Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-12

He RAISED THE PALE EEAD on HIs KNEE.
He raised the pale head and supported
! It upon his knee, and Cazed anXiouSly into
the face raising the lids with his finger, IS
though to convince himself that the man
WIS Lot dead. Indeed, there seemed to be
but little life left in him as he lay there
with ouystrctchcd arms and twisted TN
gers, scarcely breathing. In such place,
without so much US the commoneSt restora-
tive - AID him, the Handerer saw that he
mad but little chance of success.
Unorna stood aside not looking at the
two men. Il was nothing to her whether
kafka lived or died. She Was suffering
herself more than she had ever suffered
il he life. He had said that she was not
] wOman-she, whose whole womau'S
nature wOrshipped him. He had said
that she was the incarnation of cruelty
and il was true, though Il was her love for
him that made her cruel to the other.
Could ne know what she had felt when
She had understood that Israel hafka had
heard her passionate wosds and seen her
eager face and mad laughed her to scoru?
Could any woman al such time be less
than crueli Was not her hate for the
man who loved her Us great rs her love
for the man who loved her notE Even Il
she possessed instruments Of torture for
the soul more terrible than those invented
was she not justified in using them alIf
Was not Israel kafka guilty of the
greatest of all crimes, Of loving when he
was not loved and Of witnessing her
shame and discontinued She could not
bear to look at him lest she should lose
herself ana try TO thrust the Hauderer
aside and kill the man with her hands.
Then she heard footsteps on the frozen
path. and turning quickly she saw that the
Wanderer had lifted HaTka's body from the
ground and was moving rapidly away 10
wards the entrance OF the cemetery. He
was leaving her in anger, without word.
She turned very pale and hesitated. Then
she ran forward 10 overtaBe him, but be,
hearing her approach. quickened his stride.
seeming bat little hampered in his pace Gy
the burden he bore. But Cnoraa, too, was
feet Of foot and strong.
"Stopu' she cried laying her hand upon
his arm. Hear me! Do not leave me SOU
But he would not pause, and hurried on
ward towards the gate; while she hung
upon his arm, trying TO hinder him and
speaking in desperate agitation. She felt
that if she let him 90 row he would leave
her forever. IN that moment even her
hatred Of hafka sank into insigniticance.
She would do anything, bear anything,
promise anything. Father than lose what
She loved 50 wildly.
Stop" she cried again. 81 will save
hiru-I viii obey you'll viii be kind to him
he will die in your arms i YOU 10 not le.
ne help you-Ch fer the love OF Heaven,
wait one moment! Only one moment!'
She SO thrust herself in the Wanderers
path, hanging upon him and trying 10 tear
kafka from his arms that he was forced to
stand still and face her.
Let me pass!' he exclaimed, making an
other effort to advance. But she clung TO
him and he could not move.
''No-I viii not let you 60" she muir
INJURED. You can DO nothing without me,
you viii only kill him, IS would have done
moment & )"
land rs you Will DO now" he said,
steIuly, If l let you have your way"
BY all that is holy in heaven, l wiz save
hiIn-he shall not even remem Dsr-"
DO not swear. l shall not believe you"
You will believe when you see-you
will forgive me-yot viii understand"
Without answering he eXerted his
strength and, clasping the iuSensible man
more firmly in his arms. he made one or
two steps forward. Cnorna's foot slipped
on the frozen ground and she would have
fallen TO the earth, but she chung to him
with desperate energy. Seeing that she
was il danger OF some bodily hurt if 10
used greater force, the WanGeUer stopped
again, uncertain how TO act. UnornA stood
before him, painting little from the strCg
gle. her face rs white rs death.
Unless you kill me. > she said. ''you shall
not take him away so. Hold him il your
arms. if you will, but let me speak 20 him.
And how shall l Know that you will not
hurt him, you who nate him as you DOR
Am l not at your mercyi' asked Cnorna.
If deceive you, can you not DO what you
viii with NE, even II I try to resist you,
which I viii not? Hold me, if you choose,
lest l should escape you, and if Israel
Kaflza does not recover his strength and
his consciousness, then take me with you
and deliver NE up TO justice as witch-as
i mUrderess, II you will"
The Wandercr was silent for q moment
Then he realized that what she said was
true. She was In his power.
Restore him if you can he said.
Unorna laid her hands upon Kafks's fore
head, ana bending down, whispered into
ear words which were inaudible even 10
the man who held him. The mysterious
change from sleep to consciousness was |
almost instantaneous. He opened his eyes
and looked first at Unorna and then at the |
Wanderer. There was neither pain nor !
passion in his face, hut only wonder. = /
moment more and his limbs regained their !
strength, he stood upright and passed his
hands over his eyes as though trying TO re
member what had happened.
How came l hereii he asked in surprise |
what has happened 10 me-"
You tainted said Unorna quietly |
You remember that you were very tired /
after your journey. The walk vas too !
much for you We will take you hoIne''
"YeS-yes-I must have tainted. For
give met comes over me sometimes
He evidently had complete control of his
faculties at the present moment, but he
glanced curiously from one 10 The other OF
his two companions, rs they ali three began
TO walk towards the gate. Unorna avoided
his eyes. and seemed 10 be looking at the
irregular slabs they passed on their way.
The Wanderer had intended TO free him
self from her as soon as kafka reeained his
senses, but he had not been prepared for
such sudden change. He saw. now. that
he could not exchange q word with her
without exciting The mans suspicion. and
he was by no means sure that the first !
emotion might not produce sudden and
dangerous effect. He did not even know
how great the change might be, which
Cnorna's words had been brought about
That Kafka had forgotten at once his own
conduct and the fearful vision which
Unorua had imposed upon him was clear,
but il did not follow that he had ceased to
love her. Indeed, TO one only partially &c
luainted with the laws which govern hyp-
notes. such transition seemed very far
removed from possibility. He who in one
moment had himself been made to
utterly forget the dominant passion
md love OF his life, was so
ignorant Of the fact that
he could not believe such thing possible in
any case whatsoever.
In the dilemma in which he found himself
here was nothing to be done but 20 be
guided by circumstances. He was not will
.ng 70 leave kafks alone with the woman
\