Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-11-04
Continued.

rT saw my uncle die, ne CONTINUED,
,.Ling in a low tone. He WAS an
ia man and had very little strength
loft vet his battle with death was
torrfble-horrible! | see him yet-nis
yellow c~onvulsed face-his twisted
limbs-his clawlike hands tearing at
.ne mptv air--then the CHASTITY grin
and dropped jaw-the wide-open
Glazed eyes-pshaw! it sickened me-
We'll. Welt" | said in q soothing
vay still busying myself with the
arrangement of my button-hole, II
sarrately wondering what new emo
ron was at work in the volatile mind
nj NV victim. No doubt it was dis
trassing to witness-but you could not
have been very sorry-he was an old
man. and. though it is a platltude
not worth repeating -we must all
die"
"Sorry!" exclaimed Ferrari, talking
almost more to himself than to me.
.1 WAS glad! He was an old scoun-
drel deeply dyed in every sort OF
social yillainy. MOI was not sorry,
ouIv as | watched him in his frantic
Struggle, fighting f~uriously for each
fresh gasp of breath thought
know not why-of Fabio."
Profoundly astonished, but conceal
ing my establishment under an air of
intolerance, | began to laugh.
aI-pon my word, Ferrari--pardon me
fer saying so, but the air of Rome
seems to have somewhat obscured
vour mind! / confess | cannot follow
your meaning
He sighed uneasily. Il dare say not!
scarce can follow it myself. But II
it was so hard for an old mar to
writhe himself out of life, what must
# have beer for Fabio? We were stu
dents together; we used to walk with
our arms round each others necks
like schoolgirls. and he was young
and full of vitality-physically
n too, than | am. He must
have battled for life with every nerve
and sinew stretched to almost break
ing" He stopped and ~shuddered. by
Heaven! death should be made easier
iOE us. IL ID q lllSHllul 'hihS"
A contemptuous pity arose in me.
Was he coward as well as traitor? ]
touch 4 him lightly on the arm.
Excuse me, my young friend, If |
say frankly that your dismal CONVEX
sation is slightly fatigaing. ! cannot
accept it as a suitable preparation for
dinner, And permit me to remind you
that you have still to dress.
The gentle satire of my tone made
him look up and smile. His face
cleared, and he passed his hand over
his forehead, as though he swept 1t
free Of some unpleasant thought.
believe | am nervous" he said
with a half laugh. For the last few
hours have had all sorts of uncom-
Portable presentiments and forebod-
ings."
No wonderi" l returned carelessly
with such a spectacle as you have
described before the eyes of your mem
Dry The Eternal City savors some
what iisagreeably of graves. Shake
rae dust of the Caesers from your feet
ana enjoy your life, while 1t lasts!'
Excellent advice,' he said, smiling,
and not difficult to follow. Now tc
attire for the festival. Have | your
permtssion?'
/ touched the bell which summoned
Nngeu2o, and babe him wait or
SIgnor Ferrarl's orders. Guido dis
appeared under his escort, giving me
a laughing nod of sanitation as he
left The room. | watched his retiring
figure with a strange pitifulness-the
mist emotion of the kind that had
awakened in me for him since |
learned his treachery. His allusion
~ that time when we had been stu
dents rogether-when We had walked
with arms round each others necks,
Ike schoolgirls" as he said, had
touched me more closely than | cared
70 realize. 1t was true, we had been
happy then-two careless youths with
as the world like an %untrodden race
curse before US. She had not then
Gathened the heaven of our conf
eenee she had not come with her
.Hise lace to make of me a blind, dot
34 mailman, and to transform him
we a Liar and hypocrite. 1t was all
81. taHlt. all the misery and horror
~ was the blight on our lives; she
-4.Ai7d the heaviest punishment. and
would receive it. Yet, would to
...| We had neither of us ever seen
Her beauty, like a sword. had
s7e1 the bonds Of friendship that
aIi when it does exist between
men is better and drawer than
love Of woman. However, all
eIs We're unayailing now; the evil
dome and there was no undoing
mad little time left me for re-
ION each moment that passed
I-.f me nearer to the end / had
##a and foreseer
CHAPTER XXIIT.