Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-30


satisfactory conclusion. Stay, though
l remembered that / had told Tho
monk my name: lie knew that l was
the only descendant of the rich Ro
mani family. What followed? Why
naturally. the good father had only
done what his duty called upon hin
to do. He had seen me laid in the
vault of my nnccstors-the great Ro
mani vault that had never been open
ed since my fathers body was carried
to its last resting place with all the
solemn pomp and magnificance of q
wealthy nOblcman'S funeral obscQuies
The more | thought Of this the more
probable it seemed. The Romani vault
Its forbidding gloom had terrified me
as lad when l followed my fathers
coffin to the stone niche assigned to
IT, and had turned my eyes away in
Shllddering pain when | was told to
look at the heavy oaken casket hung
with uttered velvet and ornamentetl
With furnished silver. which contained
all that was left of my mother, who
died young. ! had felt sick and faint
ana cold. and had only recovered my
self when stood out again in the free
AR With the blue dome of heaven high
above me. And now | was shut in the
same vault, IL prisoner. with what hope
of escape? l reflected The entrance
TO the vault. ! remembered. was bar
red by Il heavy door of closely twisted
IRON; from thence Il flight of steep
steps led ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to
where. in all probability, | now was
Suppose | could in the dense darkness
reel my Way to those steps and climb
up to that door; of what avail? Ii was
locked. nay. barred, and as it was sit
Wtted Ill il remote part of the burial
| ground. there WAS no likelihood of
/ even the keeper of the cemetery pass-
ing by it for days; perhaps not for
| weeks. Then must | Starve? Or die
of thirst? Tortured by these imagin-
lngs ! rose up from the pavement and
stood erect. My feet were bare. and
the cold stone on which stood chilled
me to the marrow. 1t was fortunate
for me, thought, that they had buried
me as cholera corpse; they had left
me half clothed for fear of infection.
That is. had my flannel shirt on and
my usual walking trousers Something
there was. too. round my neck; felt
it. and as l did Il flow of sweet and
Sorrowful memories rushed over me.
1t was IL slight gold chain, and on it
hung a locket containing the portraits
of my wife and child. ] drew it out
in the darkness; covered it with pas
Sionate kisses and tears the first |
had Shed since my denth-like trance:
tears scalding and bitter wcllcd into
my eyes. Life was worth living while
Ninl'S smile lightened the world. |
resolved to fight for existence. no mat
ter what dire horrors should he in
store for me. Nina. my love. my beau
tlful one! Her face cleaned out upon
me in the pestilent gloom of the char
mel house; her eyes beckoned me: her
faithful eyes that We're now. felt
sure. drowned in weeping for my sup
posed death. ] seemed to see my ten
del-hcarted darling Sobbing alone i'm
the empty silence of the room that
had witnessed a thousand embraces
between herself and me: her lovely
hair dislevclled: her sweet. pale face
haggared With bitterness of grief,
Baby Stella, too no doubt she would
wonder poor innocent. why did not
come to swing her as usual under the
orange boughs. And Guido. brave and
true friend. thought of him with
tenderness. l felt | knew how deep
and lasting would be his honest re-
greet for my loss. Oh, l would leave
no means of escape untried: | would !
ma some way out of this grim vault. |
How overjoyed they would all be To |
see me again: to know that | was not
dead after all. What a welcome /
should receive! How Nina would nestle
into my arms: how my little child /
would cling to me; how Guido would |
clasp me by the hand. smiled as | |
pictured the scene of rejoicing at the
dear OLD villa-the happy home sancti-
ned by perfect friendship and faith
full love.
y deep hollow sound booming sui
lehly on my ears startled income,
two! three! ! counted the strokes nm
to twelve. 1t was some church he'll
tolllng the hour My pleasing fancirs
dispersed. again faced the drcor
reality of my position Twelve o'clock,
Midday or midnight? / could not tcll
L began to calculate. 1t was early
morning when had been taken mi.
not much past eight when had MOI
the monk and sought his assistance
for the poor little frui, seller who had
alter all persisted alone in his suffer-
iilGs. Now supposing my illness had
lasted some hours. might have fallen
INTO trance. died. as those around
me had thought. somewhere about
noon. In that case they would GER
talnly buried me with as little DELAY as
possible; before sunset at all events
thinking these points over one by one,
came to the conclusion that the boil
had just heard must have struck
inldnlsht-the midnight of the very
DAY OF my burial. i shivercd: a kind
of nervous dread stole over me. / have
always been physically courageous.
nut at the same time. in spite of my
education, am somewhat SUPER
sti'ious; what Neapolitan is not: it
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