Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-08-23

He started on the run in the direc-
ton of his villa. Was she deadly I
ing-or living still2 Shewas crushed, |
perhaps, her lovely body a shapeless |
mass, caught between two walls. |
Horror! All! how one suffers in such |
momentsl Would he arrive in time? |
The count shook his fist at the sky, |
great tears rolling down his cheeks.
He did not even take the trouble to
wipe them away. He hurried on,
stumbling at every step among the
stones and heaps OF timber. treading
on dark objects which moved and
groaned. The air was rent with terri
BILE cries-cries of animal in torture,
/ shrillcries otchildren, agonized groans
1 of women, loud at first, then weaken
/ ing little by little and ceasing in the
/ death rattle. There were despairing
calls though the darkness, "Father!
Mother" "Sonl" and invocations
to the divine mercy, 'Jesu! Maria
Santissimap' and every stone, every
ruin gave forth groan. The count
passed shadows staggering like
drunken men, walking on tiptoe with
arms stretched out before them, or
seated motionless like statues of de
ISOLATION; others, holding on their
knees heavy dropping bodies which
no longer responded to their endear-
ments. Women, disheyeled danced,
with uplifted skirts, mad. 0newould
verify have believed ones self with
Dante.
The moisture cold on his brow,
frozen with horror, thewretched Jep-
pi leaped over corpses, scaled walls,
and the one thought necessarily
beating in his brain, like the ticking
of clock, was, "Shall | arrive in
! time?" At the corner of Il street he
saw by the light OF the moon n won.
ans arm thrust out from under Il
heap of fallen beams, n naked arm
: caught us in wise. The white hand,
loaded with rings, writhed like a crab.
, The cries of the. sufferer, deadened,
stified under the debris, could not be
heard, but those twitehing fingers
called for help, and this hand, thrust
out into space, shrieked: ITO the
rescue!' The count could have res
cued her He turned away his head
, and passed on. He had not the time.
After retracing hissteps more than
twenty times, after wandering about
, for over an hour, he arrived at last
: before what had been his dwelling
What a sight! The charming villa
, the villa OF kisses and flowers, was
now but smoking mass oil ruins
g One side Of the wall alone remained
II upright, and overhead, in its cage o.
gildel osier, cooed a turtle dove
which the countess had cherished. II
I, was a touching sight, this poor, frai
g little bird, suspended between HEAVIER
: and earth in its dainty house-thi,
) dove of miracle, as ii 30 prove thai
. the God who, in his terrible and mys
:, terious power, RACED cities to thei
Il foundations in an instant, could
z equally, if it were his will, save tn
i life of a dove.
II At the sight of these great stones
piled one above the other, the coun
lelt himself turn weak as q child
q She was there, underneath this mass
l. his adored wife. Where. in whicl
!. direction? Even if she we're dead. h
(. must find her Mt any cost. Softly
= with intimate precautions with step
i of velvet, clinging to the projections
u he ypntured among the ruins of hi
le house. He hesitated before settin,
: his foot down anywhere, as if fearful
= of trampling upon her beloved body
u Suddenly lie thought he heard-h
ID did hear-a distant voice, but s.
IS faint one might have said it was bu
a a breath, sigh borne by the wind
j He stopped. 1T was a subterranea
y voice, woman's voucher voice
= he recognized it now. He could no
: distinguish whatsh was saying, bu
4, it was, indeed her caressing voice
u calling to him from the depths {
= !, that fearful night, where she believe
? herself immured forever.
70 - Il will save her" he said, and h
- set to work.
r. Bruising his knees, lacerating hi
,p hands, the nails torn away, sgeatin
i. tears, weeping blood, tor over a
r. hour the count toiled at the mass {
n stones with frenzy. Now, vainl
thrusting his bleeding hands into
rs heap of rubbish. the powdered plastt
or slipping through his fingers liz
he running water; again, moving heay
Iv blocks of stone, which fell bacl
1d catching his hand in an iron grip.
r. The distant voice guided him col
K tinually 1t began to grow less di
i, tinct, and suddenly it ceased alt,
ne gether.
III, Then despair helped him to n
by complish prodigies. He lifted blocl
les of stone, which he threw far fro
nd him; he wrested away beams bristlir
Ter with nails. With blows of his fee
ed Of his shoulders, urged on by for
us cious energy, herapidly acconplisEt
ce, a giant work, and was ready to IA
lul from fatigue and thirst when the
m was asudden giving way in the ma
SUI under his feet, which landed him {
al the edge of an excavation, Whit
'as yawned beneath him black and u
ce. fathomable. Crouched down ov
Dpi this sinister hole, he reached out h
'as arm and CROPPED cautiously arour