River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-09-10

/ L KNOW InaL, interrupted Luo oIAAOA
with passion, "else the signore would
not be standing there-alive. Yet, he
mistakes-there has been wrong. 10
setta is spoiled for her own people
| her simple home She has becoms a
dreamer of dreams. The Mother III
God knows how it will all end"
well, what are you going to do?"
Willis cried. Whats the use of ban
dying words?" He had opened the
little penknife in his pocket, resolved
that his adversary should not go I'M
marked.
1.-THE signore is at least a brave
man. For one chance of life would he
swear to leave Rome?"
"And the chance?"
ITO cross, by the plank, to the other
side of the dome"
In spite of himself the young man
drew back. A sudden paralyZing FEAR
came over him. Two boards had been
tied together by the workmen and liked
across the opening in the dome. They
spanned an aperture nearly three num-
dred feet from the marble floor OF the
| church; and this was the bridge he
had been invited to traverse. To even
contemplate such passage seemed
| suicidal.
Willis glanced down at the lights
glimmering on an altar far below. AS
he looked, procession of priests
crossed the nave, their chanting mel
| lowed by distance. The sound recalled
him to the necessity of action; re-
stored his self-command. Turning, he
measured his antagonist with his eye
There was no reinsurance in the sight
of the tigerish play of those splendid
muscles, evident under the light, loose
! clothing. A hand to hand struggle
with no weapon but penknife, against
! that armed and supple strength, could
end in only one way. To appeal to the
workmen would be equally useless.
Montanari would be upon him at the
first call for help.
"This-chance," he said at length,
with sarcastic emphasis. why do you
give it?"
Montanari shrugged his shoulders.
There may be many reasons. 1t l
killed the signore he would not suffer;
but to cross the dome so-even If one
arrives safely at the other side"
The pause was sufficiently eloquent.
| Then he continued: Perhaps 1t is my
fancy; perhaps l may not wish to
commit murder"
Willis laughed unpleasantly in ap-
probation of the others possible
irony
Would you consider your hands clean
board?"
Montanari ignored the question
F"Let me urge the signore to hasten, y
he said cit grows late. Every mo-
ment the passage becomes more diff
ficult."
What guarantee have I that you
won't stick your knife under my ribs
the moment 1 turn my back?"
'"That is as the signore pleases to
think. He has his choice, and he must
take it-now."
ST suppose it makes no difference to
you whether l leave Rome by the reg
ular route or by the gate of the Prot
! eSCanC cemetery.
THAT also is as the signore pleases."
| Willis fingered the knife in his pock-
| ct After all-why not die like man
and not like a monkey capering on a
tight rope. Yet-he hesitated; life is
dear at 23-and there was a chance
| So, summoning all his resolution, he
made his choice, setting his feet eau
4 I'll he /,
where return was impossible. Step
ping carefully, yet firmly, he was sur
prised at the clearness of his head, the
| evenness of his heart beats. He could
| not have been more at ease crossing
| the floor below. Thus he advanced
nearly to the middle Of the planks.
There they were roughly wired to-
gether, and with the weight of his
body they began to sag. Feeling the
support give under his feet, he invoI-
unfairly looked downward. There was
an instant singing in his ears; cloud
| of blackness-then of fire, spread be-
| fore his eyes; an icy sweat started
from every pore; his very soul seemed
wrenching itself from his body By
| an effort of will almost superhuman.
he stopped, closing his eyes and striv-
ing to master the vertigo threatening
| him.
He heard the chant of the returning
priests. 1t surged into his ears, deaf
ening him. Reason departed from his
xacked brain, and imagination, no
| longer held in check, rioted. For meas
ureless time he reeled through space
on a thread suspended from world to
world, the sport of infinity. Then at
/ last. from the darkness surrounding
him, started the affrighted faces of the
workmen, looming recommendations
through the gloom. Powerful hands
seized him as he tottered at the edge
of the railing-a creature from whose
haunted lace even little Rosetta would
have shrunk, crossing herself.
Twas Ever Thus.
Husband lin an aside To his wifel-Tf