Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-05-22

said; III asked after you; he said you
had not forgotten me, and SO l have
come, once more"
She had risen to her feet and gazed
ut him with the specter OF the old love
mocking the disdainful pity of her
splendid eyes. She held out her hand
to him, and, rs he clasped and kissed
it over, she shrunk slightly from the
burning touch of his haggard lips.
II must seem no better than a cur"
he hurried on, Ito kiss the hand that
struck me But one cannot entirely
forget, madame, is it not SOP And for
once more only l could not refrain
from seeking you. / am no longer the
old self. II were, you would not now
have to wonder Mt the humility of the
Rimano You knew, and loved and
threw over your garden wall, as
you would last nights bouquet. l
have been i'll. at deaths door, and sick
in body as at heart, and among strang-
ers, rocking Gin poverty, perhaps
worse. l came hero again only to
make preparations for permanent do.
parture. But the sight of you un-
nerved NE. All, if only-do not shrink,
the old Rimano spirit is no longer
fierce. Give me at least a white bios
som from your breast"
He sank painfully on one knee, his
eyes flaming and fixed, and reached
out his hand while she dropped 3
jassamine into his trembling fingers.
Her breast heaved under the lace aad
satin, and a faint glow csmo into her
cheeks. The great crimson portiere
behind her parted slightly, and through
the folds peered the face Of Altranto,
lowering.
AS the eoft white petal, fluttered
down Rimano sprang towarisJoconda,
and throwing one arm around her
waist and the other about the neck,
kissed her lips with fiery passion. Shc
uttered a slight scream. the first time
she had opened her mouth during
the interview. and shuddered violently.
The portiere parted, and Altrsnto
spraDg out, livid, clutching her "a she
fell backward. At sight of him Rima-
no was %convulsed and fell forward,
rigid and foaming at the mouth. The
marquis and Giuseppe carried him down
the path and threw him over the gar
den wall.
The pest house was a square build
ing of brick, covered with yellow stuc-
CO, on the top of u weather-worn bluff
which sloped into the ocean. The
scanty %shrubbery about it appeared it.
self diseased, The crumbling chalk
on which it stood suggested earthly de-
cay.
The morning sky was growing yell
low and pale when q doctor in the reg
ulstion dress threw open Gil upper lat
tice and looked out to sea. The dawn
ing day flared on the pinched, discolor-
ed features of Rimano, as he lay mo
t~ionless on his narrow eot.
''Thirty-siI ho1rs, doctor, OF the
plague bring n 10 the crisis. Is it
not So" he struggled TO say. Il must
be at my thirty-sixth, and may now
look forward, l believe, to being the
first victim this summer on the island.
Pull the cot nearer; I'd like to die
looking out 20 seaE'
"Be quiet" replied the doctor; ''you
have no right to sentence yourself.
Let me feel your pulse" After a
silence he continued: .'2aow did you
come to have the plague, and why
we're you not mor prudent than 10
lt p
my God! l woke only an hour ago
and found myself here. Do you tell
| me how l came to this place"
"You were found in the street by
the Princess Joaonda's garden wall,
just twenty-four hours ago, and
| brought bore by the brothers of San
Barnardino. You were then in Tho
first fatal rigor, and had been called
already to two other eases strangely
enough IN the palace of the princess
by which you were found. What con-
nection could there have been between
your case and the'rs-and yet some
there must have beeni' Explain in the
interest of science!'
The dying man smiled; his counten-
ance fairly glowed in tho growing
light. land what of those Others"
he asked, who take it so promptly"
The weird chant Of the Brothers Of
San Bsrnardino was at that moment
borne into the window. The measured
click of their pattens on the stony cliff
path to tho, hospital cemetery came
nearer and nearer. Victims Of the
plagae are always buried in the early
morning or at night.
''They are both dead" said tho doc
tor, "as yon will be in an hour"
lamano struggled to q half. sitting
position, and leaning on his elbow,
say there beneath his window, on the
edge of the diff, two black collins
lowered into shallow, ehalky graves.
CSnicklime ratified on the coarse boards
and his glazing eyes could almost dis
tinguish the ame of "Joconda" and
"Altranto," his victims, as he sunk
back like stone. He died happy.