Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-12-08

Ernest
"Bahg" said Rose; ''you don't object
10 plaster rival, do your
ITO the health Of Nina, cried Ernest
Charles looked up quickly. These
jibes cut him TO the heart.
"Mins was Q good girl" he said.
THAT remains to be seen" cried Mari
cite; 81 am Q good girl, too, am noty'
"You viii be when you are dead"
Knocked Ernest.
"Charles, said Mariette, "confess that
you love Nina stillr'
mo; I do rotf'
"More than you love mel"
"No, mol l love you"
Every well, then prove It. There Il
that horrid skull that you keep as q
sacred relic. I've seen it grinning up
there long enough. Let us make the
punch in It'll"
"Ah, that's an original ideaF' cried
Ernest. "Mariette, you have the imag-
nation of q poet"
$50 be il then," said Charles, and
rising he placed the skull in the middle
of the table.
~ am the one to light it," said Mari.
cite triumphantly, pouring the liquor
into this ghastly cup.
Suddenly the punch was afre, the
tongues Of blue fame mixing amorously
with the smoke of the cigars. An odor
deadly and mephitic exhaled from the
skull. Phosphorescent flames rose and
fell in strange colors of decay, and the
smoke rose in purple spirals into the air.
Charles felt shiver clutch him in its
cold fingers from head to foot. Mariette
showed her teeth in the horrible Joy of
a secured vengeance. The rain fell
heavily outside, the windows shook.
Little by little drunkenness overcame
these ribald beings who jested with the
sacred mysteries of death. Then Mariette
began to sing song composed by
Charles for Nina, mockingly begging
him not to weep.
AS Charles heard the words of the
song chanted in her pitiless voice, his
heart beat fast, something rose in his
throat, his voice failed and his head fell
heavily forward upon the table. His
sudden movement overturned the skull,
and the burning brandy touched the
thin folds eff Mariette's dress. Her awful
cry of terror was lost in the flames
which enveloped her.
Charles remained in delirious con.
dition. Idiotic cries burst from his lips
and in spite of himself, he rested his
eyes upon the mask of plaster, whose
eyes remained fixed upon his with @
steady persistence that held his own
He began to repeat the words of his
early love and those Of Nina when she
was happy with him, and finally those
that she had uttered when she felt the
end of all their happiness approaching
II love you SO dearly, my beloved one
cannot give you up. Ishall come bach
sometimes at night to speak to you
Feverish and trembling he drank greed
lily the last glass of punch at his elbow
Suddenly the cast detached itself from
the wall and came forward through tn,
clouds of smoke. He felt the swea
start from every pore.
A sigh fell upon the air; he felt it pas
his cheek, moist and terrible; breatl
from the tomb. A cry struggled to hi
lips, but died there. His voice choket
in his throat. The figure approached
and the student recognized the beloved
Of his youth. Silent tears were fowin,
from the hollow sockets of the eyes, ant
as she bent toward him Charles felt he
lips upon his forehead-lips as hard ant
cold as marble. Then the phantom
raised her hand, pointing with he
skeleton finger to the clock, which wa
at the stroke of 8. AS Charles felt hi
heart fail in his breast and his veins turl
to ice the vision faded.
Day was just beginning; the first ray
Of bright sun Lit up the windows o
the little room in the Rue Ores. Charlie
awoke from profound sleep. He locke
} about sleepily upon the confusion whic
: surrounded him and endeavored to recal
: the events of the past night.
'These glasses and empty bottles; tina
is natural" he muttered, "and l hav
slept here on the table, but-what tim
is it?"
He walked dizzily to the chimney
The hands were at the hour of {
and the clock had stopped. He remem
bered the frightful vision of the nigh
} and the accident to Mariette, and
hurried to the adjoining room.
, "Mariette, Marietter' he cried. NJ
body answered. Charles opened tn
: door violently. Ernest and Rose wer
upon their knees beside the bed.
3 "Mariette" cried Charles.
r "She is dead, replied Ernest.
"Deadt"
r Eyes, at 8 o'clock"
3 "Mina is avenged" said Charles sinh
ing upon his knees.-Adapted for Al
? gonaut from the French of Frederic