Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-18


himself deafened, so he faced the great con-
gregation.
81 am i'll" he said in low voice to those
nearest to him. "Pray let me pass.
His face was white indeed, and those who
heard his words believed him. A mild old
man raised his sad, blue eyes, gazed at him,
and while irving to draw back, gently shook
his head. A pale woman, whose sickly
features were half veiled in the folds of
torn black shawl, moved as lar as she could;
shrinking as the very poor and miserable
shrink when they are expected to make way
before the rich and strong A lad OF Is
stood upon tiptoe to make himself even
slighter than he was, and thus to widen the
wav, and the Wanderer found himself, after
repeated efforts, as much as two steps dis
tant from his former position. He was still
irving TO divide the crowd when the music
suddenly ceased, and the tones of the
organ died away far up under the western
window. Ii was the moment of the
Elevation, and at the first silyery tinkling
OF the bell, the people swayed little, all
those kneeling who were able, and those
whose movements were impeded by the press
of worshipers bending toward the altar as 4
field of grain before the gale. The Wanderer
turned again and bowed himself with the
rest, devoutly and humbly, with hall closed
ewes, as he strove to collect and control his
thoughts in the presence of the chief mystery
of his faith. Three times the tiny bell was
ruug, a pause followed, and thrice again The
clear Jingle of the metal broke the solemn
stiffness. Then once more the people stirred,
and the soft sound of their simultaneous
motion was like mighty sigh breatned up
from the secret vaults and the deep founda-
tions of the ancient church; again the pedal
note OF the organ doomed through the nave
and aisIes, and again the thousands Of human
voices took up the strain of song.
The wanderer glanced about him, meas
uriuo the distance he must traverse to reach
the monument Of the Danish astronomer,
and confronting it with the short time which
now remained before the end of the mass.
He saw that in such q throng he would have
no chance of gaining the position he wished
TO occupy in less than half an hour, and he
had now but scant ten minutes at his dis
posal. He gave up the attempt, therefore,
determining that wheI the celebration
should be over he would move forward with
the crowd, trusting TO his superior stature
and energy to keep him within sight OF the
woman he sought, until both he and she
could meet, either just within or just with
out the narrow entrance of the church.
Very soon the moment of action came.
The singing died away, the benediction was
given, the second gospel was read, the
priest and the peoplerepeated the Bohemian
PRAYERS, and all was over. The countless
heads began to move onward, the shutting
of iunumerabie feet sent heavy, tuneless
echoes through vaulted space, broken every
moment by the sharp, painful cough of .
suffering child whom no one could see in the
multitude, or by the dull thud of some
heavy loot striking against the wooden seats
in the press. The Wanderer moved forward
with the rest. Reaching the entrance of the
pew where she had sat he was kept back
during a few seconds by the half dozen men
and women who were forcing their
way out of it, before him. But at
the furthest end figure clothed iu
black was still kneeling. A moment more
and he might enter the pew and be at her
side One of the other women dropped
something before she was out OF the narrow
space, and stopped, iumDling and searching
in the darkness. At this minute the slight,
Cirlish figure rose swiftly and passed like a
shadow be ore 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 sprang
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 to-
ward the door. Ere he could reach her he
saw her touch the thick ice which filed the
marble basin, cross herself hurriedly and
pass out But he had seen her lace again,
and he knew that he was not mistaken. The
thin wdIen features were as those of the
dead, but they were hers, nevertheless. In
an instant he could be by her side. But
again his progress was momentarily impeded
by a number of persons who were entering
the building hastily to attend the next mass.
Scarcely ten seconds later he was out in the
narrow and dismal passage which winds be-
tween the north side of the Teyn Kirche
and the buildings behind the Kinsky Palace
The vast buttresses and towers cast deep
shadows below them, and the blackened
houses opposite absorb what remains of the
uncertain winters daylight. To the left of
the church door a low arch spans the lane.
affordiug a covered communication 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-
tions aud under the old houses, to the streets
beyond.
The Wanderer stood upon the steps be-
meath the rich stone carvings which set forth
the Crucifixion over the door of the church,
and his quick eye scanned everything in
sight To the left, no figure resembling the
one he sought was to be seen, but on the
right. he 1anced that among score of per-
sons now rapidly dispensing be could dis
tlngulsh moving shadow just within one
oil the archways, black against the darkness
In an instant he had crossed the way and
was hurrying through the gloom. Already
far before him, but visible and, as he be-
lieved, unmistakable, the shade was speed
ing onward, light as mist, noiseless as
thought. but yet clearly to be seen and fol-
lowed. be cried aloud, as he ran:
Beatrice! Beatricer'
His strong voice echoed along the dank
walls and out into the court beyond. 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 iell 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 headloDg pace. But in the narrow
tunnel, when he reached it, she was not,
though at the farther end he imagined that
the fold of a black garment was Just disap-
peariug. He emerged into the street, in
which he could now see In both directions to
q distance oil 90 yards or more. He was
alone. The rusty iron shutters of the little
shops were all barred and fastened, and
everv 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 a footstep.
He did not pause long, for he made up his
mind as to what he would do in the fash of
a moments intuition. 1t was physically
impossible that she should have disappeared