Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-04

Continued.


Il saw my uncle die" he continued
speaking in low tone. HE was an
old man and had very little strength
left yet his battle with dea.h was
horrible-horrible! I see him yet-lis
yellow convulsed face-his twisted
limbs-his clawlike hands tearing at
the mpty air-then the CHASTITY grin
and dropped jaW-the wide-open
glazed eyes-pshaw! it sickened me-"
We'll, WE'LL" l said in a soothing
way, still busying myself with the
arrangement of my buttCn-hole, and
secretely wondering what new emo
ton was at work in the volatile mind
Of my victim. mo doubt it was dis
tressing to Witness-but you could not
have been very sOrry-he was an old
man, and though it is a platitude
not worth repeating-we must all
die
SOrry!' exclaimed Ferrari, talking
almost more to himself than to me.
Il was glad! He was an old scoun-
drel, deeply dyed in every sort of
social villainy. No-I was not sorry,
only as | watched him in his frantic
struggle, fighting furiOusly for each
fresh gasp Of BREATH thought
know not why-of Fabio'
Profoundly astOnished, but conceal
ing my establishment under an air of
Indifference, | began to laugh.
Upon my word, Ferrari-pardon me
for saying SO, but the air of Rome
seems to have somewhat obscured
your mind! | confess | cannot follow
your meaning"
He sighed uneasily. Il dare say not!
| scarce can follow it myself But if
1t was SO hard for an old man to
Writhe himself out Of life, what must
it have been for Fabio? We were stu
dents together; we used to walk with
our arms round each others necks
like school girls, and he was young
and full Of vitality-physicaIly
stronger, 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
for us! 1t is a frIghtful thing"
A contemptuOus pity arose in me.
Was he coward as we'll as traitor?
touched him lightly on the arm.
Excuse me, my young friend, if
say frankly that your dismal CONVEX
sation is slightly fatfguing [ cannot
accept it as q 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 it
free of some unpleasant thought.
Il believe | am nervous" he said
with half laugh. For the last few
hours I have had all sorts of uncom-
Portable presentiments and forebod-
ings''
No wonder!" l returned carelessIy.
with such a spectacle as you have
described before the eyes of your mem
DRY. The Eternal City savors some
what disagreeably of graves. Shake
the dust of the Caesers from your feet
and enjoy your life, while it Iasts!"
Excellent advice!" he said, smiling.
and not difficult to follow. Now tc
attire for the festival Have | your
permission?"
L touched the bell which summoned
Vincenzo, and babe him wait on
Signor .Ferrari's orders. Guido dis
appeared under his escort, giving me
a laughing nod of salutation as he
left the room. | WATCHED his retiring
figure with a strange pitifulness-the
hrst emotion of the kind that had
awakened in me for him since /
learned his treachery His allusion
to that time when we had been stu
dents together-when we had walked
with arms round each others necks.
like schoolgirls" as he said, had
touched me more closely than | cared
to realize. 1t was true, we had been
happy then-two careless youths with
all the world like an untrodden race
course before us. She had not then
darkened the heaven of our conf
denee; she had not come with her
false face to make of me a blind dot
ing mailman, and to transform him
into a liar and hypocrite It was all
her fault, all the misery and horror;
she was the blight on our lives; she
merited the heaviest punishment, and
she would receive it. Yet, would to
God we had neither of us ever seen
her! Her beauty, like sword, had
severed the bonds of friendship that
after ALL when it does exist between
two men, is better and Drawer than
the love of woman However, all
regrets were unavailing now; the evil
was done, and there was no undoing
it. | had little time left me for re-
hectlon; each moment that passed
brought me nearer to the end I had
planned and foreseen
CHAPTER XIII.
At about a quarter to eight my
guests began to arrive, and one by