Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-01-11

other by his side, he lay when Antonio
who had spent the evening with his
friends, came home and found him. He
was cold and still, and the terrified Ital
ian knew that he was dead.
Antonio's first impulse when he found
that his master was dead was to alarm
the house; but he saw by the revolver at
his side that he had taken his own life,
so he deemed it best to go for his brother,
who he knew was connected with The
Dawn. Locking the door carefully be-
hind him, he ran with trembling limbs
down into the street, and, calling a cab,
babe the driver go as fast as his horse
could run to the office of The Dawn.
There he learned that Rush had left
the office at 6 o'clock, saying that he
would not return until the next evening.
Antonio knew nothing about the we'd
| ding preparations at Farmsted, and John
had not intended that he should for the
man knew too much about another we'd
ding in which his young master had fig
ured as principal. Almost beside him
self with terror and grief, Antonio drove
to the Cellas' to break the news OF the
tragedy to Leoni. In the dramatic man.
ner of his countrymen he told his tale to
the horror stricken household. Signora
Celia wrung her hands and wept. Leoni
seemed turned to stone. When she re-
covered speech she laid her hand on her
mothers arm.
Mother" said she, in Italian, that
dead man is my husband. must go to
him. Will you go with me?"
So the mother and daughter got into
the cab, and Antonio, mounting tine
sea. wi.h-tla driver, could rot help
thinking of the last time he mad sat On
the box with Leoni inside.
1t was after midnight when they
reached John Hurlstone's rooms. The
house was still as the grave. The sleep
ers might have been reused by footsteps
on the stairs, but that was nothing, for
the second floor lodger was in the habit
of coming in at all hours, sometimes
alone and sometimes with friends. When
| Sgnora Celia. Leoni and Antonio reach
ed the ante-room of Johns apartment,
Leoni said in low whisper, "Where is
he?" Antonio pointed to the front room.
Motioning to the others to stay where
they were she advanced to the door,
opened it and entering, closed it behind
her. The gas was blazing as Antonio
had left it, and there on the floor in
front of the mirror she saw the strong,
manly form of her husband, stretched
cold and dead. She threw herself down
beside it. and taking the dear dead face
in her hands, kissed the unresponsive
lips and laid her cheek close to his. She
did not weep; she only kissed the cold
face and the lifeless hands, and petted
them and murmured words of passionate
endearment.
Signora Celia and Antonio became
alarmed by her long absence and the
stiffness, and, opening the door, found
Leoni stretched by her dead husbands
side, as iifeless and still as he. Terror
rendered them speechless. They both
thought she had killed herself on the
body of her husband. but, hoping against
hope, Signora Celia put her hand on the
girls heart and found that it was beating;
she had only tainted. They laid her on
the sofa and brought her to by slow de-
grees; but she was still in a dazed condi-
ton. Signora Celia deemed it best tc
get her home before the officers of the
law took possession of the place, so she
and Antonio led the unresisting girl to
the cab, in which she was driven home,
while Antonio went to the nearest police
station and gave information of the
tragedy.
In a short time all was confusion in
the house where John Hurlstone's body
lay. The police were perfectly satisfied
that it was case of suicide, and the
coroner gave his verdict to that effect.
The address of the dead mans family
was found among his papers, and the
next morning telegram informing them
of what hao occurred was dispatched tc
Earmsted.
CHAPTER Xxx