The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-12-11
The VENDETTA,
The Story of One Forgotten
BY MARIE CORELLT.
HAPPIER xxxvu.-coNTINuEp.

and was struggling with her for the mas
tsrv of the weapon. She held il with a
desperate grip-she fought with me
breathlessly, clinging to me with all her
force,-she reminded me of that raven
Gus, unclean bird with which l had had
so fierce combat on the night of my
living burial. For some brief moments
she was possessed Of supernatural
strength-she sprang and tore at my
clothes, keeping the poniard fast in her
clutch. At last thrust her down pant
ing and exhausted, with fury flashing in
her eyes:-I wrehched the steel from
her hand and brandished 1t above her.
"Who talks Of murder now?" l cried
IN bitter derision. ''Oh, what a Joy you
have lost! What triumph for you, could
you have stabbed me to the heart and
left me here dead indeed! What a new
career Of lies would have been yours!
How sweetly you would have said your
prayers with the stain OF my blood upon
your soull Aye! you would have fooled
the world to the end. and died in the
odOur of sanctity! And you dared to
ask my forgiyenessl :"
stopped short-s strange, bewlldered
expression suddenly passed over her
face,-she looked about her in q dazed,
yague way-then her gaze became sud
denly fixed, and she pointed towards
dark corner and shuddered.
"Hush-hushl" she said in low ter
ri1ed whisper. Look! how still no
stsndsl how pale he seemsl Do not speak
do not move-hush! he must not hear
your voice / VIII 60 to him
and tell him all-sll :" She
rose and stretched out her arms with q
0acfura nf antraatv
''Guido! Guido!"
With sudden chilled awe at my heart
l looked towards the spot that thus Iiv-
eted her attention-all was shrouded in
deep gloom. She caught my arm.
xiii him. she whispered fierce
ly-'kill him, and then l will love
you'll Ali" and with an exclama-
ton of fear she began to retire
swiftly backwards as though con-
fronted by some threatening figure.
HE is coming nearer-nearerl No, no,
Guidol You shall not touch me-you
dare not. Fabio is dead and am free
iree!" She rsused-her wild eyes gazed
upward-did she see some horror
there? She put up both hands
as though to shield herself
from some impending blow. and ut
terlng a loud cry she fell prone an the
stone foor,-insensible. Or dead. l
balanced this question indifferently, as
I looked down upon her inanimate form.
The favour of vengeance was hot in my |
mouth, and filled me with delirious salts |
faction. True, / had been glad whom |
my bullet whizzing sharply through |
the air had carried death |
TO Guido, but my gladness had been |
mingled with ruthfulneSs and regret.
Now, not one throb of pity stirred me
not the faintest emotion OF tenderness
Ferraris sin was great, but she tempted
hIu,-her crime outweighed his And
now there she lay white and ST.
lent in swoon that was like
death,-that might be death for aught l
knew-or cared! Had her lovers ghost
indeed appeared before the eyes of her
guilty conscience? l did not doubt it,
| should scarcely have been startled had
1 seen the poor pale shadow of him by
my side, as l musingly gazed upon the
fair fallen body of the traitress who had
wantonly wrecked both our lives.
AYE, Guido" muttered half aloud
''dost see the work? Thou art avenged,
frail spirit-avenged as well as I,--part
thou in peace from earth and its inhab-
iiantsl-haply thou SHALT cleanse in pure
fire the sins of thy lower nature, and
win a final pardon; but for hers he'll
Itself black enough to match her soul?"
And l slowly moved toward the stair
way; It was time, thought, with 4
grim resolve,-to leave her! Possibly
she was dead . il not =. why
then she soon would be! l paused
irrcsolute-the wild wind battered cease
leSsly at the iron gateway, and walled as
though with hundred voices of aerial
creatures lamenting. The torches were
burning low, the darkness Of the vault
deepened. Its gloom concerned ne lit
Ile,-1 had grown familiar with its un-
slightly things, its crawling spiders, its
strange uncouth beetles, the clusters Of
blue fungi on its damp walls. The
scurrying noises made by bats and owls,
who, scared by the lit candles, were hid
ing themselves in holes and corners OF
refuge, startled me not at ALL was
well accustomed 10 such sounds. In my
then state of mind, an emperor's palace
were less fair to ME than this brave
charnel-house,-this Stone-mouthed wit
ness Of my struggle back to life and all
ilfe's misery The deep-toned bell out
side the cemetery struck Onel We had I
been absent nearly two hours from tho (
brilliant sssemblage at the hotel. No
doubt we were being searched for every
where il mattered not! they
would not come TO seek Us here. l went /;
on resolutely towards the stair,-aS {
placed my foot on the frat step of the
ascent, my wife stirred from her recum-
bent poSition-her Swoon had passed.
She did not perceive me where stood, I
ready 10 depart-she murmured some {
thing TO herself In low voice. and TAX I
Ing in her hand the falling tresses of her {
own hair she seemed 10 admire its col c
our and texture, for she stroked IL and j
it and finally broke into gay '
lsugh.-a laugh SO out of ell keeping {
with her surroundings, that 1t startled
me more than her attempt 10 murder O
me. Il
She presently stood up with all ]
her own lily-like grace and fairy |
majesty; and smiling as though she
we're a pleased child, she began to ar n
range her diSordered dress with elabOr-
ate care. / paused wonderingly, and e
watched her. She went to the brigand'S I
chest of treasure and proceeded TO CA a
anime its contentS,-laces, silver and o
gold embroideries, antique ornaments, o
abe took carefully in her hands, seem n
hg mentally to calculate their cost and 5
value. Jewels that were set as neck Il
aces, bracelets and other trinketS OF I
wear, she put on, one after il
The other till her Heck and arms were n
literlly biazed with the $
myriad scintillations OF different col n
,ured gems marvelled at her v
strange conduct, but did not
IS yet guess its meaning. l moved n
way from the staircase and drew i'm b
,erceptIbly nearer to her Hark! /
THAT was that? A strange, low rumbling q
lie a distant ear Innakn followed by a | Y