San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-22

dverjoyed they would all DE 10 see INT
again-to know that l was not dead
after ALL What welcome / should re-
ceive! How Nina would nestle into m
arms; how my little child would
cling TO me; how Guido would
clasp me by the hand! l smiled
as | pictured the scene Of rejoicing at
the dear old Villa-the happy home sane
titled by perfect friendship and faithful
love!
A deep hollow sound booming sullenly
on nv ears startle1 .ne-one! two! three!
l counted the strokes up to twelve. 1t
was some church bell tOlling the hour.
Nv pleasing fanCies disperSed-l again
faced the drear reality of my position.
Twelve o'clock! Midday or midRght?
| could not tell. l began to calculate.
Ii was early morning when had been
taken ill-not much past eight when |
had met the monk and sought his assist
ance for the poor little fruit seller who
had after all persisted alone in his suffer-
ings. Now supposing my illness had
lasted some hours, might have fallen
into a trance,-died,-as those around
me had thought, somewhere about noon.
In that case they would certainly have
buried me with as little delay as possible
before sunset at all events. Thinking
these points over one by one, | came to
the conclusion that the bell had just
heard must have struck midnight-the
midnight of the very day of my burial.
l Shivered-a kind of nervous dread
stole over me. l have always been ply
sically courageous, but at the same time,
in spite of my education, l am somewhat
uperstitious-what Neapolitan is not? it
runs in the Southern blood. And there
was something unutterably fearful in
the sound of that midnight bell clang-
ing harShly on the ears of a man pent
up alive in funeral vault with the de-
caying bodies of his ancestors close
within reach Of his hand l tried to
conquer my feelings-tO summon up my
fOrtitude. | endeavored to reason out
the best method of escape. l resolved to
feel my way, if possible, to the steps Of
the vault, and with this idea in my mind
| put out my hands and began to move
along slowly and with the utmost care.
What was that? l stopped; listened:
the blood curdled in my veins! shrill
cry, piercing, prolonged, and melan-
~llOly, tSLOtu uOllOW
Of my tomb. A cold perSpiration broke
out all over my body-my heart beat so
loudly that | could hear it humping
against my ribs. Again-again-tha
weird shrek, followed by whirr and
flap Of wings. breathed again.
''1t is an OWL" | said to myself,
ashamed of my fears; "a poor innocent
bird-a companion and watcher of the
dead, and therefore its voice is full of
Sorrowful lamentation,-but it is harm
less and | crept on with increased eau
ton. Suddenly out of the dense darkness
there stared two large yellow eyes, gilt
tering with tiendish hunger and cruelty.
For moment l was startled, and stepped
back; the creature flew at Inc with the
ferOcity of tiger-cat! fought with the
horrible thing in all directions; it
round my head, it bounced to-
wards my face, it beat me with its large
that could feel but not
see; the yellow eyes alone shCne in the
thick gloom like the eyes of some vindi-
Cative demon! | struck at it right and
revolving combat lasted some
grew sick and dizzy, yet I
battled on reckleSSly. At last, thank
Heaven! the huge owl was vanquished;
it tluttered backwards and dOwnwardS,
apparently exhausted, giving one wild
Screech of baffled fury, as its lamp-like
eyes disappeared in the darkness.
but not subdued, every
nerve in my body quivering with excite
pursued my way, as | thought,
towards the stone staircase, feeling the
air with my Ourstretched hands as |
CROPPED along. In little while | met
with an ObstructiOn-It was hard and
coda stone wall. surely! | felt it up
and down and found hollow in twas
this the first step of the stair? won.
dered; it seemed very high, | touched it