Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-10-03

surprise. What caprice Of Fate asso-
ciated me with this famous brigand2
was actually smoking his tobacco.
and 1 owed all my present wealth to
his stolen treasures secreted In my
family vault!
"You know the man, then?" I In
quired with some curiosity.
''Know him? AS we'll as know my
self. Let me see, it is two months
yes, two months to-day since he was
with me on board this very vessel. 1t
happened in this way: was at Gaeta;
he came to me and told me the gend-
armes were after him. He offered me
more gold than I ever had In my life
to take him to Termini, from whence
could get to one of his hiding places
in the Montemaggiore. He brought
Teresa with him; he found me alone
on the brig-my men had gone ashore.
He said, Take us to Termini and
will give you so much; refuse and l
will slit your throat" Ha! ha! ha!
That was good. I laughed at him; I
put chair for Teresa on deck, and
gave her some big peaches. l said.
See, my CaNmelo! what use Is there
in threats? You viii not kill me, and
/ shall not betray you. You are
thief, and a bad thief-by all the
saints you are-but dare say you
would not be much worse than the
hotel-keepers if you could only keep
your hand of your knife For you
know, signor, il you once enter hotel
you must pay almost ransom before
you can get out again. Yes, and I
reasoned with Carmelo in this manner;
I told him, I do not want your large
fortune for carrying you and Teresa
across to Termini; pay me the just
passage and we shall part friends, II
only for Teresa's sake Well, he was
surprised. He smiled that dark smile
of his which may mean gratitude or
murder He looked at Teresa She
sprang up from her seat and let her
peaches fall from her lap on the deck.
She put her little hands on mine; the
tears were in her pretty blue eyes.
You are good man." she said. Some
woman must love you very much"
Yes, she said that And she was
right. Our lady be praised for it."
And his dark eyes glanced upward
with devout gesture of Thanksgiving.
I looked at him with sort Of jealous
hunger gnawing at my heart. Here
was another scheduled fool-a fond
wretch feasting on the substantial
food Of pleasant dream-a poor dupe
who believed in the truth Of woman.
"You are happy man." said with
a forced smile, "you have guiding
star for your life as we'll as for your
boat-a woman who Aovas you and is
faithful. Is it so7''
He answered one directly and SIM
ply, raising his cap slightly - he did
so:
Eyes, signor. my mother"
l was deeply touched by this naive
and unexpected reply: more deeply
than cared to show. A bitter regret
stirred in my soul. Why. oh, why had
my mother died so young. Why had
never known the sacred joy that
seemed to vibrate through the frame
and sparkle in the eyes of this COM
mon sailor! Why must l be forever
alone, with curse of woman's lie
on my life, weighing me down to the
dust and ashes Of desolate despair!
Something in my face must have spo-
ken my thoughts, for the captain said
gently:
1.-The signor has 20 motherY'
"She died when was but child"
I answered briefly. ....
The Sicilian pulled lightly at his
cigarette in silence-the silence of an
evident compassion. TO relieve him
of his friendly embarrassment, said:
"You spoke of Teresa. Who Is Ter.
esa?"
"Ah, you may well ask, signor. No
one knows who she Is; she loves Car
melo Neri, and there all is said. Such
a little thing she is; so delicate! like
a foam-bell on the waves; and Car.
melO. You have seen Carmel0, sig.
par2"
I shook my head in the negative.
"Ebbene! Carmelo is big and rough;
black like a wolf Of the forests, all
hair and fangs;-Teresa is, well! you
have seen little cloud in the sky at
night, wandering East the moon all
flecked with pale gold!-that Is Teresa.
She is small and slight as child; she
has ripping curls and soft praying
eyes, and tiny, weak white hands. not
strong enough to snap twig In two.
Yet she can do anything with Carmelo
she is the one soft spot in his life."
4 wonder If she is true to him?" I
muttered, half to myself and half
aloud.
The captain caught up my words
with an accent Of surprise.
'"True to him? All, Dio! But the
signor does not know her. There was
one of Carmelo's own band, as bold
and handsome a cut-throat as ever
lived-he was mad for Teresa-he fol
lowed her everywhere like a beaten
cur. One day he found her alone; he
tried to embrace her-she snatched Il
knife from his own girdle and stabbed
him with 1t, like a little fury! She
did not kill him then, but Carmelo
did afterwards. To think of little
woman like that with such devil In
her! 1t Is her boast that no man. save
Carnelo, has ever touched SO much as
a ringlet of her hair. Ay, she is true
to him-more's the pity"
"WLy-you would not have hei
false!" asked.
NAY, nay--for a false woman de-
serves death-but still 1t Is a pity
Teresa should have fixed her love
upon CarMeln. Such a man! One day
tho gendarmes will have him, then he
will lie in the galleys for life, and she
will die. Yes, you may be sure IL that
IF grief does not kill her quickly
enough. then she will kill hers elf. thai