Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-06-06

die. The plague touched him In the
morning and before sunset he was
nailed up and put down in his big
family vault: a cold lodging and less
handsomely furnished than his grand
marble villa on the heights yonder.
When / heard the news l told the Ma
donna she was wicked. Oh, yes,
rated her soundly; she was woman,
and capricious; 81 good scolding brings
her to reason. Look you! l am
friend to God and the plague, but they
both did Il stupid thing when they
took Count Fabi0 Romani."
started, but quickly controlled my
self into an appearance of indifTcr-
ence
"Indced!' said carclcssly. "And
pray who was lie that should not de-
serve to die as well as other people,"
The old man raised himself from his
STOPPING attitude and stared ut me
With his keen black eyes.
WHO was he? who was he?" he cried
in shrill tone. "Oh. he! One can see
you know nothing of Naples. You have
not heard of the rich Romani? See
you, ! wished him to live. He was
clever and bold. but l did not grudge
him that-Do, he was good to the
poor; he gave away hundreds OF
francs in charity. / have seen him
often-I saw him married." And here
his parchment face screwed itself into
an expression of the most malignant
cruelty. "Pah! hate his wife-a fair
soft thing, like Il white snake! used
to watch them both from the corners
of the streets as they drove along in
their fine carriage, and l wondered
how it would all end, whether he or
she would gain the victory first l
wanted him to win l would have
helped him to kill her, yes! But the
saints have made mistake this time,
for he is dead and that she-devil has
all. Oh. yes, God and the plague have
done n foolish thing for once"
] listened to the old wretch with
deepening aversion, yet with some
curiosity. too. Why should lie hate
my wife? | thought, unless, indeed,
he hated. all youth and beauty, as was
most probably the case. And if he had
seen me often. as he averred, he must
know me by sight. How was it, then,
that he did not recognize me now?
Following out this thought, l said
aloud:
"What sort of looking man was
this Count Romani? You say he was
handsomc-was lie tall or short, dark
or fair!"
Putting back his struggling gray
locks from his forehead, the dealer
stretched out yellow, claw-like
hand, as though pointing to some dis
tant vision.
"a beautiful man!' he eSclaimed;
"a man good for the eyes to see! AS
straight as YOU areas tall rs you are
AS broad as you are! But your eyes
are sunlien and dim-his were full
and large and sparkling; your face is
drawn and pale-his was of n clear
olive tint. round and flushed With
health; and his hair was glossy
black-ah, as jet black, my friend
yours is SNOW white!
/ recoiled from these last words in a
sort of terror they We're like an cleo
trio shock. Was l indeed so changed?
Was it possible that the horrors of
night in the vault had made such
dire impression upon me? My hair
white?-mine! co0,d hardly believe
it. If so, perhaps Nina would not
recognize me-she might he terrified
at my aspect Guido himself might
have doubts of my identity. Though
for that matter, l could easily prove
myself to be indeed Fabio Romani-
even If had to show the vault and
my own sundercd coffin. While ] re-
volved all this in my mind the old
man. unconscious Of my emotion,
went on With his mumbling chatter.
"Ah, yes, yes! He was fine fell
Iowa. strong fellow. used to re-
joice that lie was so strong. He could
have taken the little throat of his
wife between finger and thumb and
nipped it--so! and she would have told
no more lies. wanted him to do it
l waited for it. He would have done
it surely, had he lived. That is why l
am sorry he died"
Mastering my feelings by violent
effort, forced myself to speak calmly
to this malignant old brute.
'Why do you hate the Countess
Romani so much?" l asked him with
sternness. HAS she done you any
harm?"
He Strengthened himself as much as
he was able and looked me full in the
eyes.
See your lie answered with a sort
OF leering laugh about the corners of
his wicked mouth. II viii tell you