Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-03
shrouded in deep gloom. She caught

shrouded in deep gloom. She caught
my arm.
+, Kill him." she whispered, fiercely-
| kill him, and then I will love you,
Ali" and with an exclamation of fear
she began to retire swiftly backward
as though confronted by some threat
ening figure. HE is coming-nearerl
No, no, Guido! You shall not touch
me-you dare not-Fabio is dead and
[ am free free!" She paused-her
wild eyes gazed upward-did she see
some horror there? She put up both
hands as though to shield herself
from some impending blow, and utter
ing a loud cry she fell prone on the
stone floor insensible. Or dead? I
balanced this question indifferently. as
/ looked down upon her inanimate
form. The flavor of vengeance was
hot in my mouth, and filed me with
delirious satisfaction. True, I had
been glad, when my bullet whizzing
sharply through the air had carried
death to Guido, but my gladness had
been mingled with ruthfulness and
regret. Now, not one throb Of pity
stirred me-not the faintest emotion
of tenderness. Ferrari's sin was great,
but she temped hin-her crime out
weighed his. And nowhere she lay
white and silent-in a swoon that was
| like death-that might be death for
aught [ kneW-OT cared. Had her
lovers ghost indeed appeared before
the eyes of her guilty conscience? I
did not doubt it should scarcely
have been startled had I seen the poor
pale shadow of him by my side, as
| musingly gazed upon the fair fallen
body of the traiteress who had wan
! tonly wrecked both our lives.
'Ay, Guido" I muttered, half aloud
= dost see the work? Thou art
avenged, frail spirit-avenged as well
as part thou in peace from earth
and it's nhabitants!-haply thou shalt
cleanse in pure fire the sins of thy
lower nature, and win a final pardon:
but for hers hell itself black enough
to match her soul?"
And | slowly moved toward the
stairway; it was time, I thought, with
a grim resOlve-tO leave her! Possibly
she was dead-if not-why then she
soon would be. [ paused iresolute
the wild wind battered ceaselessly
at the iron gateway, and walled as
though with a hundred voices of
aerial creatures, lamenting. The
torches were burning low, the dark
ness Of the vault deepened. It's gloom
I concerned me little-I had grown IA
mlllar with it's unsightly things, it's
crawling spiders, it's strange uncounted
beetles, the clusters of blue fungi on
It's damp walls. The scurrying noise
by bats and owls, who, scared by the
lighted candles, were hiding them
selves in holes and corners of refuge,
startled me not at ALL was we'll ac-
| custOmed to such sounds. In nv then
state of mind, an emperor's palace
were less fair to me than this brave
! charnel-hOuse-this Stone-mouthed wit
ness OF my struggle back to life
and all LIES misery. The deep-toned
Dell outslue the cemetery struck One!
We had been absent nearly two hours
from the brilliant assemblage left at
the hotel. No Go pt we were being
searched for eVerywhere-it mattered
not! They would not come to seek
Us mere. | went on resoluteIy toward
the stalr-as | placed my foot on the
hrm step of the ascent, my wife stirred
from her recument position-her
sWoon had passed She did not per-
celVe me where 1 stood, ready to de-
part-she murmured something to
hersef IN a low voice, and taking in
her hand the falling tresses of her
own hair she seemed to admire it's
| color and texture, for she stroked if
and restroked it, and finally broke
into gay laugh-a laugh so out of all
keeping with her surroundings, that if
startled me more than her attempt to
murder me.
She presently stood up with all her
own Iliy-like grace and fairy majesty:
and smiling as though she were
pleased child, she began to arrange
her dlsordered dress with elaborate
care. | paused wonderingly, and
watched her. She went to the brig
/ nd's chest of treasure and proceeded
to examine its contents-laces. silver
| and gold embroideries antique 0rna-
ments, she took carefully in her hands
seeming mentally to calculate their
cost and value. Jewels that were set
as necklaces, bracelets and other
/ trinkets OF feminine wear, she put
On, one after the other, till her neck
land arms were loaded-and literally
blazed with the myriad scintillations
of different-colOred gems. I marveled
at her strange conduct, but did not as
| yet guess it's meaning moved
away from the staircase and drew i'm
perceptibly nearer to her.-Hark. what
was that? A strange, low rumbling
like distant earthquake, followed by
a sharp cracking sound; l stopped TO
| listen attentiyely. A furious gust OF
wind rushed round the mausoleum.
shrieking wildly like some devil in
anger, and the strong draught flying
through the gateway eXtinguished two
of the faring candles. My wife, en-
tirely absorbed in counting over
Carmelo Neri's treasures, apparently
saw and heard nothing. Suddenly
she broke into another laugh-a
chuckling, mirthlezs laugh such as
| jC~h%