The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-29

and gave her of bread. milk and wine,
land II is my eavretto whose wounds you
have healed9
NO less would do for the cavretto's
owner, had she wound to heal.' he re-
piled feelDgly and with radiant, admir-
ing look. Il AMI am Marco nowl'
"Goatherd or bandit she trustfully
asked
Both for the time. Dio milo 1t IS a
weary, weary life,"
Not if it gives the 'bloOd-revenge" -
she returned half tiercely. but wonder
ingly, as she looked upon his goats, his
birds, his flowers and plants, as if highest
human wish could yield no more.
The blood revenge Curse it for the
curse of Corsica Curse those VINO seek
it, he replied vehemently, breaking from
her side and striding about among the
startled goats
"Ah, but you, simple, innocent girl,
know naught of this. Forgive me for
violence in presence of my fairest, my
most welcome guestn
A puzzled look came into the ginl's fine
face. She ate for time without speak
ing. Then she turned to her host hest
tatingly with:
"Signor Marco, is it not right to seek
the blood revengeE'
NO, Agnese. 1t is hellish, horribler'
Are you not here because Of that
mo, no, no, Agnese. II is because |
struck the death blow in moment of
frenzied fear. | have nnOcently muir
dered. am banned by the law. ] have
received the sonetto 1.-THE sentence in con
tumaciaml. | would rather my own life
were done than to willingly take life,
even if lntOlerably wronged."
He wondered now at her action. She
had covered her eyes with her hands and
was rocking violently to and fro while
sobbing pitlfully. At last she burst forth
pleadingly:
'Ah, If your sister, your mother. your
brother your father!N she almost shrieked
the words your father" were foulIy
slain, what then, what then, Signor
Marcon
Then ! would suffer and be still, pray
ing God and the Blessed Virgin to forgive
the slayer!''
She cast herself at his feet as if in de-
spair.
Would you-would you hate one who
sought the blood revenge" she again pas
slonately pleaded.
II would hate him for an enemy to Cor
sica.and the human race"
IF a woman-a sister-a daughter"
she faltered brokenly.
Il should loathe her all the more be-
cause she were a woman"
IF she were dear to yOu-if she adored
you-could you love such a woman
She said this as though her mortal fate
hung on his answer.
Il should loathe her until"
"Until!"
"Why," said the goathered lifting the
maiden TO his knees and soothing her ten
derly. Il truly could not but lOathe her
and fear her bloody heart, until She had
shown by some act of wOmauly tender
ness, say like forgiveness, or striving to
remove the ban from the slayer, that she
was worthy to be clasped in the arms of
one who truly loved :"
In such nature wilds with such wild
natures one banned by law, the
other plunging madlv until now to-
ward the laws ban-an hour or 4 day
is as years TO other mankind.
Marcos intensity of longing for human
companionship and the measureless idol
ization on the part of the maiden,
brought the herds and the hearts to-
gether on Monte Rotondo's nights
brought the lives, so strangely met, into
compassionate and loving unity.
The couch of Agnese was spread
within the inner cavern; that of Marco,
beside his gun at the open door. If dan
ger menaced by day or night, they stood
sentinel behind the rocks together; and
together they led their herd into wilder
and wilder canons or climbed with it to
OlZN6SJ nlRnGS ABOVE.
Though the herdsmen at the craggy
station below, missing the voice which
once seemed to pour forth from the noun
tain top exultant liquid melodies, alike
for banned and free, now shrugged their
shoulders and muttered: THE gun of the
sbirri has stilled it at lastn' it was not
lost 1t only sank into the lower, ten
derer cadences of love.
Marco sang to and for Agnese alone
Ecstatically precious as was this dal-
lance to her simple and untutored soul,
the very passion which fed ravenously of
its first fair feast of hight and love,
awakened also the bitteresU pangs of wo-
manly regret for TO woman, love comes
with supreme victory when with IL are
the shining laurels of admiration and of
pride
'Ah, I am murderer at heart" she
would moan upon her couch in the still
ness of the night. He would loath me,
could he see its blackness of the past
Has he not said: Until forgive, until
remove the ban of the slayer am not fit
to he clasped in the arms of one who
truly lovest'
Al last, moved by this great agony, she
arose in the darkness and was goAe
Corsican homes still resound with
praises of the wild, skln-clad thing from
the mountains who came to Lucciana,
bdSJld, ana al ldSJ 10 AJaClO, ana pleaded
for pardon of the slayer of Fabiano, her
father; pleaded desperately until the
parish pleaded with the canton, the can
ton with the commune, the commune with
the department council and project and
these with the President of rance him
self
To all inquirers she would dazedly and
pitifully answer He is little and dark,
and speaks hOarsely and uncouthly. He
wears cubes of gold in his ears, and walks
widely, like the tailors of Bastia. He is
called Batista Casio, | am told. He was
the slayer of my father / forgive. And
shall not Corsica also forgive2"
Thus'everand Ceaselessly IN til the people
and the council had forced the unwilling
pardon from the Elysee itself. Then, wan,
emaciated, the wrath of her former self,
she sped to Marco who, with the last link
between him aud life broken by her mys-
FERROUS flight, had sat mute and songless
among the goats, and spreading the price
less paper before his eyes, cried out
"Ecco !-ecco. My fathers slayer is
pardoned! Is thy Agnese now worthy of
love-"
Holy Virgin Agnese, it is l who must
crave forgiveness now! For l am he
Batista Casto-who struck the fatal
blow"
With the smile of a saint in her bag
gard face, she received him in her arms
The news had spread over the island to
the very shores of the encircling sea. AS
Batista and Agnese decended the noun
tam together, "Evvivas!' from the lips