Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-02-17

ooA again. Jerked his horses bss.
violently round with volley Of os.s
and drove away at rattling
Nina, standing on the road besido
air.
Gould he not have waited n -,
us back?" she asked. ''As
No" l answered, brusouelv. O.
shall return by a different s
Come" '0G's
And passing my arm round he,
led her onward She shivered slipb,,.
and there was sound of ouernlos
complaint in her voice as she sa,a.
| Have we to go much fur4b..
Cesare?"
Three minutes walk will bripy :.
to our destination l replied brios-
adding in softer tone, 'Ara w.
cold?" you
"A little" and she gathered h..
sables more closely about her ~,
pressed nearer to my side. Tho 80
riclous moon here suddenly lssn's
forth like the pale ghost of frenziss
dancer, standing tiptoe on the ode.
of precipitous chasm OF hlaes
clouds. Her rays, pallidly green ana
cold, fell full on the dreary stretch q,
land before us, touching I'D with Inn
nous distinctness those white mva
terious mile-stones of the Camoo
Santo which mark where the journey.
of men, women, and children begon
and where they left off, but never e~,
plain in what new direction they ara
now travelling. My wife saw ana
stopped, trembling violently.
What place is this?" she asked
nervously.
In all her life she had never visited
a cemetery-she had too great bor.
ror of death.
1T is where | keep all my trea.
sures,' | answered, and my voice
sounded strange and harsh in NV own
ears, while l frightened my grasp Of
her full, warm waist. Come with
me, my beloved" and in spite of nv
efforts, my tone was one of bitter
! mockery. With me you have mol
fear! Gomez"
| And | led her on, too powerless to
resist my force, too startled to speak,
on. on, on, over the rank dewy grass
and unmarked ancient graves-on, till|
the low frowning gate Of the house Of
my dead ancestors faced Neon. on.
on, with the strength of ten devils in
my arm as | held heron, on. on. TO
her just doom!
CHAPTER XXXVI.
| The moon had retreated behind al
dense wall of cloud, and the land.
scape was enveloped in em-darkness
Reaching the door of the vault n
unlocked it; it opened instantly, and
fell back with sudden clang She
whom l held fast with my iron grip
shrunk back, and strove to release
herself from my grasp.
Where are you going?" she de-
manded, in a faint tone. IL am
afraid"
"Of WHAT" | asked, endeavoring to
control the passionate vibrations OF
my voice and to speak unconcernedly
Because it is dark? We shall have
light directly-you will see-you-
I you and to my own surprise | broke
into loud and violent laugh You
have no cause to be frightened, Come
! And | lifted her swiftly and easily
over the stone step of the entrance and
set her safely inside. Inside at last,
thank Heaven. | shut the great gate
upon us both and locked it! Again
that strange undesired laugh broke
from my lips inyoluntarily. and the
echoes of the CLEARINGHOUSE responded
to it with unearthly and ghastly dis
tinctness. Nina chung to me in the
dense gloom.
why do you laugh like that?' she
cried, loudly and impatlently. 1T
sounds horrible"
/ checked myself by a strong effort
Does it? | am sorry-very sorry!
! laugh because-because, cara mia,
our moonlight ramble is so pleasant
and amusing-is it not?"
And | caught her to my heart and
kissed her roughly.
Now" | whispered. 81 will carry
/ yCu-the steps are too rougt for
/ your little feet-dear, dainty, white
little feet! l will carry you, you arm
! full of sweetnessi- Yes, carry you
safely down into the fairy grotto
where the jewels are-such jewels
and all for you-my love, my wife,
And | raised her from the ground
as though She were a young, frail
child. Whether she tried to resis.
me or not l cannot now remember !
bore her down the moldering stair
way, setting my foot on each crooked
step with the firmness Of one long fa-
miliar with the place. But my brain
reeled-rings of red fire circled in the
/ darkness before my eyes; every artery
/ in my body seemed strained to burst
/ ing the nput-un agony and fury OF