Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-11
CHAPTER VIII.
TELLS HOW THE CURTAIN FELL UPON FRAN
 CESCA: A TRAGEDY."

CESCA: A TRAGEDY.''
 FoR moment 1 staggered back as though butfcted in the face, then, as our eyes met and read in each other the desperate truth I sprlng forward just in time to catch her as she fell. Blndly, as if in some hideous trance, reeling and stumbling over the graves, l "arred her ill my arms to the cemetery gate a.id stood there pantinS and bcwirrcd. Cold and white marble she lay in my arms so that for one terrible moment thought h'r dead. But she not dead As I watched th" lovely ashcn face, the slow blood camn trickling back and throbbed faintly at her temples, the light breath flicker ed and went and came once more. Feebly and with wOndcrthe dark eyes opened to the light of day, then closed again the lips parted in a moaning whisper.
 "Caire! l must take you to your home are you well enough to go?" I had laid her on the stone upon which the bearers were used to set down the collins when weary Scarcely a week ago. poor l Toms corpse had rested for moment upon this grim stone, As bent to catch the tn- sWr", and saw how like to death her face was, l thought how well it were for both of lis, should we be resting there so together: not leaving the acre of the dead, but entering it as rightiul heirs of its oblivion.
 After while, as l repeated my question, l tue II l)S US9ttlll parted ana l nettTl. looked down the road By good chance however, spied an old four-wheclcr crawling along in the distance. I ran after it, hailed it. 1 brought it back and with the help of the won d'"in.; driver placed my love inside; then 1 gave the man the address, and bidding him drive with all speed, spr;.ng in beside Claire. Still faint, she was lying back against the cushion. She never opened her eyes, and as for me, what comfortable words could ,l-9 N,,+ I | her breast, longed for words, Heaven knows | hG>E madly But none came, and in silence ! we drew up at length before a modest door | sruy ill Old kensington.
 ! Here Claire summoned all her strength lest l her mother should be frightened Still keep in; Ecr eyes averted, she stepped as bravely as she could from the cab and laid her hand up- on the door-handle.
 1 made if to follow.
 No, no,' she said hastily, 'leave me to my self will write tomorrow and perhaps see you; but, oh, pray, not to-day!'
 Before could answer she had passed into the house.
 
 Twenty-four hours had passed and left me as they found me- in torture. Despite my doubt I swOre she should not cast me off :; then inet and prayed as had never prayed before that Heaven would deny some of its cruelty to my darling, Yet, as prayed my | cntrcGtics and my tears went up to no com | passionate God, but beat themselves upon the adamantine face of Dead Mans Rock that still rose memorable between me and heaven.
 That night the crowd that gathered in the | Coliseum to sec the new play, went away angry and disappointed; for Clnlissa Lambert was not acting. Another actress took her part, but how differently! And all the while, she, for whose sake they had come, was on her | knees wrestling with grimmer tragedy than i Francesca with no other audience than the angels of pity.
 Twenty-four hours had passed, and found me hastening towards Old Kensington; for in my pocket lay d note bearing only the words, Come at 3 330-Claire," and on my heart rest cd load of suspense unbearable. For many minutes beforehand, 1 paced up and down outside the house in an agony and as my watch pointed to the half-Lour knocked and was admitted.
 As 1 entered, Claire rose to meet me. She WAS very pale, and the dark circles around her eyes told of a long vigil; but her manner at first was composed and even cold
 ''Claire" l cried, and stretched out my hands.
 "Not yet,' she said and motioned me to a chair. Il sent for you because have been thinking of-of-what happened yesterday, and want you to tell me all the whole story from beginning to end.'
 ''There is no but in the case, Jasper. lam Janet Railton, and you say that my father killed yours. Tell me how it was" Her manner was so calm that hesitated al first, bewildered. Then, finding that she