The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-04-16

He raised the pale head and supported
it upon his knee. and gazed anxiously into
the face, raising the lids with his finger, as
though to convince himself that the man
was not dead. Indeed, there seemed to be
but little life left in him as he lay there
with outstretched arms and twisted fin
gers, scarcely breathing. In such place,
without so much as the commoneSt reStora-
tive to aid him, the Wanderer saw that he
had but little chance of success.
Unorna stood aside not looking at the
two men. It was nothing TO her whether
Kafka lived or died. She was suffering
herself more than she had ever suffered
in her life He had said that she was not
i wOman-She, whose whole wOman'S
nature worshipped him. He had said
that she was the incarnation OF cruelty
and it was true, though it was her love for
him that made her cruel to the other
Could he know what she had felt whe !
she had understood that Israel Kafka ha :.
heard her passionate wosds and seen ht :
eager face and had laughed her TO scor
Could any woman at such time be less
than cruell Was not her hate for the
man VINO loved her as great as her love
for the man who loved her nOt2 Even if
she possessed instruments of torture for
the soul more terrible than those invented
in darker ages to rack the human body,
was she not justified in using them all!
Was not Israel Kafka guilty OF the
greatest of all crimes, of loving when he
was not loved and of witnessing her
shame and discontinue? She could not
bear to look at him lest she should lose
herself and try to thrust the Wanderer
aside and kill the man with her hands.
Then she heard footsteps on the frozen
path, and turning quickly she saw that the
Wanderer had lifted Kafka's body from the
ground and was moving rapidly away to-
wards the entrance OF the cemetery. He
was leaving her in anger, without word.
She turned very pale and hesitated. Then
she ran forward to overtake him, but he,
hearing her approach. quickened his stride.
seeming but little hampered in his pace by
the burden he bore. But Unorna, too, was
fleet of foot and strong.
stop she cried, laying her hand upon
his arm. Hear me. Do not leave me -
But he would not pause, and hurried en-
ward towards the gate; while she hung
upon his arm, trying to hinder him and
speaking in desperate agitation. She felt
that if she let him 90 now he would leave
her forever In that moment even her
hatred of hafka sank into insigniticance.
She would do anything, bear anything,
promise anything, rather than lose what
she loved so wildly.
Stop" she cried again Il will save
him-I will obey you'll will be kind TO him
he will die in your arms if you do not let
me help yOu-oh for the love of Heaven,
wait one moment! Only one moment"
She so thrust herself in the Wanderers
path, hanging upon him and trying to tear
Kafka from his arms that he was forced TO
stand still and face her.
Let me pass - he exclaimed making an
other effort to advance. But she chung to
him and he could not move
Mo- will not let you go" she muir
INJURED. You can do nothing without me,
you Will only kill him, as would have done
a moment ago"
And as YOU will do now he said
sternly, If l let you have your way"
by all that is holy in heaven, | will save
him-he shall not even remember
DO not swear. | shall not believe YOU"
you will believe when you see-you
will forgive me-yot will understand"
Without answering he eXerted his
strength and. claspng the insensible man
mere firmly in his arms. he made one or
two steps forward. Unornas foot slipped
on the frozen ground and she would have
fallen to the earth, but she cluug to him
with desperate energy. Seeing that she
was in danger of some bodily hurt if he
used greater force, the Wanderer stopped
again. uncertain how to act. UnOrna stood
before him, painting little from the strug
gle. her face as white as death.
Unless YOU kill me, - she said, You shall
not take him away so. Hold him in your
arms, if you will, but let me speak to him. -
And how shall know that you will not
hurt him, you who hate him as you do!"
Am l not at your mercy?" asked Unorna.
eff deceive you, can you not do what you
will with me, even if try to resist you,
which l will not? Hold NE, if you choose
lest l should escape you, and if Israel
kafka does not recover his strength and
his consciousness, then take me with you
and deliver me up to justice is 2 witch-aS
d murderess, if YOU will
The Wanderer was silent for moment
Then he realized that what she said was
true She was in his power.
Restore him if you can he said.
Unorna laid her hands upon Kaflla's fore
head, and bending down, whispered into
ear words which were inaudible even TO
the man who held him The mysterious
change from sleep 10 consciousness was
almost instantaneous. He opened his eyes
and looked first at Unorna and then at the
Wanderer. There was neither pain nor
passion in his face but only wonder A
strength, he stood upright and passed his
hands over his eyes as though trying to re-
member what had happened.
How came l here" he asked in surprise
what has happened to NEE
''You fainted,' said Unorna quietly.
''GOu remember that you were very tired
after your journey The walk was too
much for you. We will take you home =
''YeS-yes-I must have tainted. For
give met comes over me sometimes"
He evidently had complete control OF his
faculties At the present moment, but he
glanced curiously from one to the other of
his two companions, as they all three began
TO walk towards the gate. Cnorna avoided
his eyes, and seemed 20 be looking at the
irregular slabs they passed on their way
The Wanderer had intended to free him
self from her as soon as kafka regained his
senses, but he had not been prepared for
such sudden change. He saw. now. that
he could not exchange word with her
without exciting the mans suspicion, and
he was by no means sure that the first
emotion might not produce sudden and
dangerous effect He did not even know
how great the change might be, which
Unorna'S words had been brought about.
That kafka had forgotten at once his own
conduct and the fearful vision which
Unorna had imposed upon him was clear
but it did not follow that he had ceased to |
ove her. Indeed, to one only partially ac-
luainted with the laws which govern hyp- |
notes, such transition seemed very far |
removed from possibility. He who in one.
had himself been made TO
utterly forget the dominant passion
md love of his life. was so
ignorant of the fact that
ne could not believe such thing possible in
any case whatsoever.
In the dilemma in which he found himself |
here was nothing to be done but to be
guided by circumstances. He was not will |
ing TO leave kafka alone with the woman