San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-09

ulluuIS IllC SllShG' SlllLoh h5uLO hNSS
swiftly and passed like shadow be-
fore the heavy marble monument.
The Wanderer saw that the pew was
open at the other end, and without
needing the woman who stood in his
way, he sprung upon the low seat,
passed her, stepped to the floor upon
the other side. and was out in the
aisle in a moment. Many persons had
already left the church, and the space
was comparatively free.
She was before him, gliding quickly
toward the door, Ere he could reach
her he saw her touch the thick ice
which filled the marble basin, cross
herself hurriedly and pass out. But
he had seen her face again, and he
knew that he was not mistaken. The
thin, waXen features were those OF the
dead, but they were hers, nevertheless,
In an instant he could be at her side.
But again his progress was momenta-
rily impeded by a number of persons
who were entering the building hasti-
ly to attend the next mass. Scarcely
10 seconds later he was out in the mar
row and dismal passage which winds
between the north side of the Teyn
Kirche aud the buildings behind the
Kinsky Palace. The vast buttresses
and towers cast deep shadows below
them, and the blackened houses oppo-
site absorb what remains of the I'M
certain winters daylight. To the left
OF the church door a low arch spans
the lane, affording covered commu-
nication between the north aisle and
the sacristy. To the right the open
space is somewhat broader, and three
dark archways give access to as many
passages, leading, in radiating direc-
lions, and under the old houses, to the
streets beyond.
The Wanderer stood upon the steps
! beneath the rich stone carvings which
&C.. orLn the CrucifXion over the door
OF the church, and his quick eyes
scanned everything within sight. Ito
the left no figure resembling the one
| lie sought was to be seen, but on the
| right he fancied that among a score
OF persons now rapidly dispensing he
| could distinguish a moving shadow
! just within one of the archways, black
| against the darkness. In an instant
| he had crossed the way and was hur-
| rying through the gloom. Already
| far before him, but visible, and, as he
believed, unmistakable, the shade
was speeding onward, light as mist,
noiseless as thought. but yet clearly
to be seen and followed. He cried
aloud as he ran:
Beatrice! Beatrice!"
His strong voice echoed along the
dark walls and out into the court be-
yond. 1t was intensely cold, and the
still air carried the sound clearly to
the distance. She must have heard
him, she must have known his voice,
but as she crossed the open place, and
the gray light fell upon her, he could
see that she did not raise her bent
head nor slacken her speed.
He ran on, sure of Overtaking her
in the passage she had now entered,
for she seemed to be only walking,
while he was pursuing her at head
long pace. But in the narrow tunnel,
when he reached it, she was not,
|
that the fold of black garment was
Just disappearing. He emerged into
the street. in which he could now see
| in both directions to a distance of fifty
yards or more. He was alone. The
rusty iron shutters of the little shops
were all barred and fastened, and
! every door within the range of his
vision was closed. He stood still in
| surprise and listened. There was no
sound to be heard, not the grating of
lock, nor the tinkling of a bell, nor
the fall of q fOotstep.
He did not pause long, for he made
up his mind as to what he should do
in the flash of moments intuition.
1t was physically impossible that she
should have disappeared into any of
| the houses which had their entrances
within the dark tunnel he had Just
traversed. Apart from the presump-
! tive impossibility of her being lodged
in such a quarter, there was the self
evident fact that he must have heard
the door opened and closed. Sec
ondly, she could not have turned to
the right, for in that direction the
street was straight and without any
lateral exit, so that he must have
seen her. Therefore she must have
gone to the left, since Oh that side
there was a narrow alley leading out
of the lane, at some distance from the
point where he was now standing
too far, indeed, for her to have
reached it unnoticed, unless, as was
possible, he had been greatly de-
ceived in the distance which had
lately separated her from him.
J h.,nitntin,, he