Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-08-24

ruby clAsped her hands and shrReked aloud,
and as she did 80 the jewel dropped from
her palm, glittered ut her feet an instant's
space, and glanced from the door Of the
balcony into the blue depths OF the Rhine
Rudolph had started to seize il, but
when he saw he was too late he uttered a
hideous imprecation and lifted his hand
threateningly above his wifes head.
Low born peasant kitchen drudgel
COW driver beer serverl' he shrieked.
Fool that | was to think that your clumsy
fingers could hold jewels FAST Fool that
was to marry a coarse creature like you,
born to eat black bread and walk bare
footW
And then he struck her a furious blow
upon her white bosom, and she staggered
and fell
The balcony was only defended by a rail
Of carved wood that time and weather had
weakened long ago. As the form OF Nina
struck IL it broke from it's fastenings, and
she fell with a splash into the river aud
vanished beneath its waters, and Max Ru
dolph saw beside him the figure she had
seen, and knew it for Satan's self.
"Demonl you have done thisln he cried,
as he sprung into the water after his wife.
She had risen TO the surface, and he
caught her and swan with her to land.
He implored her pardon, and she gave it
to him freely; but alasl the deed was done.
In little while she lay in her coffin with
her baby on her bosom, and he followed
her to the grave, and over her the turf
grew green in time, and stone was placed
on which were these words:
Nina, the beloved wife of Max Rudolph.
"A jewel lost TO him forever
Max returned to his desolate home and
dwelt there alone Shortly he began his
pursuit OF rare jewels again with more
energy than ever. No one knew what he
aid with them, for no one saw him 20 at
midnight to his wife's grave, and thert
bury them one after another until the sod
above her heart was rich with jewels
He lived on wretched food, with scarcely
fire enough To warm him. He wore the
garb Of a beggar. Piece by piece the old
furniture of his house, its pictures and its
ornaments were sold, the money converted
into gems. But it was 10 Mina's grave
that he bore them, and there he buried
them, with prayers and tears, and the
black fend that had haunted his youth
ceased TO appear to him, nor was it even
seen by any one at his shoulder
At last it was known that he had sold
his home and his land, and retained only
the right to dwell while he lived in the
room from which the bnlcony-the balcony
on which Nina stood when he laid the
jewel in her palm, and whence she had
fallen to her death beneath his blow upon
her bosom.
There he sat, often the whole night
through. A fatal disease had come upon
him. lie knew its dread symptoms well.
but he sought no physician. Death was
welcome to him. Only he prayed always
for some token that Nina had forgiven
him. His hair was white as bleached
linen; he had the aspect of very aged
man, though he was not really old Griet
and remorse and terror Of the fend had
made him what he was, and now he was
poor--so poor that he could not buy the
smallest gem to bury in his murdered
wife's grave.
One night he had in tho house only one
little piece Of black bread and no more
He sat upon wooden bench, and in the
corner lay an old straw bed. He sat in the
balcony-the broken rail had not been
mended-the water sobbed below. He was
weeping for her whom he had
killed 50 long ago, and his remorse and
grief would have touched the hardest heart
who could have read his Alright.
Assuredly it appealed to heavens mercy,
for as the clock in a tower hard by struck
midnight a strange thing happened The
waves, never SO high before, began to leap
up and wash the floor of the old balcony.
They were white 10 the moonlight--white
as woodland they looked to him some.
times like the faces and hands and arms OF
sea spirits, so that in spite Of himself he
stretched out his own hands to touch
them, and, grasping something that melt
ed between his fingers, still held fast q
small hard substance which, as he opened
his palm, glowed like a coal Of fire
A candle stood upon the hearth within
Trembling and overwhelmed with super
stitious terror, he arose and staggered to
ward it, and saw that what he held was
great ruby, the very stone that he had laiC
in Mina's palm so long ago-the gem o.
priceless value for the possession OF which
he had We'd with kings.
An hour later the moon at her setting
looked on him as he tottered over the roal
TO the graveyard and knelt at last beside
Mina's grave.
There, with a little knife he carried, h,
dug a hole and buried the ruby handi
depth deep, close against the white stonl
on which her name was written, and will
the effort his strength forsook him. III
knew that the supreme moment was a
hand
NINA, Nina" he cried. Murdered an
gell intercede for me with heavenp
And suddenly all about and above tn
grave began to glow with a clear light lik
that Of jewels, and in the midst he saw tn
figure OF an angel who wore his wifes fac
holding out her arms toward him.
The next morning some laborers foun
l -
and for months men searched the hous
where he had dwelt for the treasure he wa
believed to have hidden. But no one eve
thought Of looking in the right place; u
one dreamed q what we know--that he ha
offered all he had to his murdered love an
to the heaven he had so offended, and tina
the turf beneath which Nina sleeps is rio
with iewels.-Mary Kyle Dallas in Firesid
Companion.
why Spiders Are Not Insects.