The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-04-10

ea0ugh 10 Tap twlg In two. Yet she
o..E. do anything with Carmelo-she Is
tns one soft spot 10 his life"
"I wonder If she IL true to him." i
rauttered, half to myself and half aloud.
The captain caught up my words with
sn accent of surprise.
True to him? All, Diol but the
signor does not know her. There was
one of Carmelo's own band, as bold and
handsome cut-throat as ever lived
he was mad for Teresa-he followed her
everywhere like beaten cur. One day
he found her alone; he tried to embrace
her-she snatched knife from his own
girdle and stabbed him with il, like a
little furyl She did not kill him then,
but Carmelo did afterwards. To think
of little woman like that with
such devil in herl 1t is
her boast that no man, save
Carmelo, has ever touched so much as o
ringlet of her hair. Ay, she is true tc
him-more's the pity"
"Why-you would not have he,
false?" asked.
"Nay, nay,-for a false woman de.
serves death,-but still it is pity TIE
resa should have fixed her love on Car
melo. Such mani One day the gen.
darmes will have him, then he will be ir
the galleys for life, and she will die.
Yes,-you may be sure of thatl If grief
does not kill her quickly enough, then
she will kill herself, that is certain!
She is slight and frail to look at az a
flower but her soul is strong as iron. She
will have her own way in death as well
as in love,-some women are made so,
and It is generally the weakest looking
among them who have the most cour-
age"
Our conversation was here interrupted
by one of the sailors who came for his
masters orders. The talkative skipper,
with an apologize smile and bow, placed
his box of cigarettes beside me where l
sat, and left me to my own refiec-
tions.
I was not sorry to be alone. / needed
a little breathing time rest in
which to think, though my thoughts,
like new solar system, reyolyed round
the red planet Of one csptral idea, ven
geance. "a false Woman .desefIes
death" Even this simple Sieiliah mari
ner said so, go and kill her, go and
kill herls These words reiterated them
selves over and over again in my ears
till found myself uttering them almost
aloud. My soul sickened at the eontem-
platien of the woman Teresa, the mis-
tress Of a wretched brigand whose Name
was fraught with horror, whose looks
were terrific, she, even she, could keep
herself sacred from the profaning
touch of other mems caresSes; she. was
proud of being faithful to her wolf OF
the mountains, whose temper was IN.
certain and treachefous, she could
make lawful boast of her fidelity to her
blood-stained lover, while Nina the
welded wife of noble whose descent
was lofty and unsullicd, could tear off
the fair crown of honorable marriage
and cast Il in dust, could take the digni-
ty of an ancient family and trample
upon it, could make herself so low and
vile that even this common Teresa,
knowing all. might, and most probably
would, refuse to touch her hand, consid-
ering it polluted, Just God! what had
Carmelo Neri done to deserve the price
less jewel of a true. woman's heart;
what had | done to merit such foul de-
ceptfon as that which | was now called
upon to avenge? Suddenly l thought
of my child. Her memory came upon
me like ray of light, l had almost
forgotten her. Poor little blossomi the
slow hot tears forced themselves be-
tween my eyelids, as l called up before
my fancy the picture of the soft baby
face, the young untroublcd eyes, the lit
tie coaxing mouth always budding into
innocent kisses! What should do with
her? When the plan of punishment
had matured in my brain was carried
out to its utmost, should take her With
me far, far away into some quiet corner
of the world, and deuote my life to hers?
Alas, alas! she, too, would be woman
and beautiful, she was flower born of
a poisoned tree; who could say that
there might not be canker-wOrm hid
den even in her heart, which waited
but for the touch of maturity to COM
mence its work of destruction! o menl
you that have scrpents coiled round
your lives in the shape OF fair false
women, If God has given you children
by them, the curse descends upon you
doubly! Hide it as you will under the
society masks we are all forced
to wear, you know there is nothing
more keenly torturing than to see inno-
cent babes look trustingly In the deceit
full eyes OF an unfaithful wife, and call
her by the sacred name of Mother"
Eat ashes and drink NORWOOD, you
shall find them sweet In comparison TO
that nauseating bitterness.
To RE CONTINUED