The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-03


charming she could look. But still l am
willing to admit. looking back. that 1
could never have really loved her"
THEN, my dear Kennedy. why did you
do tt?"
The adventure of the thing had great
deal to do with it,
WHAT You are so fond of advent
uresr
Where would the variety of life be
without them. It was for an adventure
that l first began to pay my attentions to
her. I've chased a good deal of game i'm
my time, but there's no chase like that of
pretty woman. There was the piquant
difficulty Of it also, for. as she was the
companion of Lady Emily Rood, it was
almost impossible to see her alone. On
the top of all the other obstacles which at
tracted me, / learned from her own lips
very early in the proceedings that she was
engaged"
"Mein Colt! To whom?"
"She mentioned no Names"
Il do not think that anyone knows that.
SO that made the adventure more aluring.
did it,"
wen, it did certainly give a spice to It,
Don't you think so?"
Il tell you that I am very ignorant
about these things"
My dear fellow, you can remember that
the apple you stole from your neighbours
tree was always sweeter than that which
H.
cared for me-"
"What-at once%'
'Oh, no. it took about three months OF
sapping and mining. But at last l won
her over. She understood that my judi
cial separation from my wife made it i'm
possible for me to do the right thing by
her-but she came all the same and we
had delightful time, as long as it lasted"
But how about the other MANI
Kennedy shrugged his shoulders.
q suppose it is the survival of the fit
test" said he. IF he had been the better
man she would not have deserted him.
Let's drop the subject, for l have had
enough of it,"
only one other thing. How did you
get rid of her in three weeks?"
well, we had both cooled down a bit,
you understand. She absolutely refused,
under any circumstances, to come back to
face the people she had known in Rome.
Now, of course, Rome is necessary to me,
and was already pining to be back at my
work-so there was one obvious cause of
separation. Then again, her old father
turned up at the hotel in London, and
there was a scene, and the whole thing
became so unpleasant that really-though
L missed her dreadfully at first-I was
very glad to slip out of it. Now, l rely upon
you not to repeat anything of what have
said"
MY dear Kennedy 1 should not dream
of repeating it. But all that you say in
terests me very much, for it gives me an
insight into your way of looking at things,
which is entirely different from mine, for
l have seen so little of life. And now you
want to know about my new catacomb
There's no use for me to describe it, for you
would never find it by that. There is only
one thing, and that is for me to take you
there"
That would be splendid"
would 70 IN
THE sooner the better. 1 am all impa-
thence to see it,"
well, it is a beautiful night-though a
trife cold. Suppose We start in an hour
We must be very careful to keep the mat
ter to ourselves. If anyone saw us hunt
ing in couples they would suspect that
there was something going on"
We can't be too cautious said Ken
nedy. lis it far?"
Some miles"
mot too far to walk?"
ooh, no, we could walk there easily"
1--WE had better do so, then. cab
mans suspicious would be aroused if he
dropped us both at some lonely spot in the
dead of the night"
quite so. 1 think it would be best for
us to meet at the Gate of the Appian Way
at midnight. l must go back to my lodg-
ings for the matches and candles and
things"
IAN right, Burger! I think it is very
kind of you to let me into this secret, and
l promise you that 1 will write nothing
about it until you have published your re-
port. Goodbye for the present. You
will find me at the gate at II"
The cold, clear air was filled with the
musical chimes from that city of clocks as
Burger, wrapped in an Italian overcoat,
with a lantern hanging from his hand,
walked up to the rendezvous. Kennedy
stepped out of shadow to meet him.
you are ardent in work as well as in
love" said the German, laughing.
Yes, 1 have been waiting here for near
ly half an hour"
81 hope you left no clue as to where we
were going
''Not such a fool! BY Jove, 1 am chill
ed to the bone! Come on, Burger, let us
warm ourselves by squirt of hard walk
ing.
Their footsteps sounded loud and crisp
upon the rough paving of the disappoint-
ing road which is all that is left of the
most famous highway in the world A
peasant or two going home from the
wine-shop and few carts of country pro-
duce coming up to Rome were the only
things which they met They swung
along with the huge tombs looming up
through the darkness upon each side of
them. until they had come as far as the
catacombs of St. Calixtus, and saw
against a rising moon the great circular
bastion of Cecilia Metella in front of them.
Then Burger stopped with his hand to his
side.
Your legs are longer than mine and
you are more accustomed to walking"
said he, laughing II think that the
place where we turn off at is somewhere
here. Yes, this is it, round the corner of
the trattoria. Now, it is a very narrow
path, so perhaps, 1 had better go in front
and you can follow"
He had lit his lantern, and by It's light
they were enabled to follow narrow and
devious track which wound across the
marshes Of the Campana. The great ac-
queduct of old Rome lay like a monstrous
caterpillar across the moonlt landscape.
and their road led them under one of its
huge arches and past the circle of crumb-
ling bricks which marks the old arena.
At last Burger stopped at a solitary wood
en- cowhouse, and he drew a key from his
pocket
Surely your catacomb is not inside
houser' cried Kennedy.
THE entrance to it is. That is just the
safeguard which we have against anyone
i'd, 4