Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-08
vision of love remained impressed upon his


Bef,rcch 7Iro Tail Stones Stood a Mon
vision of love remained impressed upon his
brain.
With a smothered crr of agony Unorna
lean ed against the great slab OF marble be-
hird her and covered her eyes The dark
ne of night descended upon her and with
it the fire of burning shame
Then loud and cruel laugh rang through
the chilly air, such laugh as the devils in
hell bestow upon the shame of a proud soul
that knows its own infinite bitterness.
Unnrna started and uncovered her eyes;
her suffering changed in single instant TO
ungovernabe and destroying anger. She
made a step forward and then stopped short,
breathing hard. The Wanderer, too, had
turned, more quickly than she. Between
two tall grsvestones, not dozen PAGES away,
stood a man with haggard face and eyes on
fire, his keen. worn features contorted by
smile in which unspeakable satis:a faction
struggled for expression with profound
despair.
The man was Israel Kafka.
The Wanderer looked from Unorna to
| Kafka with profound surprise. He had
never seen the man, and had no means of
| knowing who he was; still less of guessing
what had brought him to the lonely place,
or why he had broken into a laugh, OF
which the harsh, wild tones still echoed
| through the wide cemetery. Totally uncon-
scious of all that had happened to himsel:
| during the preceding quarter of an hour, the
! Wanderer was deprived of the key to the
/ situation. He only understood that the
stranger was for some reason or other deeply
| iacensed against Unorna, and he realized
| that the intruder had, on the moment of his
| appearS1ce, no control over himself.
! Israel kafka remained where he stood be-
| tween the two tall stones, one hand resting
on each, his body inclined a little forward,
| his dark. sunken eyes, bloodshot and full of
a turhid, angry brightness, bent intently
upon Unorna's face. He looked as though
! he were about TO move suddenly forward,
| but it was impossible to foresee that he
might not as suddenly retreat. as lean and
| hungry tiger crouches for a moment in un-
certainty whether to fight or fly. when, after
tracking his man, he finds him not alone
and defenseless as he anticipated, but we'll
armed and in company.
The Wanderers insolence was onlv men,
| tai, and was moreover transitory and artifi
cial. When he saw Unorna advance he
quickly placed himself between her and
Israel hafka, and looked from one to the
other.
WHO is this MANI" he asked. "And
what does he want of you?"
Unorna made as though she would pass
him. But he laid his hand upon her arm
with a gesture that betrayed his anxiety for
her safety. At his touch, her face changed
for n moment and faint blush dyed her
cheek.
You may we'll ask VINO am" said the
Mora yian, speaking in voice half-choked
with passion and anger. ''She will tell you
she does not know me-she will deny my
existence to nv face. But she knows ME
very well. l am Israel kafka."
Wopdarar lnol-ad Of
ously. He remembered what he had heard
but few hours earlier from Kevork con-
cerning the young fellows madness. The
situation now partially explained itself.
II understand" he said looking at
Unorna. ''He seems to be dangerous
What shall do with him?"
He asked the question as calmly as though
it had referred to the disposal of an inani-
mate object, instead OF to the taking into
custody of mailman
do with me?" cried kafka, advancing !
suddenly step forward from between the
slabs. "Do with me? DO you speak of ME
as though l were dog-a dumb animal
but | will"
He choked and coughed, and could not
finish the sentence. There was a hectic |
flush in his cheek, and his thin, graceful
frame shook violently from head to foot
Unable to speak for the moment, he waved |
derer shook his head rather sadly.
"lie seems very ill, he said, in a tone of
compassion.
But Unorna vas pitiless. She knew what |
her companion could not know, namely, !
that Kafka must have followed them |
through the streets to the cemetery and |
must have overheard Unorna's passionate |
appeal and must have seen and understood |
the means she was using to Win the Wan |
She had suffered enough secret |
shame already in STOPPING to the use |
OF her arts in such course. 1t had cost her |
one of the greatest struggles of her life, and |
her disappointment at the result had been |
proportonately bitter. In that alone she |
had endured almost as much pain as she |
could bear. But to find suddenly that her |
humiliation, her hot speech, her failure, the |
look which she knew had been on her face !
until the moment when the Wanderer |
awoke. that all this had been seen and heard |
by Israel kafka was intolerable. Even |
Keyork's unexpected appearance could not |
have so fired her wrath. kcyork might |
have laughed at her afterward, but her |
failure would have been 10 triumph to |
him. Was not Keyork enlisted on her side,
ready to help her at all tines by word or
deed, in accordance with the terms of their |
agreement? But of all men Kafka, whom
sue idu SO WTOnHeu, WAS tHe one iu30 VINO 1
should have been ignorant of her defeat and |
miserable shame.
Coz she cried, with a gesture Of CON- !
mand. Her eyes flashed and her extended
hand trembled.
There was such concentrated fury in the
single word that the Wanderer started in
surprise, ignorant as he was of the true state
of things.
You are uselessly unkind," he said
gravely. "The poor man is mad. Let me
take him away"
Leave him to me" she answered imperi-
ously. HE will obey me-"
Ruf Israel K afka did nnf turn He rest. |