The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1905-08-24
But Mia did.

But Mia did.
Uttering a cry, she clutchsd my
arm.
"You are LOST" she cried, "and so
am 1! You did not tell me you killed
hint"
"Eh?" I replied, still half dazed
bv the blow l had received.
"They say Maligni is dead from the
stab you gave him!"
"Maligni dead!" I yelled. IT saw
Maligni alive not ten minutes ago! I
didn't kill anyoody!"
"Maligni Is dead" she said. "Now,
what will become Of us? Oh, Maubi.
keck, come back from the sea! Come
back, Maubikeck, from your grave
beneath the waters and carry me
away! Maubikeck! Maubikeck!"
Even as she was crying thus nys.
terically, the girl was seized by two
men, and started back to the house.
And had l been a perfect Hercules
| could not have handled the men
who grabbed my arms, neck and even
my legs and pushed me toward the
villa.
My fair fellow-prisoner and I were
conducted into a large room-a
library-in which sat a stern, cold.
faced man, whose black eyes burned
with rage and whose mouth set in
ironlike firmness when we were
brought before him,
THE prefetto!" murmured Nita,
looking at me.
l was in the presence of the gov
ernor of the Province Of Cagliari.
whose house l had invaded.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, "it Is you who
have entered the house Of the gov.
ernor Of Cagliari and murdered his
brother in cold blood! You! You
cur! You mean dog! And an Amer.
lean, are you not?"
Il am not a murderer" I replied.
81 did not kill your brother. I did not
injure him. When I left the balcony
Of your villa with this young lady,
your brother was alive and WE'LL"
you are a liar as well as a muir
derer," said the prefetto. Il will show
you! I will give you a taste of Sar.
dinian justice!"
1T is a lie!" I exclaimed, vehement.
ly. "A foul lie! If your brother Is
murdered, it was not by my hand! 1
am an American citizen, and I de-
mand a fair and just trial."
A. cold sneer came upon his face,
and he spoke to some Of his men in
their own dialect.
Then l was rudely jostled and led
along a hall and up a broad fight Of
stairs. Turning to the right from
these, l was taken into the very room
from which l had taken the locket,
the pin and the manuscript.
On the floor, near the entrance, lay
Pacho Maligni, dead, a gaping wound
in his throat, and his body convulsed
as if in the last struggle. l glanced
hastily around. The contents of the
room were undisturbed, with one
important exception-the red box,
which / had left on the table, was
gone.
8" did not kill him." I said, point.
ing to the dead Snowman. 81 know
nothing about his death. My object
in coming here was to carry Nita
Barlotti away-to get her out Of his
clutches-for she loves a friend Of
mine, in whose service I was acting.
I looked in at your brothers window,
and saw him sitting at the table. He
got up from his chair and went out
that door. Then I fled with the girl.
You know as much as I do about
what took place here after l left"
He repeated my words to the
guards. They laughed in a bitter,
%sneering way.
l had not mentioned the fact that I
had entered Pacho Maligni's room and
taken the paper and golden trinkets
for in that moment Of great anxiety
my thoughts came swiftly, and I
OWNED that the elder Maligni had no
knowledge Of the existence Of the red
box or its contents.
l did not see Nita Barlotti again
that night. She was doubtless con
fined somewhere in the villa. I was
conducted to a strongly guarded
chamber, where, with armed Sar-
dinians around me, l spent a memoir
able and uncomfortable night.
(To be continued.)