San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-22

tent,-with swift agility she snatched
from my vest the dagger l carried! u#
TOO late" she cried, with a wild
laugh--'tNo; not too late! Die wretch!"
For one second the bright steel flashed
in the wavering light as she poised it in
act to strike 4. the next, had caught
her murderous hand and forced it down,
and was struggling with her for the mas
terv of the weapon. She held it with q
desperate grip-she fought with me
breathlessly, clinging to me with all her
force,-she reminded me of that raven
Gus, unclean bird with which l had had
so fierce combat on the night of my
living burial. For some brief moments
she was possessed of supernatural
strength-She sprang and tore at my
clothes, keeping the poniard fast in her
clutch. At last thrust her down pant
ing and exhausted, with fury flashing in
her eyeS:--I wrenched the steel from
her hand and brandished il above her
"Who talks of murder now?" / cried
in bitter derson. ooh, what a joy you
have lost. What triumph for you, could
YOU have stabbed me to the heart and
left me here dead indeed! What new
career of lies would have been yours!
How sweetly you would have said your
prayers with the stain of my blood upon
your soul! Aye! you would have fooled
the world to the end, and died in the
odour of sanctity! And you dared to
ask my forgiveness! =. :" q
| stopped short-a strange, bewildered
expression suddenly passed over her
face,-she looked about her in dazed,
vague way-then her gaze became sud-
denly fixed, and she pointed towards
dark coruer and shuddered.
"HuSh-hush!' she said in low ter
rified whisper "LoOk! how still he
stands! how pale he seems! Do not speak
do not move-hush! he must not hear
your voice . will go to him
and tell him all-all . :. :" She
rose and stretched out her arms with
gesture of entreaty. -.
"Guido! Guido!''
With a sudden chilled awe at my heart
l looked towards the spot that thus riv-
eted her attention-all was shrouded in
deep gloom. She caught my arm.
xiii himr' she whispered fierce
ly-"kill him, and then L will love
you! Ah!'' and with an eXclama-
ton of fear she began to retire
swiftly backwards as though con-
fronted by some threatening figure.
''He is coming nearer-nearer! No, no,
Guido! You shall not touch me-you
dare not. Fabio is dead and | am free
free" She paused-her wild eyes gazed
| upward-did she see some horror
there? She put up both hands
as though to shield herself
from some impending blow, and ut
tering loud cry she fell prone an the
stone floor, -insensible. Or dead. |
| balanced this question indifferently, as
| | looked down upon her inanimate form
| The favour of vengeance was hot in my
mouth, and filed me with deliriOus salts
| faction. True, | had been glad when
my bullet whizzing sharply through
! the air had carried death
| to Guido, but my gladness had been
mingled with ruthfulness and regret.
Now, not one throb of pity stirred me
| not the fainteSt emotion of tenderness.
| Ferrari's sin was great, but she tempted
| HIM, her crime Outweighed his. And
now there she lay white and ST.
lent in swoon that was like
death, that might be death for aught
knew-or cared! Had her lovers ghost
indeed appeared before the eyes of her
| guilty conscience? did not doubt it,
should scarcely have been startled had
| L seen the poor pale SHADOW OF him by
my side, as musingly gazed upon the
fair fallen body of the traitress who had
wantonly wrecked both our lives.
AYE, Guido" muttered half aloud
"dost see the work? Thou art avenged,
frail spirit-avenged as well as I,--part
thou in peace from earth and its inhab-
itants!-haply thou shalt cleanse in pure
fire the sins Of thy lower nature, and
win a final pardon; but for hers hell
itself black enough to match her soul?''
And l slowly moved toward the stair
way; it was time, thought, with a
grim resolve,-to leave her! Possibly
she was dead if not {. why
then she soon would bel l paused
irrcsoIute-the wild wind battered cease
lessly at the iron gateway, and walled as
though with hundred voices of aerial
creatures lamenting. The torches were
burning low, the darkness of the vault
deepened. Its gloom concerned me lit.
tie, II had grown familiar with it's UNI
slightly things, its crawling spiders, itS
strange uncouth beetles. the clusters o.