Evening star., 1897-01-16

You hear what your wife testifies?'' 1
said to the man. do you still adhere to
the open confession you made in the Du-
"eerfsssion in the nuomo." almost
shrieked the woman turning to her hus-
bard, you made mo mo confesson-say you
made 10 confeSSion.a II
The man drew a long breath swallowed
na"d' so that saw Sfe apple in his throat
first rise and fall, apd then swell as if it
would a,t choke MIN MIN. Then he began to speak
"Excellency," he said. lit is true-all tha t
l said when the music made me cry out in
agony-up in the church yonder. And now
escape the vengeanceiof God for the she'd
ding of blood. 1 wish to Hide the truth no
longer will not lie to God any more, nor
I wt ;oh 1,is lnnoGent cent, one undergo the doom
You are mad-mad--mad Leo Perrone,
hold your peace he is beside himself.
great general. Do not listenr' cried the
| woman. coming swiftly round tho tahIa he
re any could prevent herfand kneeEns at
| my chair. Stephano, who did not annrove
or such familiarity, would have thrust her
nack; put l motloned him to his place with
my hand without speaking The woman
set her hand quickly to her head as if her.
WIS were IN danger of leaving her, and
she sine, desired to recall them. With the hur-
below her waist in lrisps. and waves Of
shining blue-black silk. The soldiers about
| the room gasped with astonishment di
| Vlded between duty and aamirat ation
DO not believe him. She n,aaaad o,.
| ing her hands. He but desires to save me
even at the cost of his own life. For Won
see, ne loves me-yes. he loves me- l know
him well. He would die to save mo bic
wife. My Imprisonment has driven him
mad. But hsten most illustrious. hearken
| 1T was hand, my desire nv knife
wnlch slew Giovanni Lupo for the insult he
| offered to the wife Of Leo Perrone. IL
alone did the deed. Do not listen, excel
lency. Send me back to the prison and
let him go free
She She walled rather than spoke the last
| words, and, creeping nearer to nv chair
she clutched my hand in both of hers and
| strove to look into my eyes to read INV
decision there.
Stephano came nearer. This was too
| much. He took her by the wrists roughly
and flung them from him as though their
touch had been defilement
Get back to your place, womanr' he
said, sternly.
The woman rose without a murmur and
walked back to the side of her man, with
downcast face.
Now, Leo Perrone, what do you saw to
thls! L asked of the man, whose strong
piercing eyes dwet steadily upon nv face
Excellency,' he said, Maria nv wife
loves meas you have seen. She has done
this for love-foresworn herself, confessed
the thing which she never did taken the
punishment which was mine-alI because
she knew that for such crime the Judge
would hang man, but only imprison a
woman: Maria Perrone my wife, did this
thing for my sake, and l. crawling rat
that l was, permitted it, But all the while
God had me in his grip, and tonight in
the Duomo, He sent me a message that
only in making open confession Law any
hope for my sinful soul. So now | accuse
myself. l will tell the whole truth here
and now. 1t was night when l had been
far away. 1 returned to my house eager
to meet my wife, to clasp the little Mar
nd tha
cent lass in all the quarter of the Hedge
hog. AS L came up the stair l heard angry
Volces-then a scream of pain and fear
from my wife, Maria. At two bounds I
was at the door, another and | was within.
There stood Giovanni Lupo in the act of
offering insult to my wife. Then forth
with the madness came upon me, as it
would have come to you excelency see
ing your wife thus, and your little daugh-
ter weeping on the floor. My wifes mar
ketng knife lay at l1and@ on the board
where she had been preparing the supper
stuff. l lifted it and-well, that wolf will
never insult wife nor children any more
forever. l sent him hurting to his own
black Inferno 81
Leo Perrone ceased and erected his head
proudly, SO that his tangled locks stood
out about his head like a stone pine grow
ing on a mountain top above the sea.
Again the woman would, have flung her
self at my feet. But Stephano had suffered
enough. He took her by the arm and led
her into the middle of the room, at dis
tance both from the ia BILE where stood her
husband and from MY chair. He gave her
arm little shake as if to say: Tell lie or
tell truth, but tell it where you stand, and
not elsewhere"
Then Maria Perrone- fell on her knees
on the polished wood of the floor
Believe him not she cried yet more
earnestly. ut is but his mind which has
given way. He has often had such seiz-
ures. l have seen them come upon him
hundred times. Listen great general 7
I "a va
blessed cross, upon the relics of the saints
II alone struck the blow, and 1 alone
killed Giovanni Lupo." AS she spoke she
lifted up cross in which was a fragment
of iron nail, and made the oath which to
an Apulean seals eternal destruction if the
oath be false or broken
looked from one to the other. Leo Per-
rome stood with his strong, stern look fixed
upon me. The woman clasped her hands
before her and looked at me dry-eyed.
For moment was at my wits end.
Stepllano nudged me gently
The child, the little Margherita he
whispered from behind. "She followed her
father when he was taken. She is below
at this moment. Shall 1 bring her up?'
nodded to him. Presently between the
hle OF dragons, standing at attention,
there came, walking with quick, uncertain
steps, little maid. Margherita. pale of
face, dark locks all a-tangle about her
brow. She looked very lovely. She dashed
her hair away with her hand as Stephano
placed her between her father at the ta-
Die s enu ana her mother still kneeling on
the oaken floor.
"Margherita," said gently, tell all you
know of the killing of Giovanni Lupo
You were there, your father tells u.s.
little maid looked from one to the
otLer of us. l saw her mother make the
sign of silence. and from that moment L
was sure.
Look at your father" said, more stern
ly, land do he bids you.''
Tell the truth, Margherita Perrone!'
said the calm voice Of the self-accused al
| the table end.
Must II" she said, looking all about,
| must indeed tell alp
No no, Margherita: you saw it not; it
| was 1! 1t was l." cried Maria. Tell them
| it was your mother, child, who killed the
man, or, as I live, I will curse you with
| the curse of a mother-the curse that God
will hear; the curse that can never be
taken off,
Speak the truth! All the truth" said
Leo Perrone again, sternly and quietly.
1T was Lupo, the soldier" at last the
| little girl spoke out, looking very modestly
at me, "and he had come often to our
house My mother hated him. My father
warned him not to come. But one night
when my father was among the mountains
I