The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-12-11

With an earnest, distinct voice called
| to her
Nina! Ninal"
She turned towards me still su;liG;-
i her eyes were bright, her face had re-
/ gained its habitual colour. and as she
stood in the dim light, with her rich
tresses falling about ! e. and the clust-
ering gems massed together in a
glittering fire against her white
skin, she looked unnaturallY, wildly
beautiful. She nodded to me, half
graciously, half-haughtily, but gave me
no answer. Moved with quick pity l
called again-"Nina!"
She laughed again--the same terrible
laugh.
Isl sill Som bella, SON belisSimar'
she murmured. "Etu, Guido milo? Tu
m'ami?'
Then raising one hand as though CON-
manding attention, she cried-"As-
colta!" and began to sing clearly though
feebly:
'Ti salute Rosignuolo!
Mel tue duolO ii salute!
Sci ramante della rosa
Che niorendo 81 ia sposa"
As the old familiar melody echoed
through the dreary vault, my bitter
wrath against her partially lessened;
with the swiftneSs of my southern tenn
permanent a certain compassion stirred
my soul.
She was no longer quite the same woman
who had wronged and betrayed me, she
had the helplessness and fearful inno-
cence of madness In that con-
dition could not have hurt hair of her
head. 1 stepped hastily forward-I re-
solved to take her out of the vault-after
all would not leave her thus, .
but as | approached, she withdrew from
me, and with an angry stamp OF her foot
motioned me backward, while dark
frown knitted her fair brOws.
"Who are you?" she cried imperious-
ly. "You are dead, quite dead! How
dare you come out of your gravem
And she stared at me deiiantly,-then
suddenly clapping her hands as though
in ecstasy, and seeming to address some
invisible being at her side, she said
in low, delighted tones-''IIe is dead,
GUIDO. Are you not glad?" She paused,
apparently expecting some reply, for she
looked about her wonderingly, and cor
tinued-"YOu do not answer me-are
you afraid? Why are you SO pale and
stern? Have you just come back from
Rome? What have you heard? That l
am false?-oh. no! l will love you still
All! | forgot! you also are
dead, Guido. l remember now-you
cannot hurt me any more-I am free
and quite happy!"
Smiling, she continued her song
I'll salute, Sol di Maggi
Col tue raggio ii saulito!
Sci fApollo del paSsato
Sci 'amore incoronatO!"
Again, -again!-that hollow, rum
bling and cracking sound overhead
What could 1t be2
"Lamore incor$natol" hummed Nina
fitfully, as she plunged her round jeweled
arm down again into the chest Of treas
ure. Isl, 81! Che morendo 81 IA sposa
. che morenno 81 ia sposa. :
ahv'
This last was an exclamation of pleas
ure; she had found some toy that
charmed her,-it was the old mirror set
in its frame of pearls The possession of
this object seemed TO fill her with extra.
ordinary JOY, and she evidently retained
no consciousness s'of where she was, for
she sat down en- the upturned
coffin which had held my liv-
Ing body, with absolute indifference.
Still singing softly to herself, she
yazed lovingly at her own reflection, and
fingered the jewels she wore, arranging
and rearranging them in various pat
-erns with one hand, while in the other
'he raised the looking-glass in the flare