The Yale expositor., 1902-10-17

THE villa Is attacked by tho Cou-t
di Pordino." l said. who seeks 20 take
you away by force. Bar the warning
was brought In time. and the soldiers
OF the prefctto are lighting of TIE
forces OF the count
Mia was now beside herself with
grief. passion and fear. StoCplng. she
picked up the krlfc that DambO hal
dropped.
Il will do Il, Slgnor Wllberton. she
said. Il am no longer weak. | am
woman. but | can fight. have been
"A circus performer. and can take my
own part. Let them come. will KIN
the prefetto and / will XIII the count.
Dut II they conquer me and | fail TO
kin them. will plunge this knife into
my own heart rather than bccome
the bride. the slave. Of the Count III
Pordino"
Her eyes flashed as she spoke, he.
bosom rose and fell IN an excess Ct
emotion. and the delicate but mu5cu.
lar little fingers grasped the handle
OF the knife In a most determined way
Now Dambo. who had been motion
less under the effects OF the mcrciless
blow / had given him. began 20 crawl
away from me. SprinElng TO the win.
dow, which was shaded with heavy
lace curtains. held In festoons by cord.
| tore the cord away, and selling the
Italian, bound him strongly and Sc
curcly aud warning him not TO make
any further attempt % escape. LEFT
him In a heap on the floor.
The din In and around the villa was
now something awful. Sounds Of rifle
shots. cries shrcks. means and curses
reached MS through the doors and win.
dows, and ! rushed cut ON the balcony
To get a peep NJ the scenes OF war be.
low.
More llrhts had been brought Ian.
terms flashed all over the villa grounds
The monastery bells were changing the
midnight alarm. The battle had be-
come a hand.to.hand struggle. the
forces OF the prcfctto ossaying not
only to defend the villa from attack,
but 20 drive the invaders from the
place. and the horde AZ cutthroats un.
der the Count Ill Pordino still hot In
the hunt for Mia Barlott. and what
ever else OF plunGc. they could lay
their hands To.
Backward and forward the clash!ns
groups ran. shouting. shooting. stab
bling. blinded by rage and passion. In
famed by the blood already spilled. dc.
struyIng ne whore they could. fearing
no, death themselves.
O.
Count III Pordiuos bandits were gain-
Ing. md n the military failed To
arrive from Cagliari. all would soon
be up with Mia Earloti and ne.
Apart from the other struggling
combatants. two stalwart men swayed
TO and fro IN n fight 10 the death.
One had worn q mask. and Il had fall
On OF. disclosing the features OF the
Count al PordirC. The other was
Na!lgui. the prefctto Of CaglIari.
They were armed with knives. and
rs they wr!thed and twisted In each
Others grasp. the knives were
plugged first into enc and then into
the other. until IL seemed as u they
surely must drop dead frcl tlcir
wounds
Near these two struggling pr!nci-
pals In the ARRAY stood Brother Mich
acl. the Jesuit. and so silent and cold
was re. amid the boiling and sccihir-
81 the caldron around him. that his
calmucss thrilled mo as IN another
some great deed OF yalur might Go.
Ard Mia saw him. and watched the
silent figure n moment in wonder. so
distinct ard apart from the entire
scene did he seem To be-.
".signor." she whispered See
that silent monk. Is ne not g-andly
calm amid all the horrors around
MIN, Eo a. different from the others.
See how noble and Sill le is.'
Yes" replied In q whispc-.
THAT ls Brother McAa1!-a Jesuit.
lie saved me from the soldiers and
prison guards when I ran away. and
ne saved my life from a wound they
gave mo. have my suspicion that
Brother Michael Is ono when the pre-
fetto tninFs Is doing scryile pcuancc
IN the monastery. Perhaps you lave
heard OF Henry Thcrauc think
,hat Brother Michael Is meme other
tlan hc In the --"
Henry Thor,arc,"
The cry rang cut from Ni;as lips
with wildl css that frightened me.
aud caused the silent monk 20 look
toward as.
Henry Thorlaue," she cried again.
mo. no: Il cannot be Henry Thor.
lane. Henry Thorlanc Is dcaa. He
died when"
She reeled Her hands went up to
her head. With n gasp and moan. she
sank into my arms ard lost all con.
seriousness. ! nurriedly carried her
into the room and placed her on the
led. Water was handy. and bathed
her face with a. When the fight
should be over. would call for liquor
and give II TO her.
| stepped out on the balcony again
10 see how the fight was progressing.
suddcaly the prcfetto and MS murder.
Gus foe. Pordino. relaxed their hold
and fell together.