The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-11-18
FARMvILLE, VA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 49, 1904.

] lIN lUiNnfhN Nir olAtANs
Gradually the wheel slowed down.
and the ball was about TO settle in its
customary click. Gamblers leaned over
the table to see the result OF their bets.
The slowly rolling sphere was just
dropping into No. l2i No. it has set
tied I'm tho adjoining compartment
"Vlnght-huit. noir Gagnc,' calls ont
the croupler with shrill monotony. and
the shining heaps are distributed to the
winners
And madame has LOST" exclaimed
the stupid baron. in surprise.
The Woman I'm Red made no reply,
but stood up and with an imperious
motion not 10 follow. walked steadily
from the sale de jeu. a vivid Bit Of
color under the glittering lights of the
splendid apartment
Eearly the next morning she was
found lying on the marble steps Of the
/ Casino. dead I'm hev scarlet dress. The
stain trailing along the snowy marble
had been scarlet. too. but was now
turning 10 a reddish brown. In one
fine. strong hand was tightly clutched
folded note. The servants and peO-
pie who gathered IN trembling awe
sent for the priest Of the church Of
Sainte Devote TO read t. lie came
quickly, painting a little for breath.
Taking the paper from the fingers of
the dead woman. he glanced over fl
neryously, while the people looked on
in breathless silence. II was written
in French.
Il will read H." the priest said slow
~. and he translated the writing in
trembling tones:
81 have taken my own life-let that
pass. Let no one lift the mask from
my face but the priest Of the church
Of Sainte Devote, and pray him. when
he knows my secret. to say mass for
my soul. BY all that is holy. respect
these words"
As his solemn voice ceased. those
crowding about shuddered and fell
back in nameless fear They at once
carried the body of the woman to where
she had lodged. the early morning sun
cleaning strangely on her scarlet gar
ments and yellow hair. The priest en-
tered the house and closed the door
upon the crowd.
When he again emerged. he was
hardly recognizable. His face, deadly
white, twitchcd and quiyered spasmodi-
cally. his eyes protruded and rolled
wildly from side to side and his lips
we're parted i'm an awful. unholy smile
His trembling hands could scarcely
hold the crucifx. To those who spoke
to- him he made no answer-he did not
seem to hear
They buried the woman that evening
at sunset. among the nameless graves
on the Hill behind Monte Carlo. as
speedily as POSSIBLE When the grim
grotesque companion Of the dead was
asked II any one should be sent for
the only answer she would give was:
"Oh. the devil. the devil. the devil
How should I know
The priest from the church of Saint'
Devote mumbed the service rapidly
and indistinGly over the grave, witt
one shaking hand raised in a defensive
attitude. as though 10 nanish something
or still the quaking terror that shooi
him from head TO foot When th'
ritual was ended he turned to thu
dense crowd which no secrecy or wore
Of authority had been able 10 keel
away. and said so sternly and distinct
, lv that his voice echoed I'm the silence
"Whosoever as much as dares Il
touch this grave. upon him pronounc'
the everlasting curse Of the Holl
Church of Rome,"
Down the slOping hillside, back Il
/ the town he led the procession, all th'
way shaking like a leaf When the!
came again to the narrow streets h
suddenly stopped trembling and begai
10 laugh. and at the sound Of sucl
laughter the people stumbled over eacl
other in their anxiety to get away
The commissaire special and the ad
mlnistration acted promptly and will
energy. There was an extra concer
, that very night. a grand ball on tha
succeeding. followed by a comic opera
At Monte Carlo Il will not do to en-
courage reminiscence. And so, by an
by. people stopped thinking, and be
can TO talk Of other things. The oh
count and the stupid baron wer
among the first to drop the subject
r. Ruf when TO the mad priest I'm HIS eel
o there came continually the deep boom
e boom OF the sea. the cry Of the gul
Z and the chimes Of the church where h
7 should never more say mass, h
u laughed. and laughed, and laughe ed
. though he could not remember why!