The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-12-18

reel, her eyes throbbed and ached with the
strain to see where nothing was visible.
Then suddenly, quite suddenly it seemed to
her, in the far distance she perceived little
moving spark; light that could be nothing
but Tonino's lantern. Her heart beat almost
to suffocation; she paused for one instant to
gain breath, then bounded on, for it seemed to
her intensely strained sense of hearing that
there was some one else ahead of her. some
footsteps swiftly following the lantern, in pur-
suit of it.
Pippa pressed on faster and faster, and the
distance between them seemed to be diminish
ing. Would she arrive in time?
She had grown accustomed to the sleepers
now and knew mechanically when to expect
them as she ran. She was getting nearer. and
nearer.
Suddenly she saw the lantern stop; there
was a sound that made Pippa pause to listen
with the terror of hunted animal. A rush
of footsteps, kind of shout, a sound Of death
struggle Pippa bounded forward with cry,
the guiding light disappeared, she heard the
crash as the lantern fell, and all was total dark
ness.
Suddenly rang out sound which filled the
whole tunnel-a wild, unearthly whistle, a dis
tant roar approaching nearer and nearer.
Pippa shrank back, crouched, pressed against
the wall. The train was coming.
She heard shout from the fighters" Back,
back ! let go the train comes Maria Saints
sinai"
Never, never! Go then to thy doom!"
The roar increased louder and louder; with
a terrific noise the train rushed past; cold
air filed the place, sudden dense sensation
of suffocation. What sound was thatp kind
of sickening crash, as if something had been
crushed out of all human recognition under
those awful wheels.
Then came a dead, awful silence No one
spoke, no one seemed to breathe. Then Pippa
turned and crept back the way she had come,
conscious of nothing but frantic desire to get
back to the air, to Gods light again.
Round the mouth of the tunnel the crowd
of villagers had assembled, but no one went in.
They stood waiting uneasily, wondering what
was happening. They had seen the train go
by, and kept on saying to each other that it
must be all right.
Presently out of the darkness crept forth
figure they hardly recognized as the beautiful
Pippa. Her hands stretched out blindly be-
fore her, her eyes wide open and unseeing, her
lips livid.
what has happened?"
But she answered nothing; only pointed to
the tunnel with CHASTITY looks.
Another! The crowd separated in kind of
terror, for out of the darkness staggered forth
another panic-stricken human creature-Gi-
ami, who with trembling hands was struggling
at his shirt collar trying to tear it open, to
breathe, to get air.
"Heavcn help us! but what has happened?"
cried the people Then they made way for the
Priore, who was fastening forward, followed
by old Mariuccia. Ganni reeled forward as if
he were drunken "An accident, Father" he
gasped-"a horrible accident, the wheels! the
- %"
"Give him water" said the priest quickly,
"and fetch lanterns Quick, quick, lose no
time, the unhappy man may yet be living"
But all was not over yet. Once more out of
the mouth of the tunnel appeared another.
Haste! haste!" he shouted. " Bring lights
Come at once! Gianni has been run over by
the train! Haste!"
But Pippa caught sight of him, and uttered
a cry which rang through the air: "Tonino.
it is thou! Gianni! Gianni!" Then she burst
into laughter so wild and unnatural that the
women all rushed round her. She could not
cease-peal after peal shook her from head to
foot. They had to throw water over her several
times, and for long time in vain.
The villagers gathered round the two men.
al thought had killed thee" faltered Gianni.
~ also thought thou vast dead" said To-
nino, shuddering violently. ooh! it was hor-
rible, horrible!"
"God has been very merciful to you BOTH"
said the Priore gravely.
The two men took off their hats and NUT
tered an amen.
AhCS SOuio ASAehSA VI tlCLu SSdSC oHuuoSA-
ing.
"But what was that horrible noise, as of
something crushed?" asked Gianni at last,
every trace of color again leaving his check.
"It was my bag of TOOLS" said Tonino, with
a pale smile. "Truly, friend, thou owest me a
new set"
A fortnight later the whole village went by
train through the big tunnel to Monte Caetano
to see the departure of Gianni and his bride.
They sat in the coupe of the big carriage
and Pippa's dark curly hair and bright eyes
looked brilliant on the background of golden
yellow calico. The four horses were decorated
with ribbons of every color, and the bride wore
a beautiful Uszzo of pearls which had come down
to her through many generations.
Buon uiaggia! buon viaggio!" shouted the
crowd. and they drove away along the road
through merry, dancing clouds of dust the
little bells ON the harness jangling harmoni-
ously.
Old Giacomo stood watching till they were
ont of sight; then, as he turned away. he NUT
tered: "All the same, all women are false"
mo! MOI" cried the peasant girls, laughing
and showing their white teeth.
Giacomo turned round with kind of snarl.
"Bah." he cried. "And all men are fools"
"That's as may be-" said the lads and they
also laughed.-The CornhM Magazine.