Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-04-30
CHAPTER xvll.-continued.

CHAPTER xVll.-Continued
mo; life--life and love! and death
to those who stand between me and
her! The torch to the lone orange
tree in the center of the lawn-you
placed the fuse-when l give the sig
nal to you, light it."
"He will be blown to atoms?"
screams the girl.
Certainly, then you are free to
marry me and can say your prayers
with good conscience!" laughs the
count
MY uncle, / am bound to your
orders by the oath of the vendetta and
thy promise to pay my gambling debts
and make me rich again." said the
young man. Enrico passes from the
verandah and Marina sees the flame
of the torch moving to the orange tree
She raises her voice and shrieks with
all her force: Edwin, my husband,
you have only a minute to save your
life. In some way descend from the
tower! They are going to blow it up"
And cry comes to her: my wife,
impossible!"
And over it are frantic curses from
the American detective, and the voice
of old Tomasso, croning: 1T is the
will of the Dewitt
Marina shouts: Il can only give you
life by being this devil's!"
The answer of the young sailor
comes, calm as the voice of an English
officer should be facing death: Not
at that price, darling! Don't think of
mel"
Then the tortured girl begins to
wiring her hands and sob as she sees
the men in the tower struggling to
break out, struggling as men in the
turret of sinking battleship. The
face she adores is before her in it's
death agony-the weird music from
the sea comes family to her, telling of
woman's devotion, for the barbaric
ballads have been selected with UNI
canny subtlety For one dread mo-
ment, Marina wildly thinks: I'll save
my Edwin's life-then I'll keep myself
from this crafty fiend by death in the
waves from off the vessel on which he
bears me away" But the thought
shoots through her: my dear hus-
band will believe am faithless and
dishonored wife!"
To Cipriano, who is triumphantly
murmuring: II see, by your bushes.
you're mine!" she shouts: 'Never!"
and desperately would run to the base
of the tower and die with her hus-
band.
But the arms of Danella encircle
her, holding her firm as bands of
steel Infiamed by the propinquity of
her loneliness, the contact of the per-
feet figure he clasps, the subtle per-
fume of her waving hair that losses
in tresses about, Cipriano is whisper
ing: You have still time Anstruther
may yet live, have not given the sig
nal Be mine! But one long, sweet kiss
to prove it."
and never dare to look on the face
of any true man or woman? No, no."
Frantically she has broken from his
arms; she is running towards the
torch, desperately hoping to snatch it
from the hands of the satyr holding it
I6duy ~ Apply IL " tue luc
Aftei one unsuccessful step to over
take haer swift feet, Danella cries saw
agely: Fire the mine!"
Enrico, the fuse in one hand, the
tlaziag orch in the other. is applying
the aame to it.
There is sharp Whit of the still
night air like the faint snap OF dis
tant whip and the man with the scar
fal,a, as If struck from Heaven.
"Diayolo, what mystery is this? My
self to light the fuse!" cries Cipriano,
and runs to the fiambeau tiaring on
the ground.
But Marina, her eyes baneful with
agony, mutters: Il am Corsican,"
and as he picks up the torch. the des-
perate girl seizes him with her deli
cate hands and struggles with him
frantically.
But her slight strength is naught to
that OF his wiry frame. Daneila picks
MP the torch. Take your choice, he