The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-10-29

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".See here, my little one,' he whis-
pered in her ear. you had better take
care. Every evening that man holds
your life at his mercy
"Arabella burst ont laughing.
HE kill mop cried she, Struggling
her shoulders. Get along with you;
he thinks too much of me to harm q
hair of my head!'
"And every night she stood before
the muzzlc of the pistol, with the same
serene tranquility, fascinating the re-
bellion of her lover. as the eye of the
tanner fascinates that of a wild beast.
'-Ono evening, when the name of
Guido Ventura AMI that OF Arabella
had been shining scarcely a week upon
the bills OF the Alcazar 'dAutomne, o
gentleman of fine appearance entered
the foyer. went straight to the young
woman. who uttered slight cry Of
surprise, and taking her hand. kissed
the tips of her fingers. Guido Ventura,
who was talking 10 the manager,
turned and suddenly grew very pale.
The man who had just entered was q
rich Yankee, whose attentions to Miss
Arabella had mado some noise in New
York. 1t was because of him, particu-
larly, that the marksman had made
his engagement in Paris, and hastened
his departure from America. But this
man now had taken a notion to follow
them, for it was ON account of Arabella
that he had come to Paris. As soon
as he had ascertained where she had
gone. he had taken passage upon the
next steamer. That night, as she was
returning to her dressing-room, Guido
Ventura made terrible scene with his
companion.
'But the most terrible scene took
place some nights later. For a week
the American had hung about Arabel-
las footsteps. Guido Ventura had
striven to exact that the manager of
the Alcazar d'Automne should pro-
hibit him from entering the coulisse.
But, having made his way into the
managerial Office with his hat in his
hand, the American emerged, putting
his wallet back into his pocket, and
there was no longer question of his
exile.
That night, when Arabella was pre-
pairing to assume her pages dress for
the performance, Guido Ventura saw
a paper fall from her corsage. He
picked it up, and read it; it was a
love letter, proposing to the young girl
an elopement and marriage the next
day. When he came down into the
foyer, the marksman had knitted brows
and a quivering lip. He took pistol
and aimed at his own image in a
mirror, to try his hand. His hand did
not tremble.
inn l.
the stage, commencing his exercises.
As he turned, he saw behind him in
coulisse the American leaning against
a fiat just at that instant Miss
Arabella planted herself in front of
him, her arms folded, her nutshell
placed upon her head. She smiled.
On whom was she smilingp On the
man who was there behind him!
Guido Ventura saw it clearly from the
direction of her glance! Suddenly, her
eyes having moved, she ceased to
smile, and a shadow passed across her
visage- Standing before her, Guido
Ventura took aim full at her forehead.
The report rang out, and Miss
Arabella fell dead upon the boards.
When they tore from. his arms the
corpse that he was desperately clasp
ing to his bosom. Guido Ventura was
a madman.
"Was it a crimep Was it an acci-
dentP They thought only of sitting
the affair. In Paris, the dead are
speedily out of mind. The first excite
ment over, people forgot the two
heroes of this bloody drama.
"Since that time Guido Ventura has
been here, in my establishment. pass
ing half his days aiming at that plaster
mask. Once he chanced to break it.
For week afterwards he was delir-
ious. But he is inofensive, as you can
see."
We returned to the pavilion, and
found the marksman loading his
weapons.
'tNot a shot missed the mark, ehP"
said the doctor to him, in an affable
tone.
The man raised his head, and, point
ing with his finger to the plaster mask,
answered, in hollow voice
mot one! Always in the centre of
the foreheadP