnoras, and Signorinas,
you would not care to know on what
embassy the handsome young Luigi was
sent on the day when Pedro followed
him out of Naples. 1t was one of i'm
portance, however, and he was EN-.
ployed by the Count de l.. If he pleased
this patron, some good place would
surely be given him. Pedro heard him
tell this to Beatrice as they parted at
the door of her fathers cottage.
"'We can be married, Beatrice, he
said. I'VE will all live together, and
your poor old father shall never know
want. How happy we shall be, my
Beatrice rr
"At this moment the dark face of
Pedro looked in upon them from the
vine trellis, but neither saw it.
"He was gone, the beautiful Luigi.
The days passed; the hour came when
he should have returned, but he came
not.
"Piedro walked about the city as
usual no one had missed him.
"The count began to cast doubts on
Luigi's honesty. His friends spoke of
bandits for he had valuable package
entrusted to his care-and, in her ia.
theirs house, Beatrice, after long fit of
weeping, fell into strange swoon, and
in it seemed TO die.
"The old man was in despair; the
watchers sat in the low room; the cru
ci6x lay On her breast, and the candles
burned beside her bier. On the morrow
she would be buried.
Meanwhile Luigi had performed his
task and was returning by night
over a road that seemed as lonely
as though the world were deserted, when
a sudden step, fastening into run, be-
hind him, startled him. He turned and
saw Pedro. No thought of his purpose
occurred to Luigi. He smiled and held
out his hand.
Welcome he said. whence did
you Drop From the moonp'
"For answer Pedro rushed toward
him and plunged dagger into his
breast; another stab, another and an
other followed, and then Pedro lifted
the bleeding and senseless body of Luigi
in his arms and bore it to the edge of a
deep precipice and cast it over. 1t fell
with thud to the bottom, and Pedro
rushed away horror-stricken at his own
deed. He alone of all Naples knew that
Luigi lay in the depths of the dark
chasm; and even he did not know that
Luigi was not dead.
"Down in the dark hollows between
the rocks Luigi came to himself. He
could not move, he could not even lift
his hand. At first he could not see, and
there was roaring in his ears. He felt
that his life's blood was oozing away,
and tried tosay prayer to Heaven for
his soul. AS he prayed his brain grew
clearer; he thought of Beatrice and her
grief when the news of his death should
reach her; and suddenly he seemed tC
see her, or something like her. 1t wa:
a figure, delicate, transparent and
, clothed in white, with her face, hel
smile, her loving glance.
sit stood for moment above him or
the edge of the chasm and then de
scended. In its hands it held two vel
low TASKS that glittered in the light. l
knelt beside him.
"'I have come to save you, Luigi,
it said, and from the TASKS soft anC
healing balm fell on Luigi's wounds
: healing them like magic. Strength re
{ turned to him-he moved little; h,
{ was able at length to rise. Leaning OF
his elbow he addressed the lovely vision
, rs it indeed my Beatrice, or an ange
in her formP' he asked. But as h
: spoke his senses were lulled in dream,
2 calm, his eyes closed and he slept.
. "When he awakened, greatly re
I freshed, he found yellow flask lyin,
beside him. He knew at a glance tina
! it was the balm which the old father O
|. his Beatrice prepared from the weed
y and vines that grew in the hollows of tn
r volcano, 'The Balm of Vesuvius, and h
4 felt that he was saved.
4 "At that moment the watchers abou
v the bier of the beautiful Beatrice starte
a to their feet, staring at each other an
i calling upon all holy names, for tn
q girls face was slowly changing from il
n dead whiteness to the brilliant hues {
i life; her eyes opened; her lips moved
n she spoke.
e "'My friends she cried, Il am nc
4 dead. l have only been absent from m
q body little while. have been wit
t Luigi-Luigi, who also lives. Stable
i by the hand of the wicked Pedro, h
J. lies at the bottom of deep chasm; BIT
# l have healed him. Unseen, | bore frol
=. this place some TASKS OF the balm m
At father makes so well. He is saved; h
If will be here ere long. Lift me from tn
hiar and haln MO To ottiro ,,oucalf