The Iola register., 1891-07-17

as 1 closed and fastened the window
In obedience TO her request. "Shoulc
not insist upon an apology?"
She laughed nervously, and played
| with her ring OF rose brilliants.
/ ''It is not yet too late" ! resumed; "ii
on second thoughts you would rather
not marry me, you have only to say so. /
shall accept my fate with eQuanimity,
and shall not blame you"
| At this she seemed quite alarmed. and
rising, laid her hand pleadingly on my
arm.
| "Surely you are not offended?" she
said. 81 was not really afraid of you,
you know-it was stupid faney-1 can
not explain it. But / am quite well
now, and / am only too happy. Why,
would not lose your love for all the world
you must believe mel"
| And she touched my hand caressingly
with her lips. withdrew it gently, and
stroked her hair with an almost parental
tenderness: then / said quietly;
"If so, we are agreed, and all is well.
Let me dvise YOU TO take a long nights
rest; your nerves are weak and some
what shaken You wish me to keep our
engagement secret?"
She thought for moment. then an
swered musingly-
"For the present perhaps 1t would be
best Though" and she laughed, sit
would be delightful TO see all the other
women jealous and envious of my good
fortunel Still. IL the news were told to
any of our friends-who knows?-it
might accidentally reach Guido,
and"
81 understand You may rely upon
my discretion. Good night, Contessaw
'You may call me Nina" she mur-
INJURED softly.
NINA, them" said with some effort,
as lightly kissed her. "Good night
may your dreams be of mer'
She responded to this with a gratified
smile, and as left the room she waved
her hand in q parting salute. My dia-
monds flashed on it like small circlet
of fire; the light shed through the rose
colored lamps that hung from the painted
ceiling fell full on her exquisite lowell
ness, softening it into ethereal radiance
and delicacy, and when / strobe forth
from the house into the night air heavy
with the threatening gloom of coming
tempest, the picture of that fair face and
form fitted before me like mirsge-the
glitter of her hair flashed on my vision
like little snakes Of fire-ber 1.-the hands
seemed TO beckon me-her lips had left
scorching heat on mine. Distracted with
the thoughts that tortured me, walked
on and on for hours. The storm broke
at last, the rain poured in torrents, but
needless of wind and weather, ]
lynt, mi
tive. seemed to be the only human
being left alive in world of wrath and
darkness The rush and roar of the
blast, the angry noise of waves breaking
hurriedly on the shore, the swirling
showers that fell on my defenSeless head
all these things were unfelt, unheard by
me. There are times III a mans life
when mere physical feeling grows numb
under the pressure of intense mental ag-
ony-when the indignant soul, smarting
with the experience of some vile injus-
tice, forgets for little its narrow and
poor house of clay. Some such mood
was upon me then, suppose, for in the
very act of walking was almost uncon-
scious of movement An awful solitude
seemed to encompass me-a silence Of my
own creating. / fancied that even the
angry elements avoided me as passed;
that there was nothing, nothing in
all the wide universe but my
self, and dark prooding horror
called Vengeance. All suddenly, the
mists of my mind cleared; moved no
longer in deaf, blind stupor. A flash
of lightning danced vividly before my
eyes, followed by a crashing peal of
thunder; saw to what end of a wild
journey had come. Those heavy gates
that underlined stretch of land-those
ghostly glimmers ,tof motionless white
jike spectral milestones emerging from
the gloom-I knew it all too we1l-it was
the cemetery! l looked through the
iron palisades with the feverish interest
of one who watches The stage curtain
rise on the last scene o. tragedy. The
lightning spraRg once more across the
sky, and showed me for a brief second
the distant marble outline of the Romani
vault. There the drama began-where
would it end? Slowly, slowly there
fitted into my thoughts the face of my
lost child--the young, serious face as il
had looked when the calm, preternatur.
lily wise smile of Death had
'ested upon it; and then a Gu
,ious feeling of pity possessed me-
pity that her little body should
be lying stifly out there, not in the
vault, but under the wet sod, in such
relentless storm of rain. l wanted TO
AXE her up from that cold couch-to
larry her to some home where there
should be light and heat and laughter
10 warm her to life again with my arms:
Ind as my brain played with these fool
sh fancies, slow hot tears forced them
selves into my eyes and scalded my
,heeks as they fell. These tears relieved
the tightly-strung tension
of my nerves relaxed, and l recovered my
usual composure by degrees. Turning |
away from the beckoning |
yrave-stones l walked back to the city |
through the thick of the storm, this time |
With an assured step and a knowledge |
)f where l was going. / did not
.paph my hOtal till rpidnirbt. l