Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-03


about her a sudden wave of com
passion swept over my soul.
"Oh, Wife." | exclaimed-"wifet that
T so ardently loved-wife that I would
have died for indeed, mad you bade
me!-why did you betray me?
thought you truth itself-ayt and if
you had but waited for one day after
you thought me dead, and then
chosen Guido for your lover, l tell you
so large was my tenderness, I would
have pardoned you! Though risen from
the grave, 1 would have gone away
and made no sign-yes; if you had
waited-if you had wept for me even
SO little! But when your own lips
confessed your crime-when l knew
that within three months of oUr mar
riage-day you had fooled me-w:en
| learned that my love, my name, my
position, my honor, were used IS
mere screens to shelter your intrigue
with the man | called friend! God,
blood could forgive such treachery?
| am no more than others-but l loved
you-and in proportion to my love, so
! is the greatness of my wrong"
! She listened-she advanced Il little
toward me-a faint smile dawlel On
/ her pallid lips-she whispered;
''Fabio, Fabio,"
looked at her-unconsciously my
/ voice dropped into g cadence Of in
tense melancholy softened by tender
ness
/ 'Ay-FabiO! What wouldst thou
with the ghost of him? Does it not
seem strange to thee-that hated
name?-thou, Nina, whom l loved as
! few men love Women-thou who gavest
me no love at aIl-thou, who hast
/ broken my heart and made me what
! | ami"
A hard, heavy sob rose in my throat
and choked my utterance. l was
young; and the cruel waste and de-
structiOn of my life seemed at that mo-
ment more than 1 could bear She
heard me, and the smile frightened
more warmly on her countenance She
came close to me-half timidly yet
coaXingly she threw one arm about
my neck-her bosom heaved quickly
"Fabio,' she murmured -"Fabio,
forgive me! | spoke in haste-I do
hot hate thee! Come! 1 will make
amends for all thy suffering-I will
love thee-I will be true to thee, I
will be all thine! See! thou knowest
[ have not lost my beauty!'
And she chung to me with passion
raising her lips to mine, while with
her large inquiring eyes she searched
my face for the reply to her words.
gazed down upon her with sorrowful
tsternness.
Beauty? Mere food for worms-I
care not for it! Of what avail is
fair body tenanted by a fendish soul?
wrong like mine can never be for
given"
There ensued a silence. She still
embraced me, but her eyes roved over
me as though she searched for some
lost thing The wind tore furiously
among the branches of the expresses
outside, and screamed through the
small holes and crannies of the stone
work, rafting the iron gate at the
summit of the stairway with a cIank-
, ing sound, as though the famous brig
and chief had escaped with all his
chains upon him, and were clamoring
flor admittance to recover his buried
| property. Suddenly her face lightened
with an expression of cunning in
tensity-and before 1 could perceive
her intent-with swift agility she
snatched from my vest the dagger /
carried!
Too Iate!' she cried, with a wild
! laugh. mo; not too late! Die
wretch"
For one second the bright steel
| flashed in the wavering light as she
poised it in act to strike-the next,
| had caught her murderous hand and
| forced it down, and was struggling
with her for the mastery of the
weapon. She held it with a desperate
grip-she fought with me breathlessIy
clinging to me with all her force-she
reminded me of that rayenOus unclean
bird with which | had had so fierce a
combat on the night of my living
| burial. For some brief moments she
was possessed of supernatural strength
she sprung and tore at my clothes,
keeping the poniard fast in her clutch.
At last I thrust her down painting and
exhausted, with fury flashing in her
eyes-I wrenched the steel from her
hand and brandished it above her.
Who talks of murder now?" /
cried, in bitter derision. ooh, what a
JOY you have lost! What triumph for
you, could you have stabbed me to the
heart and left me here dead indeed.
What new career of lies would
nave been yours! How sweetly you
would have said your prayers with the
stain OF my blood upon your soul.
Ay! you would have fooled the world
to the end, and died in the odor OF
!sanctity! And you dared to ask my
forgiveness"
l stopped short-a strange bewildered
expression suddenly passed over her
Iface-she looked about her in a dazed
vague Way-then her gaze became sud
denly fixed, and she pointed toward
"a dark corner and shuddered.
"Hu>h-bucb'D Cba caid in q 1or