The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-02-07


truly?"
had spoken excitedly. had used
gestures and words. Ceneri's ears had
drunk in every syllable; his eyes had
followed every gesture. As pointed
to the supposed position of Pauline, he
had looked there with a quick, startled
glance, as if expecting to see her enter
the door. He made no attempt to de-
ny the accuracy of my representation.
| waited for him to recover. He was
looking ghastly. His breath came in
spasmodic gasps. For moment
feared he was about to die then and
there. poured out glass of wine; he
took it to his trembling hand and gulped
it down.
Tell me his nameP" l repeated
"Tell mo what he had to do with Pau
line?"
Then he found his voice. "Why do
you come here to ask mep Pauline
could have told you. She must be well,
or you could not have learned this. "
"She has told me nothing"
"You are wrong. She must have
told you. No one else saw the crime
the murder; for murder it was"
There was another present beside
the actors have named.
Ceneri started and looked at me.
eyes, there was another; there by
an accident. A man who could hear
but not see. A man whose life Ipleaded
for as for my own"
II thank you for having saved it."
"You thank me. Why should you
thank me-"
eff you saved any ones life it was
mine. Twas that man." M taa
"You that man. He looked at me
more attentively-"Yes; now the feat
ures come back to me- / always Won
dered that your face seemed SO familiar
Yes. l can understand am doctor
your eyes were operated uponP"
"Yes-most successfully" 20.
"You can see we'll now--but then! l
could not be mistaken, you were blind
You saw nothing"
~ saw nothing, but I heard every
thing"
"And now Pauline has told you what
happenedP' Ie"' ,-''"..' en-
pauline has not spoken"
Ceneri rose, and in great agitation
walked up and down the room, his
chains rafting as he moved. 81 knew
it, he muttered in Italian. 81 knew it
such crime can not be hidden"
Then he turned to me. "Tell me
how YOU have learned this? Teresa
would die before she spoke. Petroff is
dead-died, as told you, raving mad. -
From his last words presumed that
Petroff was the third man | had seen
and also the fellow-prisoner who had
denounced Macari.
'Was it Macari-that double-dyed
traitorp No-he was the murderer
such an avowal would defeat his ends.
Tell me how you knowPn
81 would tell you, but suspect you
would not believe me-"
"Believe your he cried, excitedly.
Il would believe anything connected
with that night-it has never left my
thoughts-Mr. Vaughan, the truth has
come to me in my captivity. | am not
condemned to this life for a political
crime. Ny sentence is Gods indirect
vengeance for the deed you witnessed"
1t was clear that Ceneri was not such
a hardened rutlian as Macari. He, al
least, had a conscience. Moreover, as
he appeared to be superstitious, he
would perhaps believe me when told
him how my accurate knowledge had
been obtained.
81 will tell you," l said, provided
you pledge your honor to give me the
full history of that fearful crime and
answer my questions fully and truth
fully"
He smiled bitterly. "You forget my
position, Mr.. Vaughan, when you speak
of honor. Yet | promise all you ask.
So told him, as shortly and simply
as | could, all that had occurred; all
had seen. He shuddered as again de-
scribed the terrible vision.
"Spare me-" he said, Il know it all
Thousands of times | have seen it Of
have dreamed tit will never leave me
But why come to me? Pauline, you
say, is recovering her senses-she would
have told you all. "
81 would not ask her until / saw you
She is herself again, but am strange
to her-and unless your answer is tn,
one l hope for, we shall never NEE
again"
If anything can do to atone
he began, eagerly.
"You can only speak the truth
Listen. l taxed the murderer, your &C
complete, with the crime. Like you
he could not deny it, but he justified
it."
"How-tell me-" painted Ceneri.
For moment paused. l fixed m,
eyes upon him to catch every change O
: feature-to read the truth in more thai
words.
, He vowed to me that the young ma
, was killed by your instructions that h
, was-oh, God, how can repeat it'll
lover of Pauline, who, having dishor
oled her, refused to repair his fault
The truth! Tell me the TRUTH
/ almost shouted the last words-m
, calmness vanished as l thought of tn
q villain who had, with mockin
smile, coupled Paulne's name wit
a shame.
L. tho. bo,l s.xo..- -,