Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-01

poorer uSuT0 than ne CAEeU IO AuA4I' '
 "Montanari," he said, upon my hon. or there has been no-wrong-only-" "I know that" interrupted the other with passion, "else the signore would not be standing there-alive. Yet, he mistakes-there has been wrong. Ro- setta is spoiled for her own people her simple home. She has become dreamer of dreams. The Mother of | 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 un-, 1 marked. '"The signore is at least a brave man. For one chance of life would he swear to leave Rome?" | And the chance?
 gro cross, by the plank, to the other side of the dome" i 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 fixed across the opening in the dome. They | l dred feet from the marble floor of the church; and this was the bridge he had been invited to traverse. To even i contemplate such passage seemed suicidal.
 Willis glanced down at the lights gIimmering on an altar far below. As l he looked, a procession of priests crossed the nave, their chanting mel l lowed by distance. The sound recalled him to the necessity of action; re- l stored his self-command. Turning, he measured his antagonist with his eye. There was no reassurance in the sight of the tigerish play of those splendid muscles, evident under the light, loose clothing. hand to hand struggle with no weapon but penknife, against that armed and supple strength, could l 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. ..*t
 "This-chance," he said at length, with sarcastic emphasis. "Why do you give it?'' i | Montanari shrugged his shoulders. "There may be many reasons. If 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 it is my fancy; perhaps I may not wish to commit murder" .
 Willis laughed unpleasantly in ap- preciation of the others possible irony.
 Would you consider your hands clean if I should take a header of that board?"
 Montanari ignored the question. .sLet me urge the signore to hasten" he said. Tt grows late. Every mos ment the passage becomes more dif- 1 fcult."
 What guarantee have I that you won't stick your knife under my ribs the moment turn my back?"
 'That is as the signore pleases to think. He has his choice, and he must l take it-now." ...e
 ''I suppose it makes no difference to you whether leave Rome by the reg ular route or by the gate of the Prot estant cemetery?'' r%
 t'That also is as the signore p1eases."
 Willis fingered the knife in his pock- et After all-why not die like a man and not like monkey capering on a tight rope. Yet-he hesitated; life is dear at 23-and there was a chance. 1 So, summoning all his resolution, he made his choice, setting his feet eau 1 tiously upon the narrow pathway where return was impossible. Step I 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 blanks. 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 invol- untarily looked downward. There was an instant singing, in his ears; cloud of blackness- of fire, spread be- l 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 naSL0r LuG VGTLISO threatening him. / .-.
 He heard the chant of the returning priests. It surged into his ears, deaf ening him. Reason departed from his racked brain, and imagination, no longer held in check, rioted., For meas ureless timesahe reeled through space on thread suspended from world to world, the sport of inf1nity. Then at last, froAn the darkness surrounding him, started the affrighted faces of the workmen, looming vague-monstrous through the gloom. Powerful hands seized him as he tottered at the edge of the railing-a creature from whose haunted face even little Rosetta would have shrunk, crossing herself.
 Sheep Shearing in the West.
 Sheep shearing is now done in the west by barber clipper operated by power. It works by means of flexible shaft. The knives or shears can be onnroted as ranid1v as the gearing com