The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-20

You must know that was writing q
noyel--oh, what o novel; Something
fine, exceptionally fnei A romance like
that surely no one ever wrote. The
real and the fanciful, the romantic, the
classic, the naturalistic, were skillfully
mingled in it.
Now that day when went out I had
interrupted the story at o very interest
ing point, and the period ended thus:
HE burst into sonorous laugh Of
scorn; he was very sure that the time Of
phantoms and specters was long pasti
That apparition then gave him no fear.
1t must be trick"
had left 1t there.
Taking up the pen in order to con-
tinue, with my good cigar lighted in my
mouth, I cast my eyes on the paper, and
what did see?
Just heavensl What indeedl
Directly below the last line written by
me had been written one word only:
Fooll There it was, ironical and men
acing, in Gothic letters, which showed
the handwriting Of a former age.
Who had traced this scornful and
mocking word2 You can imagine wheth-
er remained amazed. Twill say even
more-I felt an impression Of terror.
| My servant did not know how to read or
write. No one had come into the house
during the day. Then by whom had the
words been written
grew livid and felt myself shudder.
sprang to my feet. felt the hair
stand on end upon my head and cold
perspiration trickle down my forehead
Tic, the accursed stuffed cat, looked
fixedly at me, and his green eyes seemed
to dilate and become variegated with
q thousand colors. But was that cat
really stuffed? Or was he not rather
alive by virtue of some witchcrafR
All at once ! reused myself. ! had q
feeling of shame and rage; and furious,
desk, exclaimed
but who is the demon who has writ
ten this word? would like to know
him to twist his neckf' -. ..
If were to live Thousand years,
shall never forget what happened then.
had hardly finished speaking those
words when the study resounded with
hooking laughter-dry, strident, infer
nal.
Then the wall opened suddenly, and
there came forth woman wrapped in
a great black mantle. And Tic, the ac-
cursed cat, made leap from his pillar,
and mewing as he had never mewed in
his lifetime went to rub himself against
that mysterious being.
l drew back more dead than alive.
Still, had enough presence Of mind to
stretch hand behind Inc, open drawer
of the desk and take out a loaded re-
volver. As soon as l had seized the
weapon l felt safer.
raised my arm and pointed the re-
volver at that being, with the exclama-
ton:
Nov, we will see who you are"
Alas! Once, twice, thrice touched the
trigger, but the revolver was no longer
obedient.
The mysterious figure made two steps
toward Inc. The black mantle that en-
folded her fell to the floor. --.
What fearful sigbti 1t was not a
man nor a woman. TWAS skeleton-a
skeleton with two lights flaming in its
empty, cuVtTlOus eye SoShetS- u 5heietoL
that laughed satanically, while the cat
Tic made fantastic and wild leaps.
1t vast was Deathl ..". .
In the morning they found me insensi.
BILE in my den. The servant ran to call
physician, who found me in high
fever. My family hastened from the
: country. was taken care Of, treated
D and cured. But the fact remains, my
hair had turned gray.
When was able to return to my den
| the cat Tic was no longer there. My
, wife had made coup d'etat and sent i
9 to be thrown into the river The column
had also disappeared. 1t had been giver
away, l do not know to whom.
, My manuscript was, however, still il
its place. Only the word "Fool" was nj
longer there.
!, Then it had not been written?
1 Still was very sure of having read it
D Who knows? If the cat Tic had still
: been there, perhaps he could have toll,
Q Inc. But poor Tic was there no more.
Then, what am to think?
What shall believe?-Translated From
n the Italian For Short Stories.