The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-05
MIRIAM, CRASHING DoNEElloS RANb CONvULSvEiH,
 cASprD. M GOD. 2 !. MkET ler MS 2

exclaimed Miriam. "Oh. have pity on me, Donatello! Follow me no further. Leave me to my doom. Dear friend. kind. simple, loving friend. make me not more wretched by the remembrance of having thrown spring of your Iifer SE't
 Not follow your" said Dontelio. soothed from anger to sorrow. Not follow you? What other path have IT"
 we will talk of it again to- morrow" said Miriam. 'only leave me now"
 As soon as his form disappeared the stranger approached. What will he the end of this persecution?" demand ed she
 There can be but one result. You must throw of your present mask and assume another. You must vanish out of the scene; leave Rome with me and leave no trace behind. We have a destiny which we must needs AIlnlI together l. too have struggled to escape it. And what was the result? Our strange encounter in the bowels of the earth"
 Then" said Miriam calmly. q fore see fne end. It will be death
 Your own death. Miriam, or miner he asked, looking hxedly at her.
 DO you imagine me a murderess." said she shuddering. You. at least have no right to think SO.
 yet" rejoined he. with a glance of dark meaning, men have said that this white hand once had criminal stain" He took her hand and held it up to the waning light as if to see.
 "Jt had no stain cried Miriam. snatching it away. "till you srasped it In your own"
 Slowly they moved along, Miriam be- seechinG him. first calmly. then pas sionately and wildly, to leave her free. At last her agony of mind reached a pitch where she suddenly sank down on the steps of a fountain, and. under pretense of washing her hands, sup plicated her evil shadow on her knees.
 In this attitude Kenyon and Hilda, strolling through the park. beheld her. and they were not deceived by the nretence. They watched in sorrow, wondering what evil spell bound these two together. until the model walked slowly away. leaving Miriam to turn homeward with her eyes bent heavily to the ground.
 The next day there was gathering in the studio of a fellow artist. and Kenyon, Hllda and Donatello together examined 8 portfolio that contained an cient sketches, many of them mace oS great masters One in special was eS- teamed a prize, for It contalneu WHa' u,as belieyed to be Guido's original de- sIpn for his picture of the ArchanEel Michael, setting his foot on the demon
 .'rhis is a far more striking demon than inc one on the finished picture cried Kenyon. and l have seen that facet Upon my word, l nave seen ' somewhere on the shoulders or h'inE nanF' .,.t.norad ponatello. hinginG the sketeh Afo"' him with a shudder or dseo |, no TJilda and Kenyon stared at u ps- ,,iidered Had Guido In an enort to sanrsasnt the utmost of sin and misery hit Ideally on this face? Or was It ar actual portraIt of somebody who hAo haunted the old master as Miriam wa haunted now? Did the ominous snaaoM SolIow him all through the suhshlns aS hts aarIv career and Into the gloom sbat gathered about its close? Anu when Guido died. did the spectre per | take himself to the sepulchre' thsrs | to await a new victim till It was "A' riam's ul-hap to encounter himt whatever dark fate had brought mn to wander though the modern uay " hour bad struck. Even while the thre' xvera IookinR at the picture that wa' so stranrely like him. his end wa' Srawing near-unEuessed not onIy nN | himseIf hut unguessed by the very | ones al whose hands 1t was to come There fell q night of rare moonllgh' an Rome Immediately a band or art | ists arranged a visit to the Coliseum | and other great ruins. and the tou' friends were of the party, Long thel l wandered from hallowed place to hal