Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-07-08

/ tho women CDeehtu lHell Sop~s
What is WRONG here, my friends?'
the monarch asked, with exceeding
! gertleness.
There was silence for moment;
the beccamorti looked sullen and
ashamed. Then one CT the women,
with fat eood-natured face and eyes
trimmed fedIy iourd with weepir g,
elbowed her way through the little
throng to the front and spoke.
( May the Holy Virgin and saints
/ bless your majesty" she cried, in
shrill accents, And as for what Is
wrong, it would socn be right If those
] shameless pigs" pointing to the becca-
Z morti would let us alone Thay
! would kill a man rother than wait an
/ hour-one little hour! The girl is dead,
your majesty and Giovanni, poor lad.
will not leave her: he has his two
! arms round her tight-Holy Virgin!-
thir K OF it! and she, cholera corpse
and do What you cen he will not be
parted from her, and they seek her
body for the burial. And II we force
him away provina, he will lose his
h d for certain. Ore little hour
your majesty just one, and the reyer-
end father will come and persuade
Giovanni better than we can.
The king raised his hand with a
, slight gesture Of command the little
lowed; |, too, awaited myself OF cor
tered the miserable dwelling wherein
lay the corpse that was the cause OF
all the argument. His attendants fol-
lowed; too, awaited myself OF a cor
ner in the doorway. The scene dis
Dcosed was so terrible pathetic tina
few could look upon It without emo
tion-Humbart of Italy himself un-
covered his head and stood silent. On
poor pallet bed lay the fair body of
girl in her first youth, her tender
lOyelncss as yet untouched even by
the llshgurng marks Of the death that
had overtaken her. One would have
thought she slept, had it not been for
tho rigdity OF her stiffened limbs, and
tho wax-like pallor of her face and
hands Right across her form, almost
covering it from view, a man lay prone
as though he had fallen there life
less indeed he might have been dead
also for any signs he showed 10 the
contrary. His arms were closed firm
ly round the girls corpse-his face
was hidden from view on the cold
breast that would no more respond to
the warmth of his cdresses. A straight
] 1. IL. Yy1I Ion,
81 ear into the dark little room and
lighted up the whole sCene-the pros
trate figures on the bed-the erect
form OF the compassionate king, and
tho grave and anXiC us faces of the lit
tie crowd of people who stood around
him
See, that is the way he has been
ever since last night when she died, =
whispered the woman who had before
spoken; land his hands are clinched
una her like iron--one cannot move
apger!"
The king advanced He touched the
shoulder Of the unhappy lover. His
voice, modulated To an exquisite soft
ness struck on the ears Of the listen
ers like note of cheerful music.
"Figho Mol"
There was no answer, The women,
touched by the simple endcaring words
of the monarch, began to sob, though
gently, and even tho men brushed a
few drops from their eyes. Again the
king spoke,
"Figlio mio' | am your king. Have
! YOU no greeting for me?"
Tho man raised bis head from its
pillow on the breast OF the beloved
| corpse and stared yacantly at the
| royal speaker His haggard face,
tangled hair, and wild eyes gave him
the appearance OF one who had long
wandered in a labyrinth OF frightful
visions from which there was no es-
! cape hut selfmurdcr.
Your hand, my son!' resumed the
king in a tone OF soldier-like author
| ity.
Very slowly very reluctantly as
| though he We're forced To the action
by some strange magnetic influence
which ue had no power to withstand
he loosened his right arm from the
dead form IL clasped SO pertinaciously
and stretched forth the hand rs com
marded. Humhegt caught II firm
within his own and held il fast then
cooking the poor fellow full IN the taoc
he said with grave steadjnGss ana
simplicity
There is no degth In love. my
lriendi"
The younc mans eyes met his-his
set mouth sottenet and wrestling his
hand passionately from that III the
king he broke into q passion of weep.
ing Humbert at once placed a pro.
teetinc arm round him. and with In,
assistance of one OF his attendant.
raised him from the bed and led him
unresistugly away. as pasSiyelN
ohedtent as child though subbIng
eonyulsiyely as he went The rush
OF tears had saved his reason apt
most probably his life 4 murmur n
enthusiastic applause greeted the eaot