The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-07
The Torture of Fear.
"a Tale of Venice. From Cornhilrs Mag
azine. In Five Parts)
PART "


| azine. In Five Parts)
PART v.
Without a word Belvidera walked to the
| door of her entrance. Bellini twice struck
| the bell at his hand. Belv.dera found the
| door fastened Five Of the other six she
| found fastened; the sixth opened upon a
| corridor leading TO Bell.nis chamber, from
which was no egress.
II am a prisoner, them" she cried
Ben.ni, perusing document, did not
answer. He presently walked towards his
chamber, to prepare for his visit to the
Red Palace. 1t was nearly four. Belvidera
had cast herself. soDbing upon a couch.
Brand stirred from swoon TO find him
self ragged and bleeding; but the dogs had
retired to kennels. Some new sound it
was which stabbed his sleep with a new
fear. He was worn out now with the long
woe; but he bent the intense ear OF old
misers listing TO the creakings Of the mid
night thief a. a clanking sound-from be-
meath and at the same time caught sight
of black space in the flooring. He sprang
Mortified. The whole flooring, he now OBJ
served, was composed, not of straight
planks, but OF broad rings, each made up
Of several pieces. II was these pieces
which he now beheld sharply dropping,
concealed hinges. Gradually their move
ment became rapid, incalcula bic; here,
then yonder, then here again, IN endless
Formulation. yawned the sudden patch Of
black Brand began a mad jig from ring
to ring, from piece to piece. He trod upon
terror-ever nerve strained to detect the
first sign Of yielding beneath his feet-the
veins swollen on his dripping brow. But
the coffin Suddenly he remembered that
il probably lay safe on two consecutive
rafters. He made frantic rush for it
and fell, convulsed. upon the lid.
Here, after a time, he began to think.
Was death, or only torture, intended him
by these horrors? II death, that could
have been effected long since. Probably
then only torture-to be followed later by
death. But at whose hands? He recalled
Bellini's glance at the Procurazie masque,
with the intuition that Bellini. himself, in
the triumph of his malice, would certainly
visit him. And then, his forehead resting
on the coffin, ne began to think Of Bres-
cia's dying words-that Bellini had killed
her-her prayer that she might trouble"
and lend" him. Raising himself, he saw
that the droppings had ceased, but that
one patch, by some hitch, still gaped near
the door. The sight gave him a thought,
hope, half superstitious, his last His
back to the coffin, he inserted his free fin
gers into me notch of the lid, and drew
it somewhat. In his extremity he had the
distinct hope that the feeble old man, sud-
denly confronted with the spectacle of his
victim, would step backward into destruc-
ton. He retired to the farthest part Of
the room and waited.
1t was past four. Belv:dera did not long
lie sobbing. She lifted her eyes, saw the
room empty, and began to pace. Am
ST., h an idot-born like that?' she said.
can 1 do nothing?" Suddenly she was a
swift roe in the room. She had noticed on
4 chair BeIrfs discarded robe his four
cornered cap She leaped to the table.
found a scissors. and with It clipped the
fringe from an antimacassar. Her mask
and mantilla she cast away. A mirror,
around her hair she arranged with admira-
BILE swift art the white fringe under the
cap. She draped herself in the robe,
touched a bell, and retired to the remotest
shades. Some one entered. With half
turned head she said carelessly, in the
very voice of Bellini:
The signorina has retired to my cham
Der. You may now unfasten the doors.
Dandolo."
In a minute she was flying through the
palace toward the water-gate: in a minute
Bellini, returning ready. had discovered her
ruse. and with a stamp of rage bid five
men follow him. AS the pinnacles Of Ven
ice chimed out the quarter past four, the
three dOngolas, Belvidera first in her hired
bark, her seven next, Beilini in urgent
wroth behind, went skimming and churn-
ing in widest chase over the whitening
Canalezzo.
Brand. crouching In obscurity, heard
a footstep without Was it Bel.ni? His |
teeth went chattering. The massive lock
turned, some one entered, lurched, stag
gered on the edge of the abyss, and fell. |
Spluttering oaths. he rescued himself, |
clinging TO the other side. He stood up, |
staring in stupid wonderment at the hole |
What's all thts?'' he growled. Brand |
saw a huge curly head. black face; the |
Moor returned TO bed from the wine-shop |
drunk. He stood. a squat bulk. swaying |
on his bow-legs, with eyes straining to be
open.
"Hullo!' he grumbied. ARE you my
cursed father, then? That's all right"
Then, after sage reflection, with pointed
finger: But you are not my cursed
fatherl Do they grow so pale them
with long hair.
went akimbo, ard he began to sake with
nerriment
"Oh, ho( ho,-he's white. Poor boys
gone white.. Is that the way they do
angry.
Now, look YOU" he said to Brescia. IT
want no fathers here; besides, you are no.
ny cursed father"
And now, his under jaw gTinning muir
!erously against his upper lip:
Here get out OF this, you" he
ried; where do you think I am to sleep,
ey?" and With dive he had the shell
lasped in his arms. "Out, / tell you"
staggering. ne reached the window, and his
urden went crashing through the glass
With II went Brands last hope
At the same moment Beividera rushed
\, looking wildly round. She sighted
brand. pounced upon him. dragged him
Orth.
"Quick,-ah. so weak He will be her.
meaning nothing but death
Out in the corridors there were noises
choes of shou;ings, OF hurrying feet abou,
ne house.
They are after us-you hesr?-oh, for
eaven's sake"
As fast as he could he ran by her side
eyed and bloody. still arnless. through
large number OF dark halls, down stair
avs, GREATNESS. on a devious way deter ,
lined by her. She seemed 10 know the
lace uinutely. But IN passage they ,
card a trampiHg Of feet right in theft
purse. She stopped. bafffed: turned | r
ack: in her hunted dismay ran down :
de-corTidor, another. another. ana lost
sr way. The feet seemed 20 follow ! :
in | :