Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-03-03


Who talks of murder nowg"
cried, in bitter derision "Oh, what
JOY you have lost! What triumph for
you, could you have stabbed me to the
heart and left me here dead indeed!
What a 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"
stopped short--a strange bewildered
expression suddenly passed over her
face-she looked about her in dazed,
vague way-then her gaze became sud
denly fixed, and she pointed toward
dark corner and shuddered,
"Huoh--hush, she said, in a Glow,
terrified whisper Look! how stu
he stands! how pale he seems! Do
not speak--do not move-hush! he
must not hear your voice. will go
10 him and tell him all-all-" She
rose and stretched out her arms with
a gesture of entreaty;
Guido. Guido!"
With a sudden chilled awe at my
heart | looked toward the spot that
thus riveted her attention-all was
shrouded in deep gloom. She caught
my arm.
XIII HIM" she whispered, iiercely-
I"kill him. and then | will love you'
IAhn and with an exclamation of fear
she began TO retire swiftly backward
as though confronted by some threat
ening figure. He is coming nearer.
No, no. Guido, You shall not touch
me-you dare not-Fabio is dead and
II 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? |
balanced this question indifferently, as
II looked down upon her inanimate
form. The flavor of vengeance was
hot in my mouth, and filled me with
delirious satisfaction True, | 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 him--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-or cared, Had her
lovers ghost indeed appeared before
the eyes of her guilty conscience?
: did not doubt i'll should scarcely
= have been startled had | seen the poor
: pale shadow of him by my side, as
| musingly gazed upon the fair fallen
/ body of the traiterass who had wan
t tonly wrecked both our lives.
! "Ay, Guido" | muttered. half aloud
: -'dost see the work? Thou arr
t avenged, frall spirit--ayenged as well
as part thou in peace from earth
and its inhabitantsi- happy thou shalt
cleanse in pure fire the sins of thy
lower nature, and win a final pardon;
5 but for her--is hell itself black enough
: to match her soul?"
And | slowly moved toward tbs
! stairway; it was time, | thought, will
l grim resove-to leave herl Possibly
she was dead-if not why then snt
soon would hel ] paused iresolutt
the wild wind battered eeaselessly
at the iron gateway, and walled a.
3 though with a hundred voices o
D aerial creatures, lamenting. The
{ torches were burning low, the dark
/ ness of the vault deepened. Its gloon
! concerned me little-I had grown IA
! miliar with its unslghtly things, it,
crawling spiders, its strange uncounte
, beetles, the clusters Of blue fungi OF
! its damp walls. The scurrying nois,
! by bats and owls who scared by tn,
! lighted candles, were hiding them
1 selves in holes and corners Of refuge
startled me not at ALL was well ac
l customed to such sounds In my thel
state of mind, an emperor's palac,
: We're less fair to me than this BRAY
\ charnel-house-this Stone-mouthed wit
= ness OF my struggle back to If
and all lile's misery, The deep-tone,
i bell outsue the cemetery struck One
+ We had been absent nearly two hour
e from the brilliant assemblage left a
y the hotel. No do Dt we were bain,
$ searched for eyerywhel cit matteret
G mott They would not come to seel
: us here | went on resolutely towar
e the stair-as | placed my foot on tn
: firm step Of the ascent, my wife stirre
:. from her recument position he
S swoon had passed. She did not per
Z eeiye me where / stood. ready 10 de
d part-she murmured something {
d herself in a low voice and taking 4
i her hand the falling tresses of he
o own hair she seemed to admire fl
e color and texture, for she stroked
! and restroked 1t, and finally brok