Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-07-28

appearance of Romano. He nastfly
took his place, and there was a SUD.
den burst of talk around the board
observed that the bridegroom was pala
and nervous. but he certainly had sui
fered no injury. Presently, to nv as
constituent and seemingly to that of all
present, Marta entered the room. She
advanced without embarrassment and
took a place not far from the foot Of
the table and nearly opposite me.
What a change had come over The
girl, Her face was no longer pale her
eyes shone with the light of happiness.
Surely she looked far more like a bride
than the girl at the head of the table.
If this were acting. Marta and Sarah
Bernhard stood upon level
, | think there were many kindly peo-
pie in that room who sincerely rejoiced
to see the girl carry herself so well.
but / saw that Romano turned an an1-
ious eye in her direction. She smil-I
reassuringly, yet in such a way tia:
the company could not know it was
for Romano, and she clasepd her hands
upon her breast with a singular ges
ture. sort of thrill that was as intense
as pain, yet SO immensely different
Many times in the next half hour this
secret interchange Of glances between
Marta and Romano attracted my at
tention. Always she smiled and press
ed her hands upon her bosom, and at
last | became convinced that she was
concealing something under her dress.
Had the rascal given her some token
in which she foolishly found consola-
ton? 1t seemed ABSURD, yet surely he
and she were in sympathy and had a
common secret. She who had been dy
ing of grief an hour before was now
happy
l slipped out of the banquet rooom to
see whether | could find some expla-
nation of this mystery elsewhere. In
the small room at the right which has
been already described l found White,
81 got him." said he. TT was close
call. That boy Nicola is smart. He
managed to get Romano out of the din
ing room by fake message, and he
nearly murdered him in the small room
back of this one at the end of the pas
sage. Romano walked in there unsus-
pecting, and Nicola crept in after aim
stiletto in hand But Marta suddenly
rushed in and grabbed Nicolas arm.
When | arrived, she had got him out
into the passage. She must be strong
He was half cra7v and sr'rre at first
that be had stabbed Romano, but really
nobody was hurt. I took this away
fr m him and thea locked him into
room up stairs
The detective banded ne st!'ettd
with blade like hatpih. l glanced
at the oint and, to my surprise, obser-
we'd that it was split. A slivec thai
could not have been much larger than
a needle seemed to have been broken
out of one side.
"a cheap weapon" said White, ex-
amining the break. Il guess he hit
! the wall with it,
white" said I, you get doctor
Just as fast as you can. Don't stop to
ask questions.
He looked at me for a small part OF
second and then vanished out of the
room. In less than five minutes he was
back again with old DR.. Fabulo, known
throughout that region. Meanwhile
/ had caught Viani and had made him
send for his daughter. She came run
ming into the little room almost at the
same moment that White and DR.. Fa-
bu;o arrived Her eyes were as bright
as a birds, and she nodded her head
With a bird1ike motion when l told her
that 4 knew what it was she herished
so tenderly in her bosom.
YES" she said; yes, I was stabbed
I for him. She wouldn't have done it.
He said So And he said we'd keep it
secret, just between us, always. Who
told you?"
Before I could reply her hands were
suddenly Redeemed. Up to that mo-
ment the wound had bled scarcely any
except internally. We caught Nr as
| she fell fainting.
Don't tell" she gasped. ut will
spoil all I promised him
We let her body slide gently to the
floor The doctor knelt beside her
moment.
This isn't serious he said, but 1t
must have hurt There's silver OF
| steel in the wound"
81 love it," said Marta family as she
| c1asped her hands upon the wound.