The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-08


 DO you love Masitar' she broke in; If you did not. you would say so. becauseA yonr life aye. and here. too, hangs on. the answer. But you can not" She turned away for . moment. pressing her hands to her bosom as if overcome with emotion. Then she looked round. stay I will put an- other question: shescame up close to me holding my .eyes with hers and laid her left hand on my arm. If you love her.. she began, and, raising her right hand suddenly, struck at me with q stiletto which she had drawn while her back was toward me-, The attempt failed; but only by the narrowest margin; for she took me so completely. by surprise that had no time in which to attempt to save my self. But her left hand had frightened so strenuously upon my arm that my instinctive, start turned her 1.-the body so that the blow. aimed at my heart, went wide and fell between my arm and side. doing no more injury than a rent in the sleeve, f-s
 I caught her wrist before she could raise it again; and as soon as she saw that she had failed. she dropped the dagger. wrenched her hand free. and rushed away. uttering an emotion al cry; but whether of rage against me. dismay at her frenzied act. or re- gret for her failure I know not. I picked up the stiletto, and went into the old fort 5; The. thing had shak : en me up. for I-,haf been very near to death. and when Preached the room ! on the floor above--I, was using that which had been prepared for Masita-- sat down to steady my. nerves and | collect my thoughts. sS
 The result of the avowal had been even worse than I had anticipated. had had half hope that when Molta knew the true cause of the | change in me toward her, she would be reasonable enough to acquft me of the intention to deceive hef. and that some sort of peace would Do patched up.
 But in that I had only kooled my self. She had not believed my story, and her insensate jealousy had blind. ed her to everything except the object of it-Masita. Quixotism lad proved | a bad policy; and in my bitter recog- milton of the fact. was half disposed to regret that I had been fool enough to tell the truth. As 1t was, had con- siderably increased the dangers of my position. x,
 It was true that she could have saved me from Beltano's wrath; while now she would be among the ioudest to demand my death; and she would hound on Giuseppe and-----. But at that moment I recalled what she had said about him and the attack he was planning for that night.
 In the stress of other feelings, I had forgotten that; and forgotten. also that what she had told ne about his having killed Nicino.-- h, quarreling with. her, had thus not only turned her From friend. to enemy, but had also destroyed the means of proving my innocence.
 It was indeed a heavy price to pay for the luxury of telling the truth.
 She would warn him at once of course that she had put me on my guard: and although for that night my life would be safe enough, 1t would mean no more than a postponement, of the danger until some more favorable opportunity offered, or at least until Beltano's return.
 At that my thoughts went back to the idea I had once before entertained to abandon the plan of seeking the proof of Giuseppe's guilt on the Island