The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-07-04

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place to see him. He never came.
Thinking that by some accident the
papers were lost ! presented my
claims and seized the estate. ! have
Q friend at court. and by his aid OBJ
tanned the title as well as the castle. "
The man who approached you was
killed in street brawl. Mine was
the hand that struck him. OF course.
I naturally inherited all he had"
said the ruffian coOlly.
why have you delayed so long in
seeking me-"
"a slight difficulty with the gen.
tlemen of the black robe-the police
was obliged to take to the rocks Of
the Sierra for safety. like a hunted
wolf. But that little affair has blown
over, and who will dare to suspect
the friend of the noble count of Am
ador?"
And the rufiian chuckled as he
spoke.
.Icannot rest easy in my title while
that young STRIPPING. Luis. lives"
Gabriel said thOughtfully.
"You shall rest easy. noble count;
my dagger will remove him from
your path. The churchyard is far up
on the side of the hill. At midnight
all the village will be buried in slum-
Der. We can crush out his life as easy
as drown blind kitten
1--WE had better not be seen to-
gether at present" Gabriel said. AT
ii I'll meet you. then wen post our
selves in the road that leads to the
churchyard; wait till this Luis passes,
then follow him and in the church
yard remove him from the world"
The plan is as simple as the
washing of hands," and the brigand
rose as he spoke. Till IL, then,
farewell"
Ruy stalked off with a staggering
gait.
Gabriel watched him for a moment
in silence.
when a man meditates evil. Satan
himself sends the tools to his hands.
My mind is fixed-Luis must per-
ish."
The moon. in crescent form. shed its
faint light over hill and dale. danced
in shining ripples on the sea and
bathed the forest-crowned cFests OF
the rocky range with its silvery
Deans.
Up the steep and rugged path that
led to the churchyard the true heir
of Amador toiled.
Closely clasped within his hand
he held the three sprigs of olive.
His brow was gloomy as ever. and
strange thoughts were in his mind.
"If the legend is true" he MUIR
INJURED, IL shall see my future bride.
What form will float, vision-like. be-
fore me? Shall see the pretty face
of the village beauty who loves the
outcsst and the friendless wanderer?"
Absorbed in thought. Luis did not
heed the two dark figures that. like
grim phantOms, tracked his path.
Little rocked the young man of the
danger that lurked so nigh.
He gained the churchyard.
The moonlight CLEANED fitfully and
c0ldly on the headstones that marked
the graves.
The soft wind sighed with q mourn
full sound as it stirred the leaves Of
the trees that shaded the resting
place for the dead.
The gloom and silence fell like
shroud upon the soul OF the Young
man as he stood within the church
yard and waited for the convent bell
to tell that the midnight hour had
come.
Clear on the night air came the
silver tones of the monitor
maiden of my fate. from my hand
cast the leaves of the blessed olive:
here. on the eve of good II. John, /
summon thee to appear before me-"
Thus spoke the young man.
! Despite himself, his voice trembled
as he delivered the invocation.
Then. from the shelter of one of
the large gravestones. rose a female
form. the hand extended as if in
warning.
The face and form were in the
shade thrown by ncighboring tree,
yet the strained eyes of Luis clearly
recognized ,juanita, :he maid of the
| inn.
With wild laugh that rang shrilly
through the churchyard. he threw
up his hands as though to shut the
vision from his sight: advanced a,few
steps and then fell senseless to the
earth.
The overweight brain sought
refuge in the semblance of death.
The female form disappeared.
TLen from the shadows of the
churchyard wall. came the dark
forms that had tracked the young
man up the mountain steep.
Like wolves. the two advanced with
stealthy tread.
/ N fhnfv Il. IL