Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-10-31

Child.
shapes Of worm eaten collins, and with
a shrek of horror she rushed to me
where l stood, as immovable as a
statue clad in coat of mail, and throw
ing her arms about me, chung to me In
q frenzy Of fear.
Take me away, take me away" she
moaned, hiding her face against my
breast. " IT'S a vault-O Santissima
Madonna!-place for the dead! Quick
quick! take me out to the air-let us
go Monochrome"
She broke off abruptly her alarm In
creasing at my utter silence. She gaz-
ed up ut me with wild wet eyes.
"Casare! Casere! speak! What ais
you? Why have you brought me here?
Touch me-kiss me! say something
anything-only speak,"
And her bosom heaved convulsively;
she sobbed with terror.
/ put her from me with a firm hand.
i spoke In measured accents, tinged
with some contempt.
"Hush, l pray you! This is no place
for an hysterical scene. Consider
where you are! You have guessed
aright-this is a vault, your own maus-
oleum, fair lady If l mistake
not-the burial place oc the Romani
family
At these words her sobs ceased, as
though they had been frozen in her
throat; she stared at me in s~peechless
fear and wonder.
Here" / went on with methodicaI
d~eliberation, "here lie all the great
ancestors of your husbands family,
heroes and martys In their day. Here
will your own fair flesh moulder.
HeIe," and my voice grew deeper and
more r~esOlute, here, six months ago,
your husband himself, Fabio Romani,
vas buried"
She uttered nc sound, but still gazed
at me like some beautiful pagan god
dess turned to stone by the Furies.
Having spoken thus far l was silent,
watching the effect of what / had
said, for / sought to torture the very
nerves Of her base soul. At last her
dry lips parted, her voice was hoarse
and indistinct.
"You must be mad!' she said. with
smothered anger and horror in her
tone.
Then seeing me still ~immovablc, she
advanced and caught my hand half
commandingly, half coaxingly. / did
not resist her.
Come" she implored, 'come away
at oncep' and she glanced about her
with q shudder. LET us leave this
horrible place: as for jewels. if you
keep them here, they may stay here;
Il would not veal them for the
world! Gomez
I interrupted her, holding her hand
in a fierce grasp; I turned her abrupt
~ towards a dark object lying ON the
ground near us-my own coffin brok-
en- asunder. l drew her close to IT.
"Lookr / said In a thrilling whis-
per, 'what Is this? Examine 1t well.
it is a coffin! What says the painted
inscription? Nay, do not start! 1t bears
your husbands name; he was buried
In 1t. Then how comes 1t to be open?
Where Is hep
/ felt her sway under me; a new
and overwhelming terror had taken
instant possession Of her, her limbs
refused to support her. she sank on
her knees. Mechanically and feebly
she repeated the words after me
Where is he? Where is he?"
"Aye!" and my voice rang out
through the hollow vauit. it's passion
restrained no more. where is he?-
the poor fool, the miserable, credulous
dupe, whose trcacherous wife PLAYED
the courtesan under his very roof,
while he loved and bllndly trusted
her! Where is he? Here, here!" and l
seized her hands and forced her up
from her kneeling posture. IL promis-
ed you should see me as l am! / swore
to grow young tonight for your sake
Now l keep my word. Look
mt ME, Nina!-look at me, my twice
welded wife! Look at me-
do you not know your husbaDdf'
And throwing my dark habiliments
from me, I stood beforeuAer undisguis-