Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-11-07
THE VENDETTA,
The Story Of One Forgotten
By MARIE. CORELLI.
HAPTER xXxv1,.-coNTINUED.
Oh

act 70 strike the next, had caught
her murderous hand and forced IL down,
and was struggling with her for tho mas
eaxV Of the weapon. She held II with q
desperate grip-she fought with mo
hraAthlessly, clinging TO me with all her
fonpe-She reminded me OF that raven.
oQS unciean bird with which had had
20 fierce q combat on the night OF my
living burial. For some brief moments
she was possessed OF supernatural
4Nen gth-she sprang and tore at my
clothes, keeping the poniard fast in her
clutch At last thrust her down pant
&xx and exhausted, with fury flashing In
her eyes;-I wrenched the steel from
hex hand and brandished II above her.
s@Who talks Of murder now?" ] cried
Tn bitter derlsion. ''Oh, what Joy you
azxe Sost! What triumph for you, could
YOU h1ve stabbed me to the heart and
Left me here dead indeed! What o new
.S:zreer OF lies would have been yours!
Hos sEeetiy you would have said your
prayers with tho stain OF my blood upon
yussr SOIL! Aye! you would have fooled
che world TO the end, and died 10 the
0dnEr Of sanctity! And you dared to
ask my forgiveness!
Z stopped short-a strange, bewildered
expression suddenly passed over her
eAce,-she looked about her In dazed,
VxGssc I-ay-thcn her gaze became sud
denly fixed, and she pointed towards o
dark corner and shuddered.
-sHush-hush!" she said In low ter
riScd whisper. ''Look! how still he
STANDS, how pale he seems! Do not speak
--E5S Isot move-hush! he must rot hear
guar voice will go to him
ard tell him all-all :" She
Doan and stretched out her arms with o
lestEze CT entreaty.
~ISEidol Guido"
I looked towards the SPOT that thus liv.
Grad her attention-all was shrouded in
deep gkoom. She caught my arm.
'-Kiu HIM" she whispered fierce
Iv---kAl him, and then will love
YOU. Abr and with an exclama-
Cion OF fear she began to retire
swiftly backwards as though con-
ffnuted by some threatening figure.
A-HKe Is coming nearer-nearer! No, no,
GuiIi0s You shall not touch me-you
dare not Fabo is dead and am free
frse-' She paused-her wild eyes gazed
iaVEEd-did she see some horror
there? She put up both hands
.ax ehongh 10 shield herself
from some impending blow, and Ut
teEixg a loud cry she fell prone an the
susn@ floor, -inscnsible. Or dead.
balanced this question indifferently, as
I leaked down upon her inanimate form.
Ths favour Of vengeance was hot in my
rnoG1h, and filed me with delirious salts.
exeHIon. True, had been glad when
my bplle. whizzing sharply through
che air had carried death
70 Guido, but my gladness had been
mingled with ruthfulness and regret.
NOu, not ono throb Of pity stirred me
rot The faintest emotion OF tenderness.
EeFrarl's sin was great, but she tempted
h4m,-hcr crime outweighed his And
anW there she lay white and 81
lent In o swoon that was like
death, that might be death for aught
szneT-or cared! Had her lovers ghost
Indeed appeared before the eyes OF her
Eziity conscience? did not doubt it,
I should scarcely have been startled had
K seeH tho poor pale shadow Of him by
my side, as l musngly gazed upon the
fair fallen body Of the traitress who had
gant0nly wrecked both our lives.
Aye, Guido" muttered half aloud
~-doSt see tho work? Thou art avenged,
fEaH spirlt-avenged as we'll as I,--part
Eh0a in peace from earth and its inhao-
ltaats,-haply thou shalt cleanse In pure
fire the sins OF thy lower nature, and
win . final pardon; but for hers hell
Itself black enough to match her sonl?"
And slowly moved toward the stair
way; It was time, thought, with o
grim resolve,-to leave her! Possibly
she was dead II not -. why
thea she coon would be! ! paused
krolute-the wild wind battered cease
ieSSly ut the iron gateway, aud walled as
Enough with hundred voices Of aerial
creatures lamentlng. The torches were
burning low, the darkness OF the vault
.deepened. Its gloom concerned me lit
tle,-L had grown familiar with Its un.
slightly things, its crawling SPIDERS its
strange uncouth beetles, the clusters OF
blue fungi on its damp walls. Tho
scurrying noises made by bats and owls,
vho, scared by the lii candles, were hid
ing themselves In holes and corners OF
refuge, startled me not at ALL was
yell accustomed 10 such sounds. In my
chen state OF mind, an emperor's palace
we're less fair to me than this brave
eharnel-house,-thi stone-mouthed wit
ness OF my struggle back to life and all
Ilfe's misery. The deep-toned bell out
side the cemetery struck Onel We had
been absent nearly two hours from the
brilliant assemblsge at the hotel. No
doubt we were being searched for every
where II mattered not! they
rDnld not come TO seek us here. l went
On resolutely towards the stair,-as
placed my foot on the first step oil the
ascent my wife stirred from her recum-
.hent position-her swoon had passed.
She did not perceive me where stood,
ready TO depart,-she murmured some
EhinE 10 herself in low voice, and TAX
Tag IN her hand the falling tresses OF her
own hair she seemed TO admire It's coli
our and texture, for she stroked u and