Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-25

occurred, and lose no time in serding
ON my carriage. | will wait alone at
the Villa Romani till it comes
The vehicle rumbled off, bearing
Vincenzo seated On the box beside the
driver. | watched it disappear. and
then turned into the road that led me
to my own dishonored home. The
place looked silent and deserted-not
soul was stirring. The silken blinds |
of the reception-roOms were all closely :
drawn, showing that the mistress of |
| the house was absent; it was as If |
| some one lay lead within. A vague
wonderment arose in my mind. Who
was dead? Surely it must be II, the
master of the household, who lay stiff
| and cold in one of those curtained
! rooms! This terrible white-haired man
who. roamed feverishly up and down
outside the walls was not met was
some angry demon risen from the
grave to Wfeak punishment on the
guilty | was dead could never
have killed the man Who had once
been my friend. And he also was
dead-tt1e same murderess had slain
us both-and she livedi Ha! that was
wrong-she must debut in such
torture that her very soul shall
shrink and shrivel under it into a
!, DEVILS flame for the furnace Of hell!
With my brain full of hot whirl-
,, ing thoughts like these l looked
through the carved heraldic work of
| Uni
stood, poor wretch, shaking these
twisted wreaths of iron in impotent
fury. There on the mosaic pavement
he had flung the trembling old SER
:, want who had told him of the alb
sence Of his traitress. On this very
spot he had launched his curse, which
though he knew it not, was the curse
of a dying man. [ was glad he had
uttered it-such maIedictiOnS cling!
There was nothing but compassion for
him in my heart now that he was
dead. He had been duped and wrOnged
even as 1; and l felt that his spirit,
released from it's grosser clay, would
work with mine and aid in her pun
ishment.
L petttu lOuuo CllO ollCilO houSoC tlll
I came to the private wicket that led
!, into the avenue; I opened it and en-
tered the familiar path. 1 had not
, been there since the fatal night on
= which [ had learned by own betrayal.
, How intensely still were those solemn
pines-how gaunt and dark and grimi
. Not a branch quivered-nOt leaf stir
| rod cold 6aw that Was coarcq1v q
;, frost glittered on the moss at my feet.
No birds voice broke the impressive
hush Of the woodlands morning
:, dream No bright-hued flower unbut-
:. toned it's fairy cloak to the breeze, yet
:, there was a subtle perfume every
= where-the fragrance OF unseen VIC
let's whose purple eyes were still
' closed in slumber.
I gazed on the scene as a man may
behold in vision the spot where he
=, once was happy. l walked a few
= PAGES, then paused with a strange
~ beating at my heart. A shadow fell
> across my path-it fitted before me
- it stopped-it lay still. I saw it re,
- solve itself into the figure Of man
- stretched out in rigid silence, with the
- light beating full On it's smiling
. dead face, and also on a deep wound
,s just above his heart, from which the
blood oozed redly, staining the grass
or which he lay. Mastering the
IL sick horror which seized me at this
sight, I sprung forward-the shadow
r vanished 1nstantly-it was a mere OPP
q tical delusion, the result Of my over
o wrought and excited condition.
d shuddered involuntarily at the image
} my own heated fancy had conjured
o up; should [ always see Guido thus
d | thought, even in my dreams?
e Suddenly a ringing, swaying rush Of
e sounds burst joyOusly on the silence
e the numbering trees aWoke, theil
u leaves moved, their dark branches
: quivered, and the grasses lifted III
e their green lilliputian sword-blades
! Bells!-and such bells!-tOngues OF
e melody that stormed the air with
e sweetest eloquence-round, rainbow
# bubbles Of music that burst upon the
e wind, and dispersed IN delicate broken
s echoes.
10 ha