Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-11-11

curiosity they trooped ont with hiL., bar
ring only Nunez, who skunk away to his
bed.
The graveyard paths were dismal in
their stark baroness, that left the palpabie
darkness unrelieved and pressing like
material substances on the pilgrims.
The leader stopped short as he rounded
tall and massive monument that con-
cealed the particular space of the wall
where their quest lay.
Something undoubtedly was there,
denser concrete shape against the form
less b1ackness of the night and the shad-
ows from the wall. Something too. in
resemblance, and in the uncertain light
shed by the lanterns flame, Pickering and
waving in the riotous gale, it seemed to
struggle and writhe, as if IN mortal throes
or else in the strain of combat.
Clemente dashed forward with one wild
cry:
"Pepe! 0, Pope! To the rescued!
He reached the spot and but one figure
was there; bowling and swaying, bending
and reeling in fantastic movement, as if
wrestling with its own shadow, prof
in grotesque, unearthly proportions upon
the wall. Clemente threw his arms about
the others waist, and strove to restrain
and drag him aside. A passive and inert
but powerful resistance was the result
By this time the others had gathered
around, and one Of them threw the Ian
terms rays full or Pepe, Murhua's face.
Then cry of fear and horror went up
from all throats, Sd CHASTITY was that pallid
cOuntenance, set in the rigid lines of NOR
tai agony and despair.
"Will you not help to free him." cried
Clemente. care you all paralyzed? Come!
see what holds him, so L can lay him
down! [ think he is grasping something
on the WALL
But none Ct the panic stricken crew
would move, and Clemente himself, still
supporting the other, sought to reach
along the rigid arms, to detach them
from their hold. Both arms hung free;
one stiffened hand still held the hammer
Then, with a sudden light breaking on
his mind, the faithful CIemente caught
at the ample folds Of the Spanish cape,
Tapping and waving airly in the wind,
aud tried to tear them away from the
form of his friend. The resistance which
he encountered confirmed his belief that
had taken shape tardily, thanks to the
dim and shifting, uneven light.
With few words of explanation which
deprived the incident of its supernatural
aspect, he rallied his stiffened compan-
ions prompt enough to act where only
material forces were concerned. The
nature of the occurrence was plain. Blown
by the ftful wind, the fold of Pepe's
cloak had been pierced by the heavy
spike, whose broad fat head had effectu-
ally held the strong cloth and pinned the
young man to the wall. Alone there in
the night with such awsome circumstance
of time and place, the conditions had IN
balanced his judgement when he had
seemed to find himself in the grasp of
something unknown. Nor had the poor
lad succumbed to fear alone. The fam
lily physician of the Murhuas had long
ago diagnosed a weakness of the heart,
brought on Or aggravatedby Pepe's PROV
ess in field sports, and any excess of men
tai or spiritual emotion must have result
ed fatally. The knowledge of his condi-
ton had been kept from Pope, with
view to averting the fate that enlight-
ment might have spared him. He was
buried near the spot where death had
met him, but his name is not forgotten.
The graceful fashion of the Spanish
cloak is coming into favor again in Mexi,
co,but never can be found a youth of
San Felipe who will don the garment
thai is known as "the shroud of Pope
Murbua."