The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-08

mountain, darkness comes also and a
| binding mist cold with the chill OF
melted snow, descends upon them, and
enveloping them with fIeecy sheen
the rocks and lichens about the path
are shrouded from their gaze.
They are above the timber line and
the great bare granite blocks bruise
| Marina's tender feet as they stumble
among them.
The girl lays her hand upon her COM
panion's arm. I'VE may reach the
summit before darkness she pants
out of breath, but the dizzy descent
/ on the other side is impossible without
daylight.
II remember."S answers Burton. 81
have passed down it hunting mOufflOn.'
Then he takes off his hunting coat
and places it carefully over the del
icate shoulders of his fragile compan-
| on. already shivering in her light
summer garment under the icy mist
about her Il am thinking of some
shelter for you, for we must pass the
night upon the mountain" he says
tenderly; then asks anxiously: DO
you know one?"
Yes" she replies, her teeth chat
| tering, IF We can reach it in this storm
| The little chalet where poor old To-
maSso sometimes took me when he
brought me here as a child to pluck
the flowers of the mountain"
With this she turns abruptly to the
| left, and Barnes following her, they
| struggle UP a couloir filled with mas
sive boulders, but nearing the summit
the mist becomes colder, the wind
sharper and the gloom more deep. Sur
rounded. as they are, by frightful pre-
! cipices, this is appalling.
I've lost my way" falters Marina
L. Eog hut
ment after she cries: "Ah, see the
granite cliff Follow it's wall! The
cabin is beneath it. But bewarei be-
yond the cabin there is a very deep
crevise."
| The wind bowls about them. The
night is even blacker, but keeping the
sheen of the cliff, close at his left
Barnes stumbles over the granite slabs
almost carrying the exhausted girl. FL
nally. compelled by the bowling of the
wind he calls into her ear: "Couragel
I see the hut. Thank God, someone
| has a fire inside of it"
Perhaps it is made by the awful
| bandits, the Rochini and Romano, who
murder so many poor travellers" shud-
ders Marina.
But, undeterred by this, using the
| light as a beacon, her escort rapidly
| approaches the open door of the little
cabin, from which issues a cheerful
CLEAN.
Suddenly they pause for a deep tone
issues threateningly from it's interior:
"Hola. if you are gendarmes, beware
of mel"
"Madre mia" gasps Marina, with a
low scream, that voice" Her eyes roll
in her head.
Bandit or no bandit, you shall give
us warmth and shelterv' calls Barnes
in answer. Then he, too, stands
astounded, as from the rough door
strides d man, and outlined by the
Pickering blazes and surrounded by the
mists of the mountains is a face that
makes Marina tremble and shrink:
Holy Mother of God, a ghostr
For it is the countenance of her fos-
ter father. old TOmassO Monaldi. whom
everyone had thought dead from the
night of her wedding.
But now the goblin recognizes her; it
cries: Marina daughter of my
heart, you have come to succor your
poor old hunted down Tomasso," and
sinking on his knees, it catches the
half faintins girls hand, and kisses it
reverently.
You, alive, dear old Tomasso? I'm
possible!' half shudders, half sobs the
girl. sinking down beside the spirit and
looking into his deep dark eyes that
CLEAN so lovingly upon her.
Two weeks ago, on the morning of
the tragedy, De BellOcs soldiers report
ed to that officer in my presence that
they had killed you," says Barnes, i'm
pressively.
"Bahw sneers the ghost; "the ser
geant, 1 suppose. told his officer they
shot me. The soldiers fired. 1t was
easier for me TO fall down behind a
granite boulder than stand up and let
them shoot again, though it was the
darkness of the early morning. Then
came up on the mountain here, and,
fearing the soldiers would again pur-
sue me, I have been a hermit, descend
ing at night II the lower valleys to
garner chickens and steal sheep"
Holy smoke" grins the American
here's the fellow for whose death they
have vendettaed me, alive and talk
ingi'