The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1895-09-24
She went alon .sa &c 1andi

She Went alnh <IiA npnd1-
tion-carryine-n; ass Az emmy
that she - ao,ss q sajSf fIet eyes
asilHs .sass. lg1ii eiEIit of sleep az. I
Redeemed by much weeping.
In the vicinity OF thequarry all was
quiet. Everything abou her spoke Of
peace, of tranquil days antsilent nights.
Only her own soul was Imagination.
CHANGING upward she aw Fontana
descending from above withhe rapidity
OF pebble detached by pick. He
came toward her with CYNICAL air,
like fellow well pleased with himself
for having just made good troke in a
doubtful business
"Beppo carries himself as high as the
cupola of st. Peters. We playcards to-
gether to help pass the time. Have you
brought the money?''
"Not the whole of it, but surely this
is enough-5, O0Op
Fontana frowned under his yebrows
and answered roughly: "Noi I said
10000. Adieul"
'Wait, wait, cried the poor woman,
seeking to detain him II have not been
able to get more in the tine, but 1
will go at once TO Orbatello, and his rel
atives there will gre me what's lack
ing. The day after tomorrow 1 shall
have it. "
"Be itso, then. After tomorrow, here
at this place. Thou hlowest the rest. -
Two days later The wife of Guerra
was standing on the same spot, and
Fontana, with tbs same comical air,
was counting coins into his hat. The
woman had brought with her the COM
plement, and the bandit, having salts
fed himself as 10 the amount, made her
low bow
"This evening Beppo will return to
his family. Allow me to wish you a
last adieu."
On reaching hisquarters in the noun
tains Fontana cut the cords which bound
his prisoner to stone of enormous size,
threw the money and notes into his hat
and shouted abruptly to his comrades
Here's the remainder. Beppo is free.
Presently four of you will blindfold him
and lead him as far as the stone heap
beyond the quarry. From there he can
find his way home. If any one does him
the smallest injury, I shall know how
to punish it. Remember, you are all re-
sponsible for his safety
Then, sending the men away. he was
left alone with Guerra
Listen to me, Beppo I have always
had friendly feeling for you and yours.
If l had only myself to consider, would
never have done this But have with
me two or Iii hi y hot headed rascals,
who know that you re pretty easy and
heard that you had brought back big
sum from the city. It was impossible to
hold them off. You don't know these
fellows. I canqot always do what I
would, but when an affairs been de-
cided on usually continue to be mas
ter. All When saw your wife-who
nursed me and taught me to walk-it
gave me a nasty twinge. But if I had
yielded we should both have been knock
ed down and beaten to death where we
stood
Pardon me, Beppo, and pray accept
these few pieces - $50 francs. Take
them as conscience money. Buy some
thing for the wife and children as SOU
venir of Fontana, who begs their forgive
ness for the injury he has been forced to
do them.
A few hours later, when the bandage
was removed from his eyes, Beppo found
himself at a spot distant about three
kilometers from his own house.
Not great while after this occur
renee the band was dispersed and Fon-
tana himself shot dead in skirmish
with the carbineers.
Such was the terror which he had in
spired throughout the district that the
authorities, suspecting his death would
be doubted by the populace, had the
corpse dashed to the back of an ass, and
for three days the animal was led
through the principal villages in the
Campagna
Beppo Guerra never said what he did
with the loo francs which Fontana de-
sired to have expended in presents for
madam and her children. Most probably
the wish was respected. Superstition
has struck her roots deep in the south.
Within two months of Guerra s release
Fontana was dead man, and Beppo
would scarcely dare to "cheat the dead
out of his conscience money. Lon
don Sun.