Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-18
S

received the by which it is known every intimate
Of the house Of Soareno, The Picture of the Curse
For twenty years the dying command Of the marquis
was scrpuousy obeyed and human foot inruded into
the chamber of the portrait Indeed, earthly induce
could have tempted any the superstitious
bers of the household to brave warning which had been
swiftly and horribly fulfilled before eyes
reserved for the old marquis heir grown to man
hoods estate for second time the awful de-
nuncation attached to the portrait ms mother.
" The Marchesa Helena tells me-" continued the pro-
fessor that against her remonstrance that
brother ventured such step. But young Venceuto
was bold to foolhardiness and being besides free
thinker he especially prded himself
to all terrors not of physical and tangible kind Some
OF his young companions it would started the idea
in his mind by questioning him about the enchanted
portrait as they scofingy called it, partly
sipate the effect their jeers partly and
amabe desire behold the features Of his parent the
young marquis finally his
plore fatal spot Having once fixed his intention no
persuasons the his from
carrying it out He discovered the key by father
ameng some old documents and in the full youth
and health and disappeared through the door
way of the forbidden room
He was for about a quarter oi an hour I hap
pened to be in the palace at the time recently
10 fsa lor long rest from my studies which chiefly
lain as you know in the direction physics chemistry
and the allied sciences Among my introductions hap
pened 10 be one to "a great friend Of Vncento and 1
rapidly became an intimate at the Sofareno palace
Never have witnessed such "a change in any man
as had taken place in my friend staggered
rather than walked where We awaited him
Personally had viewed the legendary terrors Of the pic
ture as the merest fables, and afraid not re-
venture Judge my surprise and CONSERVATION, there
lore, when him creep back looking as If he had
been fatally wounded l asked him what had happened
lie did not reply Taking the hint, withdrew and was
not until after his death that CLEANED from his sister
meager account of what had taken place
Meantime began TO consider that probably the
shock which the young marquis had evidently received
was merely the result of NV theory was.
A young man Of sangune temperament goes into room
invested with the most appalling traditions TO view a DOR
uall OF ms mother, who, he had heard. suffered
Snoohlns ana ghasty death He enters high state
OF excitement and likely, object that meets his
which hangs portrait into expression the artist
has concentrated all of fTightul all Of oatbsome an ~
satanic that his art possessed. nervous sbudTar rims
through him. He mistakes this natural trembling for
some occult visitation Latent superstition lends IFS aid
and he finally issues from apartment deanl, con
WINGED that he is morally stricken by some invisible
power.
Reasoning thus tried TO persuade the rnarcbesa IN
take the same view of her brothers case She was NOT
unk persuaded by but she thought her duty to
adopt any course that afforded least hope and she
told her his experiences.
So When Went into that room | thought exactly as
you and the professor do expected to find some such
skuu ana cross bones arrangement therefore II had
seen H. II would not have startled Lease Instead
ol that saw at one end of the heap Of
furniture and pictures while the opposite wall was the
only picture hung in the exqusitely painted
portrait OF young and beautiful woman richly dressed
and adorned with gems and in feature bearing an un-
mstakable likeness TO yourself / down in a chair
facing the picture and fixed my eyes steadily upon il
Presently felt something like sharp pang my heart
and by degrees dreadful feeling Of sickness cep over me-