Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-11-07

nounced how little sucn beauty was
worth. playing with jewels, the foolish
trlnkets OF life, In the abode Of skele.
tons, where the password is deathl
Thinking thus, ! gazed ~ her, rs one
might gaze ut o dead body, mot loath-
ingly any more, but only mournfully.
My vengeance was satiated. i
could not wage war against this vacantly
! smiling mad creature, out OF whom
tho spirit OF o dovillsh intelligence and
cunning had been torn, and who there
fore was no longer the same woman.
Her loss OF wi: should compensate for
my loss OF love. l determined TO try
and attract her attention again. 1
opened my lips to spcak,-but before the
words could form themselves, that odd
rumbling noise again broke on my ears.
this time with loud reverberation
that rolled overhead like the thunder OF
artillery. Before could imagine the
reason Of it,-before l could advance
one stop towards my wife, who still sat
on the upturned coffin smiling at herself
in the mirror, could utter o
word or move an inch, tremendous
crash resounded through the vault
followed by singing shower
OF stones, dust, and pulverizel
mortar! =. stepped backward
amazed, bewlthercd-speechles, -inJi5-
tinctively shutting my eyes {.
When opened them pgain oil vas dark
ness-ali was silent! Only the vino
howled outside more frantically than
ever.-a sweeping gust whirled through
the vault, blowing some dead leaves
against my face, and heard the boughs
OF the trees creaking noisily In the fury
of the storm. Hnsh!-was that q faint
moan? Quivering in every limb, and
sick with q nameless dread, l sought In
nv pocket for matches,-l found
them. Then with ON effort, master
ing the shuddering revulsion OF my
nerves, / struck light The flame was
so dim that for an instant could SEQ
nothing. called loudly-''Nina" There
was no answer.
One OF the extlnguishcd candles was
near me; lii II with the trembling
hands and held IL aloft then
Z uttered o wild shrek OF horror! =.
0 God OF inexorable justice, surely Thy
vengence was greater than mine! An
enormous block OF stone, dislodGed by
the violence OF the storm, had fallen
from the roof OF the vault. fallen sheer
down over the very place where she had
sat q minute or two before, Enthusiastically
smiling. Crushed under the huge mass,
crushed into the very splinters OF my
own empty coffin. she lay-and
vet and vet l could
see nothing, save ono white
hand protrudng,-thc hand on which
the marriage ring gllttered mockingly!
Even as / looked, that hand Qulrcred
violently. beat the ground.
and then. was still! 1t was hor-
rible. In dreams see that quiv-
ering white hand now, the jewels on II
sparkling with derisive lustre. 1t
appeals, IL calls, IL threatens, II prays!
and when my time comes to die, II will
beckon me to my grave! A portion Of
her costly dress was visible, my eyes
lighted on this,-and saw slow stream
OF blood oozing thickly from beneath the
stone. the pOnderous stone that no
man could have moved an inch-the
stone that sealed her awful sep
ulchre Good heavens! how fast the
crimson stream OF life trickled!-staln-
ing the snowy lace Of her garment with
a dark and dreadful hue! Staggering
feebly like q drunken man, half-delirious
with anguish, approached and touched
that small white hand that lay stiffiY on
the ground. Il bent my head. i
almost kissed II, but some strange re-
vulsion rose In my soul and forbade the
act!
In stupor of dull agony l sought and
found the crucifix OF the monk Cipriano
that had fallen to the floor i closed
the yet warm finger tips around 1t and
left IL thus; an unnatural, terrible calm.
ness froze the excitement OF my strained
nerves.
"'Tls all can do for thee" NUT
tered incoherently. MAY Christ forgive
thee, though / cannot!"
And covering my eyes TO shut ont
the sight before me turned
away. / hurried In sort OF frenzy to-
wards the stalrway,-on reaching the
lowest sIop extinguished the torch /
carried. Some impulse madc me glance
back and / saw what see now
what shall always see till l die. An
aperture had been made through the
roof OF the vault by the fall Of the great
stone, and through this the ftful moon
poured down a long ghostly ray. The
green glimmer:: like a special lamp'deep-
ened the surrounding darkness, only
showing up with fell distinctness one
object-that slender protruding wrist
and hand. whittier than Alpine snow! l
cazed at II wildly the CLEAN ofthe
Jewels down there hurt nv eyes .
the shine Of the silver cru
ci6x clasped in those little wax
en- fingers dazzlod my brain -.
and with frantic cry OF I'M
reasoning terror, rushed up the steps
with q maniac speed, Opened the iron
gate through which she would pass no
more, and stood ut liberty in the free air,
face TO face with wind as tempestuous as
my own passions. With what furious
haste shut the entrance to the vault!
with what fierce precaution locked and
double.locked i'll Nay, so little did ! rea-
H. NAAe