Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-05

|
tachment appeared, his spurs blinking
with measured metallic music on the
hard stones Of the pavement-he
sprung into his saddle and gave the
word-the crowd dispersed to the right
End left-the horses were put to a
quick trot, and in few moments the
whole party with the bulky frowning
form of the brigade in their midst had
disappeared. The people broke up
into little groups, talking excitedly of
what had occurred, and scattered here
and there, returning to their homes
and occupations-and more swiftly
than one could have imagined posi-
BILE, the great square was left almost
empty. paced up and down for awhile
| thinking deeply; l had before my
minds eye the picture of the slight
fair Teresa as described by the Sicilian
captain, lying dead in the solitudes
Of the Montemaggiore with that self
/ inflicted wound in her breast which
had set her free of all mems love and
persecution. There were some women
then who preferred death to infidelity?
| Stranger very strange! Common wo-
men of course they must be-such as
this brigade's mistress; your daintily-
| fed, silk-robed duchess would find a
| dagger somewhat a vulgar CONSIDER
! she would rather choose a lover. or.
| better still, score of lovers. 1t is
only brute ignorance that selects
grave instead of diShonor-modern
/ education instructs us more wisely.
and teaches us not to be oversuuea-
mish about such q trif1e as breaking
a given word or promise. Blessed age
Of progress! Age of steady advance
ment when the apple of vice is so cum
| ningly disguised and so prettily paint
ed that we can actually set it on a
porcelain dish and hand it about among
our friends as a valuable and choice
fruit of virtue-and no one finds out
the fraud we are practicing, nay. we
scarcely perceive it ourselves, it is
such an excellent counterfeit,
AS l walked to and fro. found nv
self continually passing the head Of
flee of the Carabinieri and, acting on
sudden impulse of curiosity, I at
last enterd the building. determined
to ask for few particulars concerning
the brigade's capture. I was received
by handsome and intelligent-lookiag
man, who glanced at the card with
which | presented myself, and saluted
me with courteous affability.
"Oh, yes!" he said, in answer to nv
inquiries, 'Neri has given us a great
deal of trouble. But we had our sus-
piciCns that he had left Gaeta, where
he was for time in hiding Afew stray
bits of information cleaned here and
there put us on the right track
''Was he caught easily, or did he
show fight?"
He gave himself up like a lamb,
signor! 1t happened in this way One
OF our men followed the woman who
lived with Neri, one Teresa, and
traced her up to certain point, the
corner of narrow mountain pass
where she disappeared. He reported
this, and thereupon we sent out an
armed party. These crept at midnight
two by two, till they were formed in
close ring round the place where
Neri was judged to be. With the first
beam of morning they rushed in upon
him ard took him prisoner 1t an
ears that he showed no surprise-he
merely said, L expected you!' He
was found sitting by the dead body of
his mistress; she was stabbed and
newly bleeding. No doubt he killed
her, though he swears the contrary
lies are as easy to him as breathing"
Tut where were his comrades? I
thought he comma 1ded a large band?"
so he did, signor; and we caught
three Of the principals only a fort
night ago, but Of the others no trace
can be found. I SUPP ose Carmelo him
self dismissed them and sent them far
and wide through the country. At
any rate, they are disbanded, and
with these sort of fellows, where there
is no union there is no danger"
And Neri's sentence?' | asked.
oh, the galleys for life of course:
there is no possible alternative
thanked my informant, and left the
office. l was glad to have learned
these few particulars, for the treasure
l had discovered in my own family
vault was now ore mine than ever
There was not the remotest chance of
any one of the Neri band venturing
SO close to Naples in search of it, and
[ thought with a grim smile that had
the brigade chief himself known the
story of nv wrongs, he would most
probably have rejoiced to think that
his buried wealth was destined to aid
me in carrying out so elaborate a plan
of vengeance. All difficulties smoothed
themselves before me-Obstacles were
taken out of my path-my way was
made perfectly clear-each trifing in
cldent was a new fnger-post point
| ing out the direct road that led me to
the one desired end God himself
seemed on my side, as He is surely
ever on the side of Justice! Let not the
uhfaithful think that because they say
long prayers or go regularly and de-
Voutly to church with meek faces and
plouSly folded hands, that the Eternal
Wisdom is deceived thereby. My wife
could pray-she could kneel like a
lovely saint in the dim religious light
OF the sacred affairs, her deep eyes up
turned to the blameless, infinitely re-
prOachful Christ-and look YOU, each
word she uttered was a blasphemy,
| destined to come back upon herself as
a curse. Prayers are dangerous for
llars-it is like falling willfu1ly on an
| mir