The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-12-15

cried out that 1t was an angel who had
come in answer to her prayers.
1t was midnight, twelve hours since
Eva had charmed away the shadow of
death from the village home, and she
was holding a great assembly hushed
and spellbound, while her voice, no
longer softened and subdued, rang with
all its glorious power through the large
opera hall which she had lately added
to her castle.
1t vas the moment of her browning
triumph, the moment when Desdemona,
realizing to the full her danger, and the
infeXible purpose of Othello, trans
formed by jealousy into a murderer,
ceased to plead for her life, and in
stead, proudly and passionately de-
clared her innocence.
Count Devas, the Italian singer, who
had already won universal applause for
his wonderful rendering Of Otlello,
faced her, the madness of rage that was
consuming him portrayed wildly in
every feature of his face, in every
movement of his tense, nervous fingers.
There vas silence, intense, dead ST.
lence for an instant as Eva's last note
died away and then, as she covered her
eyes with her hands, the Count, with
one swift step, was at her side, press
ing with ruthless hands the cushion on
her upturned face, and the curtain be-
gan slowly to descend on the death
scene.
An electric thrill ran through the
audience, the horror and despair of the
tragedy before them seemed suddenly
real and tangible; the scream, strang.ed
In its birth, that came from the beauti-
full singer seemed IN appeal to them for
help; and then an amazing thing oc-
Cured.
In the excitement of the scene no one
had noticed the sudden arrival in the
hall of DR.. Harrowden, who, pale and
breathless, stood watching the descent
of the curtain, until, apparently over
powered by impulse, he ran up the hall,
leaped up to the stage, and, springing
across the footlights, threw himself
upon the Count.
In the desperate struggle that ensued,
momentary as it was, before the para
lived onlookers rushed to separate the
combatants, no II noticed that Eva
herself had not moved, and lay still
under the cushions.
There was the flash of a knife, an ex-
clamation from DR.. Harrowden, and
then, as he dropped, stabbed in the
shoulder, a dozen hands were on the
Count, and, though he fought with the
limitless strength of a mailman, he was
~overpowered at last by numbers, and
carried off the stage, bound and help
less.
DIR. Harrowden, whose faintness was
only temporary, had risen already, and,
~disregarding the help offered him, hur-
ried to the couch and raised the cush-
ions.
Eva lay there insensible, with the
marks on her white neck where the
Counts fingers had gone near to suffo-
eating her.
DR.. Harrowden bent and laid his ear
to her lips and heart.
"She is not dead" he said briefly.
Garry her to her l will attend
to her"
Wondering EXPLANATIONS broke out on
all sides. What had happened? Had
the Count really attempted Eva's life?
How had the doctor beer aware of her
danger? And a thousand other ques-
tons and surmises. Later, when Eva,
very weak and i'll, had recovered con-
seriousness, she told the story Of the
Counts strange, wild love for her. an
i%nfatuation which had seized him when
they first met in the Opera House at
Milan, Of her inability to shake off the
influence which he exercised over her,
in spite of her dread and dislike of him,
of his appearance at the castle when
she was arranging the cast of "Othel-
TO-" and imperious demand to be allow