The Springdale news., 1889-03-08


 take out the fsh of to-night's catch. Ed, Carn4elita. God be with thee"
 "Good-bye Damian, said Carmel ita. mechanically.
 They had never before parted in this way, but to both it seemed quite nat ural. Damian took bis hat and staff and crossed the walnut-wood bridge way and the losses of the castle. The sun was still gliding the peak Of a dis tant mountain.
 Twelve hours later the sun once moro shone over the cabin. All the sadness and foreboding of the day before had been pure farce. There was the sun again, red and joyous as ever, climbing up the heavens as blithely as if this was his first journey there, and shedding life and movement wherever his rays reached. This was the sun that, in those hours Of absence, had crossed the ocean, had called the monday in the Americas, had served as god for the idolator5 of the Pacific, had lighted the way for mariners in China, had gilded the spices of Hndostan, had kissed the stones of the Holy Sepulchre, and had marked the hour of death for some modern Greeks; and now that sun was returning, full of curiosity to know what had become of two fisher people of Upper Aragon. whom he had left the night before seated at the door of their hut.
 As to Damian, he, like the sun, seemed in better humor than on the preceding evening, if he might be judged by the lively and frolicsome manner with which he ascended the terraces of the castle. followed by some other fishers. all singing the most vil- lainous jota that had been produced in their country. They reached the drawbridge, crossed the courts of the castle, still lying in silence, and reached the plane fronting Damian's cabin.
 ''How loud the cascade roarsm said one of the men.
 But what has become of the bridge9" cried another. "True for you! Look! look! it has slipped from each end it has sunken into the cut ting-it has brokenm
 "But how can that be? Such d beam so long, So we'll supported by it's length! so heavy, and of walnut-a wood IS strong as iron"
 "I shall have to buy another,n said Damian. struggling his shoulders; but come, boys, let the bridge be, and help mo with the seines before it grows later.a And, taking up the thread of his interrupted song, he began with the others to draw up the eel-nets.
 "The devil! how it weighs thenn cried one of his comrades; .thou hast done well with this haul, Damianeitoln
 At least it is ten arrobas,n said another, "oh, q fine eatehi unheard off
 T believe you" shouted a third; it is more likely he has caught. not eels, but the bridge of walnut wood"'
 Danian only smiled without speak ing.
 Do you say that net is heayy?a cried one of the men, pulling on the second seine; well. this one is not be- hind it. This weight is not less than twelve arrobas all of three hundred weight
 "Oh, it's couple of big rocks that have fallen in" said an enyious-m minded fellow.
 Damian was gloomy, trembling. covered with cold sweat "So one seine weighs as heavy as the other, he muttered. "oh, but it can not be- He stepped up out of the water and slowly took his way 10 the cabin.
 By this time the first seine was com ing up to the bank. and in it appeared. truly enough, the bridge of walnut wood. Not all of it. but the half It was not to be doubted that during the night the bridge had been sawed across the middle The men who dragged it out were staring with surprise and terror; they started back with horror stricken faces, shrieking.
 Al the same moment, Dainian ap- peared in the door of his cabin, with his hair on end. his eyes fixed and starting, and look of utter stupid V, yet screaming with laughter a laughter like voice from Bed lam He had found his home deserted and the couch of Carmelita untouched
 lstt.l efore. And the hsl. te V ln the net with tho walnut timber the pallid face of Don Jaime.
 A moment after, their frightened mates drew out the second seine. with the other half of the bridge and tho body Of Carmelita.
 "She, also?" Damian shouted; "oh! l did not look for that, though! l thought she would wait for him in the house, 1 never dreamed she would run to meet him But she did. you se. Sho was inpatient to meet her lover, and she went on the bridge to meet him. But had been there be. fore them. Isawed il! sawed it. sawed it! Oh, what a fine haul we have made to-day, boys' good catch of fish is this We have made, boys!7 And, shrieking, he ran and shut himself in the cabin
 When the officers of the law came to arrest him they found him still grasp ing saw. and the cabin drenched with blood The eel-Hsher had sawed of his left hand, and with the right he still drew his weapon across gaping wound in his throat, while hs gasped. with dying voice: A grand catch of fish we have made to-day. boys!n- IrdnSlateG by T IT. -4ddts tor -Argo-