The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-08
THE EVENING STORY
A Daughter OF vesuvius.
(By Pierce Vincent.)

| that Zabetta Gemella bought at An
| tonic Mordo's shop in Naples, a very
| tiny plaything of a stiletto; but, as
every Italian knows, the heart lies
barely two inches below the surface,
and a blade that will reach that dis
lance is long enough for all practical
purposes.
On the crucifix handle of this par
| ticular stiletto Zabetta had sworn that
| it should drink the blood of either
| Caesar Pine of his betrothed, Maria
Vincente.
They were a very ancient family;
esca ped from the eruption that over
who lined Pompeii. and another had
| been mummified at Herculaneum.
| The race had a certain fierce studf-
ness, inherited from sone lava-born
| forefather before Romulus.
They also had an unpleasant medic
val habit of keeping their oaths, re-
CARELESS of consequences, as family
traditions and court records bore wit
ness. They took life seriously, All
Dio, as many had found to their cost
So, when people heard that Caesar
Pine had thrown over Zabetta Gem
ella for Mario Vincente they shook
| their heads. Zabetta herself went
| home, dry-lipped and f1ery-eyed, and
at midnight swore the sibyIline blood
oath, a strange and terrible curse In
crone, her grandmother.
Zabetta dwelt in the outskirts OF
Boscotrase on the slopes nearest
Vesuvius. Her first view at dawn
from her little attic was of the purple
plume and mighty shoulders of the
great volcano heaved against the sky.
| and her last glimpse at night was of
| the same plume streaming wildly
across the sunset. She knew the
mountain in all its moods. and from
| it's nature shaped her own. Its heart
| of fire was no wilder than that within
| her breast.
Caesar Pine belonged to the aristoc-
racy of Boscotrase. His olive trees
were the best in the place; and did
not the choicest Lachryma Christi
come from his grapes grown on the
scoriae of Vesuvius? Caesar was dark
and handsome, fine singer and dane
er, hard worker, a good fellow all
| round. All the girls in the village
were in love with him.
Handsome Caesar fell in love with
| handsomer Zabetta. True, her family
was poor. But what difference did
! that make? Caesar had enough for
| both. Their betrothal soon followed
| Nobody could deny that that made a
| fine looking pair To be sure, some
| families whose daughter would not
have objected to occupying Zabetta' s
| place limited privately at the record
l
| openly, remembering that same rec
| ord.
All went we'll, until Maria vincente
| came to Boscotrase. Then Caesars
affection for Zabetta cooled. Not that
| Maria deliberately did anything to
tempt the young man away. But it
| soon became known through the town
| that Caesar and his sweetheart had
| quarreled; next, that he was betrothed
| to Maria.
Then, indeed, people shook their
| heads; and some said, Poor Zabettai"
| But others, who knew her family's
record better, said: Poor Caesar!"
| And everybody waited to see what
| would happen.
| 1t was the next day after the break
that Zabetta bought the dagger. The
| Gemellas always acted promptly. But
| she found it difficult to decide whose
| blood the sharp point should drink.
| Sometim she felt it would be Caes-
ar's, sometimes Maria's. and on one
| black day, when the two passed her
/ arm in arm, she determined that it
4 should be both; and she had hard
work to restrain herself from putting
4 the sentence into immediate execu-
| ton.
For generations vesuvius, mutter-
| ing and grumbling. had looked down
| on the presumptuous vineyards and
| olive groves, boldly pressing nearer the
| region where it had decreed no living
| thing should grow. Unheeded it had
| given warning after warning, like a
cross old man who is continually max
| ing threats, but whom no one takes at
| his word.
At last the giant that dwelt in the
mountains fiery heart decided that it
| was time to teach the forgetful race
of men one lesson more. So pouf! he
| blew off the cone, and descended in
streams of lava and sheets of ashes
49, L.
| fers. For a time its citizens hoped
| they might escape with a shower of
| stones and cinders. But one night
the scarlet ribbons that had been
| trickling Like rivers or blood down
the rough slopes turned toward the
village. The image of the saint fail
ed to check their flow; flight was
the only resource.
In a few hours Caesar had seen
his vineyard and olive grove damaged
| beyond hope of reparation in his own
lifetime. From a wealthy man he
had become poor. Although he did
not notice it, Maria's affection had
cooled perceptibly from the moment
| when she realized that ner loved was
| now no richer than his fellows.
Zabetta was gloomingly preparing
to flee from her home at the coming
of the lava. To her whether she es-
| capped or not mattered very little
The cataclysm without found a re-
/ sponsive echo in her heart, fiery
scorched and blasted.
| With a small bundle of her belong
ings she was hurrying along the street
amid the ashes and falling stones
| when pale-faced shrieking figure
rushed past her.
Zabetta's hand involuntarily sought
her bosom where lurked the stiletto
She was alone with her hated rival. In
that fearful semi midnight who would
know if she slew Maria?
The other shrank back. seeing her
stern face, and guessing the import OF
her bOsomed hand.
where is Caesar?" grinily cues
| toned Zabetta. Maria covered away
81 left him at his house a little
| while ago. The lava was coming. AS
| he entered to get a bundle tho uoI1e