The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-04

ocean, had been living in Italy, had l built up for myself a new character 1 as a member of some band and had
 woood and won the love of the woman career was that of a Sicilian desperado l and scoundrel
 | The reference which touched inc most l closely at that moment was the men, | tion of the woman to whom was said | to be affianced. and this. was due to my
 newly aroused feelings for the beauti-
 ful girl who thus told me of her. But was soon sufficiently master of 1 myself to be able to answer calmly. I "I have already told you the worst of | my purpose in regard to you. It is to
 help you. All I ask is that you put me I to the test. You beiseve that you are in some danger ftom the man you have I mentioned Carlo Beltano? You are in none from me Do you wish to leave I here?v
 l But at this professed desire to assist l her her face hardened You have l some secret scheme against me. Some | ambush into which you would lead me- I know you too well to trust myself to l you."
 l Your words leave me doubt that you | believe you have reason to distrust me. l It must be as you will But you are free to leave here; and if can help you to safety, I declare to you on my | l T do not believe you. stand away 1 from the door and let me pass, If you | are not lying to me"
 l I went at once to the other end of | the room. She picked up the dagger l from the bed and then took the lamp. I keeping her eyes on me the whole time
 as she went slowly to the door. let her go and made no effort to follow her down the riekeIy stairway. | heard her move along from the stairs l to the door and try to open It. She 1 failed and then called me. You have l the key of this. Throw # down" T have no key I replied. l .Yet 1t is locked. You are deceiving I me"
 l T have not locked it. know noth- i ing of it. If you wish. will break 1t l open for you. I am not deceiving you"
 She made no reply. and I heard her 1 enter the room where the dead man l lay. The next instant she screamed;. :. 1 and knew she had seen the body. l I ran down then She was standing 1 by the side of the body with the lamp l in her hand; her face was as white as | salt, and she was trembling so violent l ly that I feared the lamp would fall from her hand.
 l "This is your work then." she cried.
 %You are a murdered. You have mur- l dered Signor Vicino. Your knife has l blood upon the blade"
 1 I had no answer. could not deny 1 the charge. I did not know. She I paused as if expecting a deniai anu 1 when I held my tongue, she shuddered and flung the knife from her, as If 1t | were a thing accursed. Placing the lamp on the table, she fell back against | the wall and stared at me, her hands l pressed against her iabouring bosom.
 You sent me down that l should see | this," she murmured In low tone. 1 T know nothing of 1t. can neither l deny nor admit it," I answered. l met her eyes; and for moment we l looked at one another across the dim | Iy lighted squalid room in silence. 1 was abashed and pained that | could l not clear myself of the deed of which shs believed me guilty. and I winced and covered before the loathing her face expressed for me--the assassin. i She broke the tense silence at length. T see your purpose now" she said, her voice low deliberate. and as hard l as steel with hatred and resolve. You
 offer me my liberty as the price of my | silence about this. Such an offer IS an offence to me. Do with me as you | will. Kill me, too, if you dare. Add l another deed of blood to the foul work | of this night; but do not dream that you can make me partner in your I crime. Listen to me. On my knees I | swear to the Holy Virgin that the first | use I make of my liberty shall be to l denounce you for the murderer you l arer' and she fell on her knees and 1 uttered the vow with impassioned fer your, raising her hands on high as If to invoke the wrath of Heaven upon | me. Then she rose and faced me. her hands clenched. every muscle tense, 1 features and gestures alike instinct
 with defiance. as if expecting that
 should at once answer her threat wtrn
 an attempt on her life.
 More splendid courage than she
 showed in this daring avowal of the
 use she would make of her liberty if I let her go, had never witnessed. l She was entirely in my power; she had l cast away the weapon had placed in | her hands; she felt that 1t was her life or mine: she was convinced that my hands were red with blood I had just shed; and that was hend enough to shed hers in self-defence. And yet she 1 threatened me and set me at defiance l in this way. Small wonder that while every pulse 1 in my body quickened with admiration | for her, I burned with the desire to be l able to right myself in her eyes, to show that was no longer the wretch
 she held me to be. to quench her fierce | hatred, and to prove myself worthy of her confidence.
 I could not trust myself to speak. l ana WlLl a QScp 6lBu tuEhSu away | and went to the door to open it. But
 1t resisted my efforts and l returned | to the room.
 q cannot open it," I said bluntly
 T will force the window"
 l She could not even then believe l
 was sincere. You mean you will let
 me go?" she asked. I made no reply
 q shall keep my vow" she added.
 DO as you will. Send whom you
 will here: will await their coming;"
 and with that laid my hand to the shutter of the window and began Io | tear 1t down.
 Just as was succeeding there came | a loud knocking at the door ana d vioce called: "Beppo! Open! Open"
 'It is Beltano," she said in low
 voice.
 you fear him?" asked, seeing that
 her cheek paled. The voice of two or | three men in consultation reached us.
 and the knocking at the door was re- peated.
 "Is there any other way out of the | house? Any windows at the back?"
 l asked quickly.
 She shook her. head. 'I am lost" l she murmured. Continued Tomorrow.