Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-09-12

wretch, last night, X these TWIST
ed wreaths Of iron and impotent fury.
There on the mosaic pavement he had
flung the trembling old servant who
had told him of the absence Of his
traitress. On this very spot he had
launched hts curse. which, though he
knew it not, was the curse Of a dying
man. / was glad he had uttered 1t.
Such maledictions cling. There was
nothing but compassion for him in my
heart now that he was dead. He had
been duped and wronged even as l;
and / felt that his spirit. released from
it's grosser clay, would work with mine
and aid in her punishment.
/ paced round the silent house till /
came to the private wicket that led
into the avenue: l opened 1t and en-
tered the familiar path. 1 had Eot
been there since the fatal night on
which / had learned my own betrayal.
How intensely still were those solemn
/ pines-how gaunt and dark and grim!
Not a branch quivered-not a eaf
stirred. A cold dew that was scarce
ly a frost glittered on the moss at my
/ feet. No birds voice broke the i'm
pressive hush of the woodlands morn
ing dream. No bright hued flower
unbuttoned its fairy cloak to the
breeze vet there was a subtle perfume
everywhere-the fragrance Of unseen
violets whose purple eyes were still
closed in slumber.
l gaGed on the scene as a man may
behold In q vision the spot where he
once was happy. I walked a few
PAGES, then paused with a strange
beating at my heart. A shadow fell
across my path-it fitted before me,
il stopped-it lay still. / saw 1t re-
solve itself into the figure Of a man
stretched out in rigid silence, with
the light beating full on his smiling.
dead face, and also on a deep wound
just above his heart, from which the
blood oozed redly, staining the grass
on which he lay. Mastering the sick
horror which seized me al this sight
/ sprang forward-the shadow vanish
ed instantly-it was a mere optical de
fusion, the result of my overweight
and excited condition. I shuddered
invoiuntarily at the image my own
heated fancy had conjured up; should
/ always see Guido thus, I thought,
even in my dreams.
Suddenly a ringing, swaying rush of
sound burst joyfully on the silence;
the slumbering trees awoke. their
leaves moved, their dark branches
q%uiyered, and the grasses lifted up
their green lilliputian sword-blades.
Bells,-and such bells! tongues of mel
ody that stormed the air with sweet
est eloquence-round rainbow bubbles
of music tnat burst upon the wind
and dispersed In delicate, broken
echoes.
Peace IN earth, good will TO men.
Peace on earth - good will-to-
men, they seemed 10 say over and
owe again, till my ears ached with
the repetition. Peace! What had /
10 do with peace or good will? The
Christ mass could teach me nothing.
| was as one apart from human life
an alien from its customs and affec-
tions-for me no love, no brotherhood
remained. The swinging sons of the
chimes Jared my erves Why. /
thought, should the wild, erring world
with all its wicked men and women
presume to rejoice at the birth of
the Saviour ?-they who were not
worthy to be saved. / turned swiftly
away; / strobe fiercely past the kingly
pines that, now thoroughly awakened.
seemed to note me with a stern dis
dain as though they said among them
selves: What III OF small crea-
ture is this that torments himself with
passions unknown to us In u calm
converse with the starsl"
| was glad when I stood again on
the high road and infinitely relieved
when l heard the rapid trot Of horses
and rumbling OF wheels and saw my
closed hronglaam- drawn by It's pranc-
ing black Arabians. approaching. I
walked to meet 1t; the coachman. See
ing me. drew up instantly. I babe
him take me to the Conyento dell
A~nnunziata, and entering the carriage
I was driven rapidly away.
The convent was situated. 7 knew,
somewhere between Naples and Sor-
rento. j guessed IL To be near Castel-
lamare. but II was fully three miles
beyond that. and was q somewhat
long drive OF more than two hoars.
Ii lay a good distance out o. the III
rect route and was only attained by
a by-road, which from its rough and