The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1893-07-01

cite; II am a good girl, too, am | not?'
you will be when you are dead"
Knocked Ernest.
"Charles, said Marietta, "confess that
you love Nina still!'
"No; l do not!'
-"More than you love me?"
mo, no! love you"
Every well, then prove it. There is
that horrid skull that you keep as a
sacred relic. I've seen it grinning up
there long enough. Let us make the
punch in til"
"Ah, that's an original idea!' cried
Ernest. "Mariette, you have the mag
ination of a poet"
$50 be it them" 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 flame mixing anIorously
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 III purple spirals into the air.
Charles felt a shiver clutch him in its
cold fingers from head to foot. Marietta
showed her teeth III the horrible joy of
a secured vengeance. The rain fell
heavily outside, the windows shook.
Little by little drunkenness overcame
these ribald beings who TESTED with the
sacred mysteries of death. Then Mariette
began to sing a song composed by
Charles for Nina, mockingly, begging
him not TO weep.
AS Charles heard the words of the
song chanted III 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 Varieties dress. Her awful
cry of terror was lost in the flames
which enveloped her.
Charles remained in a delirious con.
dition. Idiotic cries burst from his lips
and in spite of himself, he rested his
eyes upon the mask of plaster, who's,
eyes remained fixed upon his with 6
steady persistence that held his own
He began to repeat the words Of Iii,
early love and those of Nina when sh,
was happy with him, and finally those
that she had uttered when she felt the
end of all their happiness approaching
81 love you so dearly, my beloved one
| cannot give You up. Ishall come bacl
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: a breatl
from the tomb. A cry struggled to hi
lips, but died there. His voice choke,
in his throat. The figure approached
and the student recognized the believe,
of his youth. Silent tears were fiowin
from the hollow sockets of the eyes. an,
as she bent toward him Charles felt he
lips upon his forehead-lips as hard an
cold as marble. Then the phantol
raised her hand, pointing with he
skeleton finger to the clock, which WI
at the stroke of 3. AS Charles felt h:
heart fail in his breast and his veins tur
to ice the vision faded.
Day was just beginning; the first ray
of a bright sun lit up the windows
the little room in the Rue Ores. Charlie
awoke from a profound sleep. He locke
about sleepily upon the confusion whic
surrounded him and e~ndeavored to reca
the events of the past night.
"These glasses and empty bottles; th;
is natural" he muttered, ''and | hay
slept here on the table, but-what tin
is it?'
He walked dizzily to the chime
The hands We're at the hour of
: and the clock had stopped. He remen
bered the frightful vision of the nigl
Z and the accident to Mariette, and
!, hurried to the adjoining room.
! "Mariette, Mariette!!' he cried. n
> body answered. Charles opened II
l door violently. Ernest and Rose we
upon their knees beside the bed.
1 "Mariette!' cried Charles.
"She is dead" replied Ernest.
:, "Dead."
eyes, at 3 o'clock"
"Mina is avenged!' said Charles sin
ing upon his knees.-Adapted for A
- gonaut from the French of Frederic
. Reiffenberg.