The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-04-03

while I, blind dreamer, had suspected
nothing. Now knew the extent Of my
injury;-I was man bitterly wronged,
vilely duped. Justice, reason, and self
respect demanded that should punish
to the utmost the miserable tricksters
who had played me false. The passion
ate tenderness I had felt for my wife
had gonc,-I plucked 1t from my heart
as would have torn q thorn from my
fiesh.-I flung it from me with disgust,
as had flung away the unseen reptile
that had fastened on my neck in the
vault The deep, warm friendship of
years l had felt for Guido Fer
rari froze in its very foundations
and in its place there rose up,
not hate, but pitiless, immeas-
urable contempt A stern disdain of
myself also awoke in me, as I remem-
bered the unreasoning joy with which l
had hastened-as thought-home, full
of eager anticipation and Romeo-like
ardour. An idiot leaping merrily to his
death over a mountain chasm was not
more fool than II Bat the dream was
over, the delusion of my life was past. l
was strong to avenge. l would
ing for an hour or more, / decided on the
course l had to pursue, and TO make the
decision final drew from my breast the
crucifix that the dead monk Cipriano
had laid with me in my coffin, and kiss
it. l raised it aloft, and swore by that
sacred symbol never to relenJ, never to
relax, never to rest, till had brought my
VOW OF just vengeance to its utmost full
Gllment. The stars, calm witnesses oil
my oath, eyed me earnestly from their
judgment thrones in the quiet sky;
there was a brief pause in the singing of
the nightingales, as though they too lis
tened; the wind sighed plaintively, and
scattered shower of jessamine bios
SONS like snow at my feet. Even so,
thought, fall the last leaves of my white
days-days of pleasure, days of sweet
Illusion, days of dear remembrance; even
so let them wither and perish utterly for
ever! For from henceforth my life must
be something other than mere garland
of floWers-it must be chain of finely
tempered steel, hard, cold, and I'M
breakable-formed into links strong
enough to wind round and round
two false lives and impriSon them
so closely as to leave no means
of escape. This was what must
be dOne-and | resolved TO do it. With
a firm, quiet step turned to leave the
avenue. l opened the little private
wicket, and passed into the dusty road.
A changing noise caused me to look up
as went by the principal entrance of
the Villa ROmani. \ servant :.
my own man servant by the by :.
was barring the great gates
for the night. L listened as he
slid the bolts into their places, and
turned the key. l remember that those
gates had been thoroughly fastened be-
fore, when l came up the road from
Naples,-why then had they been open
since? To let out a visitor? OF course!
/ smiled grimly at my wifes
cunning! She evidently knew what she
was about. Appearances must be kept
up-the Signor Ferrari must be decor
ously shown out by servant at the chief
entrance of the house. NaturSly!-all
very MISUNDERSTANDING AMI suite in
keeping with the prOprieties! Guido had
just LETT her then? l walked stead
lily, without hurrying my pace, down the
hill toward the city, and on the way 1
overlook him. He was Strolling lazily
along, smoking as usual, and he held a
spray of stephanotis. i'm his hand,
l knew who had given it to him!
l passed him, he glanced
up careleSSly, his handsome face clearly
visible in the bright moonlight, but there
was nothing about common fisherman
to attract his attention, his only look
rested upon me for a second and was
withdrawn Immediately. An insane de-
sire possessed me to turn upon hIm-to
spring at his throat-tO wreStle with him
and throw him in the dust at my feet
to spit at him and trample upon him.
but represSed these fierce and danger
Gus emotions. l had a better game to
play-I had an exquisite torture in stors
for him compared to which hand to
hand fight was mere vulgar fooling.
Vengeance ought to ripen slowly in the
strong heat of intense wrath, till of itself
it falls, hastily snatched before it's time
1t is like unmellowed fruit, sour
and ungrateful to the palate. So l let |
my dear friend,-my wife's CONSIDER
saunter on his needless way without in |
terference,-l passed, leaving him to
indulge in amorous musings to his false |
hearts content. entered Naples and |
found nights lodging at one Of the |
usual resorts for men of my supposed |
craft, and strange to say l slept sound |
ly and dreamlessly. Recent illness, IA |
tigue, fear and sorrow, all aided to |
throw me like an exhausted child upon |
the quiet bosom of slumber, but per-
haps the most powerfully soothing |
opiate to my brain was the conscious
ness 1 had Of practical plan Of retri-
bution-more terrible than any human |
creature had yet devised, so far as / |
knew. Unchristian you call me? I tell |
you again, Christ never loved a woman?
Had He done so, He would have left US
some special code Of justice.
To be Continued.