Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-06-01

oAp AS SbAASA WV PSAASSt AAo VIZ NS4O
taken to court. Thejudge was astonished
at the complaint, and adiudged the
cloak to my foe.
l offered the young man twenty, fifty,
eighty, yes, a hundred zechins above his
two hundred, if he would let me have
the garment. What my prayers would
not accomplish my gold worked. He
took my money, and I triumphantly
carried away the cloak. 1 waited impa-
tiently for midnight. AT the same hour
as on the previous night / carried the
cloak under my arm to the Pc nte
Vecchio, At the last stroke OF twelve a
form emerged from darkness, unmis-
takeably the mar of yesterday.
Have you the cloak" he asked.
eyes," 1 replied; ''bnt it cost ms q
hundred zechins, cash"
II know it," he answered. "See,
here are four hundred"
He stepped with me to the broad rail-
ing of the bridge, and counted down the
gold pieces. There were four hundred.
They shone splendidly in the the moon
light, their glitter rejoiced my heart. T
pocketed the money, and tried to look
more closely at the unknown, but he
| wore q mask, from which dark eyes
darted sinister glances.
~ thank you, sir, for your goodness"
But, AZ 1 told you Before, it must Be
nothing wrong"
Your fears are unnecessary" he an
swered, while he threw the cloak round
his shoulders. 81 require your help as
q physician, yet not for the living, but
"How can hat be-" / cried, il. amaze
ment.
II came with my sister from a distant
land" he said, beckoning for me to fol-
low him. "We resided here with a
friend of u family. My sister died
suddenly yesterday, of an illness, and
tho relatives want to bury her to-mor-
row. It is a rule with our family that
all shall repose in the ancestral vault. I
shall let my relatives retain her body,
but ] must carry my father his daughters
head, that he may once more see her"
The idea of decapltatlng a woman was
terrible to me, but / dared not to object
for fear of offending the unknown. SO 1
told him 1 was familiar with the process
of embalming, and begged him to lead
the way. Still. I could not help asking
and at night.
He said his purpose wa abhorrent to
the relatives, who, if it were done by
day, would prevent it. But only once
have the head removed, and they could
say no more. He would have brought
the head to me, but a brothers scruples
restrained him from severing it.
At last we reached splendid mansion,
which my companion pointed out as our
destination. We passed the main en-
trance, entered a small door, which the
unknown carefully closed behind him,
and in darkness, climbed a narrow stair
way leading to a dimly lighted hall.
Passing through this, we arrived at a
room lighted by a lamp suspended from
the ceiling. In this room stood a bed,
on which lay the corpse. The unknown
ayerted his face to conceal his emotion.
He pointed to the bed, and telling me
to do my business we'll and quickly, left
the room.
drew out my knife, which, as sur
geon, / always carried with me and
approached the bed. Only the head of
the corpse vas visible, but this was so
beautiful that the deepest compassion
seized me. The dark hair hung downin
long braids, the face was pale, the eyes
closed. ! first made an incision in the
skin. alter the manner of surgeons when
they amputate a limb. Then ] took nv
sharp knife, and with n blow cut
through the throat.
But, to my horrer, the woman opened
her eyes, Immediately closed them again,
and, in one deep groan, breathed her
last. AT the same instant a torrent OF
hot blood shot toward me from the
| wound.
I had killed the poo creature! I stood
some minutes in frightfulanxiety. Then,
overpowered with terror, I rushed
~shuddering from the room. But the
hall was dark, the light wagextinguished
cred, and I CROPPED hap-hazard along
the wall to find the stairs. i reached
them at last, and descended, half fall
ing, half sliding. There was no n be-
low. l found the door only latched,
and at once gained the street. Spurred
by fear, l ran to my home, and buried
myself in bedto forget myIhorrible deed,
But sleep was out of the question, and
soon morning warned me to deliberate
on my situation. 1t seemed likely that
the man who had persuaded me into
committing what now appeared q mad
mans deed, would not accuse me. I re-
solved to open my shop, and, as far az
possible, appear u~nconcerned.
But, alasl a new circumstance in
creased thelhedge o~fdificulties. Mycap
and my belt, as also my knife, were
missing, rnd | was uncertain whether I
had left them in the chambero of the dead.
or lost them in my flight.
| opened my shop at the usual time.
A %neighbor, passing by, exclaimed:
"Ohl what do you think of the
terrible murder that occurred last
night?"
I teigned ignorance.
"What! Don't you know that the
Fower Of Florence, Blanca, the COVER
nor's daughter, was assassinated last
night? | saw her only yesterday, going
gaily through the streets with her be.
trothed, for to-day was to. have been hel
wedding-day."
Each word was a stab. All nv &C.
Quaintances in town came. and told me
the same story, each version more
dreadful than the last, but none SO aw.
full as what I had seen. About noon an
officer came and took me aside.
"Signor Zalenkos," he said, drawing
forth the articles I haa missed, sd,
these things belong to you?"
l considered whether l should deny
it, but as | saw through the half-oper
door my landlord and other %acouaint
ances who could testify against me, I de
cided not to make mstters worse by
lie, and therefore acknowledged the
ownership. The oficertook me toprison
Two hours after my arrest l was lee
from my cell, down nan stairs to
great hall. Twelve old men sat arount
| a io1Nn FL 0I1n Fl ~o - - Iy-l~ Cz-L