The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-06
The Torture Of Fear
"a Tale Of Venice. From Cornhin Mag;
zine. In i've parts.)

a Tale Of Venice. From Cornhil Maya
zine. In i've parts)
PART ".
The two gondolieri, meanwhile, had en-
tered the cabin, resettled Breseia, hurriedly
pushed the lid to It's place. and struggled
with the burden to Ais quarters, a room
the gondola, RoIaldo handed them q note.
At half-past two, Mauro Bellini, stiH
pacing, stopped to read this note; Brand
was alive but bound, in his power. al the
Red Palace, and RolaEdo awaited instruc-
tons. The sere face flushed with rage,
Those dull slaves" he muttered. A mis-
talze--a m.scarried scheme; it stirred his
angriest contempt Agitated with pas
sion, he scrubbed, '@The Torture Of Fear
TIL four; then I win myself come to the
palace"
Half-past twol and Belvldera pale, with
tight lips, waited inside Brescia's door,
palm on supple hip, watching. She does
not come" she said. Then---all wit and
eDergy---she slid out, ran, and at a dark
water-side stepped into a hired gendoIa.
She reached the archway Of Santa Maria,
and saw blood. Hers or MS? She leaned
faint; then, with her forward high-heeled
step, re-entered the boat, and made for
Brands hotel. Net therel 81 must find
him." she said.
She stood later in a squalid apartment,
before her a hump-backed man.
You must find him, Paul. You have wit
enough, think"
The bent head nodded. In the mans
eyes was worship---the worship of lover.
He is dead, or ia great danger. you
see, Paul Send out all my friends. and
yours; let them search everything. the
secret of every one. I am going to the
Palazzo calYo, where shall be alone wait
ing. Send every one 20 me with news.
I will do anything for you---anything, re-
ally---I promise, PauI---if you succeed.
In twenty minutes twenty men, with in
tricate intrigue, were disseetfng Venice for
Brand.
But the Torture Of Feari II was an or
deal stern enough Brand, seeing resist
ance foolish, walked, as b.dden, with per-
feet contempt, before three men from his
prison to the topmost floor. He was lock-
ed into a very large chamber. circular, 1T
by mean lamp. It contained one of the
frontage-windows looking out upon the
waterway; this was paned with a single
glass flush with the wall. The wall seem
ed to be of furnished brass. On the
grimy floor he noticed three old boots and
a wine-bottle. Near the door---the only
sign Of furniture mattress; and on
them, once more, Breseia's coffin. It was
the apartment used by All, one Of the old
torture-chamber of the Inquisition.
He became aware Of a clicking some
where---above him, IT seemed---and glanc-
ing, he saw that all over the domed ceiling
was a multitude of oblong Sits, Ettle black
openings, cut in all directions; then, that
something hanging by strings In each OF
these holes was moving; slowly; to and
fro---like pendulums. A pang, he knew
not why, pierced him. In ten minutes he
knew why--a faint whizzing filed the air.
He diacerned that the strings. as they
swung, were frightening; that the things
they swung were massive leaden balls. His
blood stopped still; it was a dogs death,
and so slow. He stood with backward head
gazing up with horrid interest at the
nearing masses, deliberate as fate, at their
intensifying sweep and rush; legion they
seemed, flying every way, yet nicely sys-
tematized, so that not one bumped another.
1t was an age Of misery before he lodged
the first; the chamber was then very
bedlam of Kissing death; and in another
minute Brand was dueldng, lodging, with
bound arms, with the agility Of a clown,
with a maniac's startling eyeballs, from
the complex, omnipresent malice of the
racing lead.
BelYidera, in an apartment Of the Pa
lazzo valvo, was receiving messenger af-
ter messenger, announcing the failure Of
their search.
Suddenly, as he lay fallen on his face
awaiting the crash of DEATH the Kissing
ceased---a rumbling southland the balls
went rapidly aloft. For some time ne lay
gasping; but presently started up in sur
prise. He had noticed that the bottom Of
the brazen wall was pierced all round with
a series of arches, and he now diseerned
that under each of these, far within the
thickness OF the wall stood a mastih Of
brass, on low brazen base. At a rumbling
sound around him he sprang straight-it
was like the winding of a thousand clock
works---and the next minute ne was en-
comprised by a deep groKl of angry
hounds. From every archway, save the
three by AIS bed, out rushed, at the end
of brazen rod a swapping dog. The tiny
wheels upon which their bases ran had
been cunningly adapted to the material
of the flooring to exactly initiate q welfish
grumble Forth they rushed little way.
and back, then further forth, and back,
with continuous deepening groTl, with
swapping, far-outslanting, braEen teeth.
This once favorite torture Of the fnquisi-
tors was not unknown to Brand; his read
ing led him to remember the rooms CEN
trail spot, with hope that there might be
safety; but he now observed that the dogs |
did not run symmetTically towards the
center, their race being directed about the |
chamber in a calculated disorder Of wild |
complexity. They were OF many sizes, the |
teeth of some reaching to his middle; |
caught, his neither limbs must be rent to |
fragments. He thought Of falling to the |
ground, and instantly remembered that he |
must be at once banged to death by the |
frantic masses. A last hope turned to the /
bed, but his retreat was now barred; some
had already rushed across the central !
point; and he, with gasping mouth, was /
squirting and leaping, arnlless, quite mad. /
1ver, among, around them. The world 1
seemed fun of the blind and dreadful teeth,
IF the roll and roar Of this braEen rabies.
in a dodge from the right, there was q
snstch OF flesh at his left thigh; and he
dropped sRooning among the hounds.
At half-past three Belvidera was hasting
rom the Calvo to the Residential Palazzo
mother gondoia following hers, containing
,even men with weapons. Her emsssarses
.ad failed. From an ante-room she sent
request to see BellinL
The old man summoned Daudolo, whis-
,ered hurriedly, and aloud hade him admit
ne signorina.
She. in her amber dress, stil masked,
walked with brisk step 70 the table, placed
me palm upon II, the other at her clean
curved waist, and said:
'.aIauro Belllni--the Engl.shmaH, Brandt
ne sha nelass EYES lonked I'D III mia /