The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-25
SAM ITALIAN REPRlSALo


Willis cried. What's the use of bandy-
! ing words?"
he mad opened the little penknife in
ms pocket. resolved that his adversary
should not go unmarked.
Inc slgnore is al least brave man.
FOR one chance of life would he swear
to leave Romeo"
AND the chance?"
To 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 fix
ed across the opening in the dome.
!hey spanned an aperture 300 feet
from the marble floor of the church:
and this was the bridge he had been
invited TO traverse. To even contem-
plate such passage seemed suicidal
Wills glanced down at the lights
sIimmering on an altar far below. AS
ne looked procession of priests cross
cd the nave. their chanting mellowed
oy distance. The sound recalled him
TO the necessity of action, restored his
self-command
turning. he measured his antagonist
Win his eye. There was no reaSsur-
ance In the sight of the tigerish play
OF thoSe splendid muscles evident un-
der The light, loose clothing. hand to
nand struggle with no weapon but a
penknife against that armed and supple
strength could end in only one way
10 appeal to the workmen would be
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. If L
Killed the signore he would not suf-
FER. but to cross the dome so--even if
one arrives safely at the other side
The pause was sufficiently eloauent
Then he continued: Perhaps it is my
fancy; perhaps 1 may not wish to COM
nit murder"
Willis laughed unpleasantly in ap-
preclation of the others possible irony.
cream II L should take a header off that
board?"
Montanari ignored the question.
Let me urge the Signore to hasten"
he said. 1T grows late. Every mo-
ment the passage becomes more diff
cult"
What guarantee have l 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
| take it-now."
Il suppose it makes no difference to
you whether l leave Rome by the regu-
lar route or by the gate of the Protes-
tant cemetery"
That also is as the signore pleases"
Wills fingered the knife in his
pocket After all-why not die like a
| man. and not like a monkey capering
on tight rope? Yet-he hesitated;
NE Is dear-and there was a chance.
| SO, summoning all his resolution he
made his choice. setting his feet eau
tiousiy upon the narrow pathway
stepping carefully, yet firmly he
was surprised 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 ad-
Vanced nearly to the middle of the
planks. There they were roughly wired
together and with his weight they be-
gan to bend.
Feeling the support give under his
| feet, he involuntarily looked downward.
There was an instant singing in his
ears; a cloud of blackness-then a fire,
\ spread before his eyes; an icy sweat
/ started from every pore; his very soul
| seemed Wrenching itself from his body.
BY great effort of will he stopped,
| closing his eyes and striving 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
| racked brain. and his 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.
But still he crept onward, until at
| last. from 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 on the other side-a crea-
| ture from whose haunted face even
| little Rosetta would have shrunk.-Il-
| lustrated Bits.