The record-union., 1897-01-17

| lowed by the good God, but | will tell
YOU what our fathers have handed down
| to us.
Many ages ago, ages before the
Christ came ON earth. there came into
these mountains a strange people from
the East. The men We're small and
dark. and cruel. with heavy fat faces
and evil eyes; but the women were like
! that picture. Most of the race, passsA,i
on into the plains of Italy and s.rtIel
there until Rome grew great and
crushed them out: but some remained
here They are all gone centuries ago.
the wild tribes of the North swept down
and destroyed their cities and their
civilization and it is good FOR the
| world that 1T is so. for they were sold
! 10 the Evil One and wOrShiped him.
sacrificing their captives on his affairs
| in unSpeakable tormentS. They were
"a people of sorcerers and wizards with
| strange power over men and devils.
/ Ne trace of them is left, except here
and there a stone with letters which no
one can read. and SometimeS-very sell
dCm--'their tonnbS are discovered un-
6ergrourd, cut in the solid rock, as
you have seen. and ii is only by sorpe
such accident that they are found Yet
their spirits still visit the earth at GER
tain seasons, and have power to tempt
men and women TO their death, and
by the blood of their victims TO gain
another span of life. Always there IS
the fatal kiss ON the throat, the ruin
of the body and soul alike. l have
known more than one case in my long
| life, but never speak of them to stran-
gers, who would but think me doting
| old priest.
And now 1 viii tell you what must
be done, for 1T grows late. and all must
| be finished by sunset. There is only
one way. If your friend is to live the
| accursed thing must die The work is
yours: no man here dare SO much as
go near the place, and it is not fitting
! deed for a priest. As the sun sets. she
viii awake; and it is only then that you
can do her harm. Take this knife, and
as the eyes of the evil thing open.
| plunge it in her throat IN the spot
where her own kisses are given.
| Father l cried. L cannot: 1t Is
hcrriblc-it is murder!'
| 1T is no murder he answered
calmly; where there is no real life,
life cannot be taken away
Il could not answer, for I was hor-
girl as she woke from sleep. He went
on, as if he read my thoughts:
Then you will let your friend die
-ay, to the eternal ruin of his soul
because you are under the spell of q
devils beauty. / have misread your
heart. Go, and leave me to pray for
| his soul
Give me the knife. said hoarsely;
| I will go
He looked searchingly in my face.
and said:
There is no time to spare. Go
quickly, the sun is getting low Heaven
keep you, my som
! Like a man in dream went RAPIDLY
through the forest; do not remember
consciously thinking about the way. but
l went straight towards the place. The
great red ball of the sun was sinking
slowly behind the dark pine branches,
and the dead leaves on the ground
seemed splashed with blood As [
reached the spot where l had watched
! Lindsay paint, l heard a low rumbling
sound, like thunder far up the gorge.
Hurrying on through the trees, soon
stood at the edge of the little clearing
and looked across towards the great
square rock: but l could hardly recog-
nize the place-it was so changed
rubbed my eyes and stared in bewilder-
| ment. Instead Of the great block,
standing solid and four square, there
was a Shapeless pile of gigantic boul-
ders. rushed across the grass and tore
at the rocks till my hands were lacerated
and bleeding, but l could not move the
hard granite masses or find any en-
trance. The lightning and the rain had
done their work. and the roof of the
rock-tomb had fallen in during my alb
sence- 1 shuddered to think that this
was no doubt the rumblng noise 1 had
heard only a few minutes before, and
that 1 had been SO nearly crushed to
death beneath tons of granite. even as
that strange creature, so beautiful and
so evil, must have been. The sun SET
and in the fading light the trees seemed
to make fastastic shapes, and 1 dared
not look behind me as 1 hurried back to
the village i could almost have shouted
in relief when l saw the wooden bridge
over the river, and the roof of the inn
on the other side.
| THE old priest met me at the top of
the stairs. and said quietly:
"'You were in time. my son; you are
as brave as L thought YOU
| Il laughed Historically, for 1 was al
most afraid still.
| How is hep l asked anxiously.
| 1.-The danger is gone he answered.
Soon after you left he began to toss and
cry out in his sleep; he raved about
mountains falling on him, and the sweat
ran from his face in agony. / had to
| hold him down with all my strength.
Then suddenly he fell back on the pill
low and drew long, deep sigh, and L
know that the fatal moment was past.
Tell me of yourself now
Il told him all about it, and while we
We're still talking Lindsay awoke. He
smiled family at me. and put out his
hand for mine"
I'm better now, old man. he said; L
feel quite different, somehow
Have you had any more dreams?'
I asked.
"'One,' he answered. Don't talk
about it; it is too awful. But think it
will be the last. / wonder why L
dreamed in this way
| Il wondered what he meant, but the
priest checked me with gesture as 1
was about to speak.
What has happened since the storm
| last night?' he asked. L remember the
| in the woods, but nothing after tex
cept Dreams
why Lindsay began, and then
stopped. If he had forgotten all the
events of the last three days. except as