The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-02-07
CHAPTER XIII.
A TERRIBLE CONFESSION.


Ceneri, having made this astounding
announcement, threw his wasted arms
across the rough table and laid his head
upon them with gesture of despair.
l sat like one stupefed, repeating me-
chanically: "Paulines brother-Antho-
ny March!" Every vestige of the black
lie was swept away from my mind but
the crime in which Ceneri had been
concerned assumed more fearful pro-
portions. 1t was more dreadful than l
had suspected. The victim a near blood
relation-his own sisters child Moth
ing, | felt, could be urged to excuse or
palliate the crime. Even had he not
ordered and planned it, he had been
present; had assisted in hiding all
traces of it; had been, until recently,
on terms of friendship with the man
who had struck the blow. could
scarcely control the loathing and con-
tempt felt for the abiect wretch before
me. My burning Indignation would
scarcely allow me to ask him, in intel
ligible speech, the object of the cruel
deed. But for once and all l must have
everything made clear to me.
l was spared the necessity of asking
the question | was trying to force to my
lips. The convict raised his head and
looked at me with miserable eyes.
"You shrink from me. No wonder
Yet ! am not so guilty as you think"
"Tell me all, first; the excuses may
come afterward, if anything can be
urged in excuse of the crime" Co..
spoke as L felt-sternly and con.
temptuously.
"None can be urged for the murder
er. For me, God knows l would will
ingly have let that bright boy live. He
forsook and forgot his country, but that
forgaye." r...
Ellis country! his fathers country
was Englandp' sd
"His mothers was Italy" replied
Ceneri, almost fiercely. He had our
blood in his veins. His mother was q
true Italian. She would have given
fortune, life-aye, even honor, fol
Italy"
"No matter Tell me the whole ter.
rible story" N.
He told me. In justice to penitent
man, l dc. not use his own words in re.
telling it. Without his accent and stress
they would sound cold and unemotion
al. Criminal he had been, but not sc
utterly black as my fancy had painted
him. His great fault was that in thu
cause of liberty any weapons were al
lowable, any crimes were pardonable
We Englishmen, whose idea OF tyranny
and oppression is being debarred from
the exercise of the franchise, can neither
understand nor sympathize with mar
of his type. We may call the Govern
ment righteous or corrupt as we arr
Wings or Tories, and one side happens
to be in or out; but, at least, we ar,
ruled by our countrymen, elected b.
some of us for that purpose. Let us b.
for years and years at the mercy of
foreigner, and we may understand wha
patriotism in Ceneri' sense means.
He and his sister were respectful
middle-class people = not noble q
Macari asserted. He had been give
a liberal education, and adopted the pro
fession of a doctor. His sister, from WHOM
Pauline inherited her great, beaut
lived the life of an ordinary Italia
girl--a duller life, perhaps, than man
of them led, as, following her brother
example, she refused to share the gay
cites whilst the whte-coated foe rule'
the land. No doubt she would hay
been faithful to her mourning for he
country had not love came upon tn
scene. An Englishman named Marc
saw the fair Italian girl, won her heart
and carried her away in triumph to hi
native land. Ceneri never quite fol
gave his sister for her desertion an
detection; but the prospects opene
before her by the marriage were S
great that he made but little opposition
to it. March was very rich mar
He was the only son of an only son
which fact accounts for Pauline having
so far as CeDeri knew, no near relative
on her fathers side. For several year
the young husband and his beautifu
dark eyed wife lived with great haI
pinesS. Two children, son and
daughter, were born to them. Whe
the son was twelve and the daughte
ten years old the father died. Tn
widow, who had made few close friend
in England, and only loved the countr
for her husbands sake, flew back t
her native land. She was cordial
: welcomed back by her old friends. Sh
was considered fabulously wealthy. He
husband, in the first flush of his passion
had made q will bequeathing every
thing he possessed to her absolutely
Although children have since came, S
. perfectly did he trust her that n
= change had been made as to the di
, position of his property. So, with sue
l a fortune at her command, Mrs. Marc
was honored and courted by all.