Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-18

remarkably simple. My opponents
are astonished at the east with which
L dispatch them!"
Freccia laughed. DE Hamal is q
pupil of yours, marquis, is he not?''
Il regret to say yes! He is marvel,
ously clumsy. / have often earnestly
requested him to eat his sword rather
than handle it 50 boorishly Yet he
kills his men, too, but in a butcher
like Numerically without grace OF
! refinement | should say he was about
on a par with our two associates, Fer
rari's seconds"
I reused myself from a reverie into
which l had fallen
What men are they?" 1 inquired.
One calls himself the Cap1tano
Ciabatti, the other Cavaliere Dursi
at your service" answered Freccia
indifferently Good swearers both and
hard drinkers-flIed with stock
phrases, such as ''our distinguished
dear friend, Ferrari, wrongs which
can only be wiped out by blood'-all
bombast and braggadocio! These fell
lows would as soon be on one side as
the other"
He resumed his smoking, and we all
three lapsed into silence The drive
seemed very long, though in reality
the distance was not great. At last
we passed the Casa Ghirlande, a su-
perb chateau belonging to a distin-
guished nObleman who in former days
had been a friendly neighbor to me,
and then our vehicle jolted down a
gentle declivity which sloped into a
small valley, where there was a good
sized piece of smooth fiat greensward
From this spot could be family dis
cerned the castellated turrets of my
house, the Villa Roman1 Here we
came to Il standstill. Vincenza jumped
briskly down from his seat beside the
coachman, and assisted us to alight.
The carriage then drove off to 4 retired
corner behind some trees. We sur
veyed the ground, and saw that as yet
only one person beside ourselves had
arrived. This was the surgeon, a dap
per good-humored little German who
spoke bad French and worse Italian,
and who shook hands cordially with
us all. On learning who [ was he
bowed low and smiled very amiably.
The best wish 1 can offer to you,
signor," he said, sis that you may have
no occasion for my services. You have
reposed yourself? That is well-sleep
steadies the nerves. Ach! you SILVER!
True it is, the morning is cold.'
l did indeed experience a passing
shudder, but not because the air was
chilly. 1t was because [ felt certain
so terribly certain, of Killing the man
l had once loved we'll Almost 1
wished I could also feel that there was
the slightest possibility of his killing
me; but no!-all my instincts told me
there was no chance of this. [ had
sort of sick pain at my heart, and as
l thought of her, the jewel-eyed snake
who had wrought all the evil, my
wrath against her increased tenfold. L
wondered scornfully what she was do
the sacred Host unveiled, glittered on
the altar like star of the morning.
No doubt she slept; it was yet too
early for her to practice her sham
sanctity. She slept, in all probability,
most peacefully, while he'd husband
and her lover called upon death to
come come and decide between them.
The slow clear strokes of a bell chin
ing from the city tolled six. and as its
echo trembled mournfully on the wind
there was a slight stir among my
companions. looked and saw Ferrari
approaching with his two associates.
He walked slowly, and was muff1ed in
a thick cloak; his hat was pulled over
his brows, and l could not see the ex-
preston of his face, as he did not turn
his head once in my direction, but
stood apart leaning against the trunk
OF a leaf1ess-tree. The seconds on
both sides now commenced measuring
the ground.
We are agreed as to the distance
gentlemen" said the marquis. Twenty
PAGES, | think?"
Twenty paces,' stiffiy returned one
of Ferrari's friends-a battered-look-
ing middle-aged roue with ferocious
mustachios, whom [ presumed was
Captain Ciabatti.
They went on measuring carefully
and in silence. During the pause
turned my back on the whole party,
slipped off my spectacles and put the1
in my pocket Then 1 lowered the brim
of my hat slightly so that the change
might not be observed too suddenly
and resuming my first position, |
waited. It was daylight though not
full morring-the sun had not yet
risen, but there was an Opaline luster
il the sky, and one pale pink streak in
the east like the floating pennon from
the lance of hero, which hearaIded
his approach. There was gentle
twittering of awakening birdS-the
grass sparkled with a million tiny
drops of frosty dew. A curious calm
ness possessed me. l felt for the time
as though I were a mechanical automa-
ton moved by some other will than my
own. I had no passion left.
The weapons were now loaded-and
the marquis, looking about him with
Il cheerful, business-like air, re-
! marked:
To be Continued.