El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-09
BY CASTOR Dumourier.

was in pretty old village ceme-
( terry that l heard this story. The
- grave digger mad been working
some distance from where l stood, but
| he noticed the interest with which I
looked at a white marble column with
the plain inscription: Blanca Morelli,
, IL years old,"-so he came over to me.
Il never saw a more beautiful girl"
he said. Great dark eyes, complexion
like blood and ivory and lips made to
kiss. Her only relatives were an uncle
and aun+, and their son, whom they
wanted her to marry, but whom she
lo;ithed.
Il should probably never haze
learned anything about the family life
of sucn high and mighty people as these
but for the fact that 1 had a nephew
who was the handsomest fellow the sun
ever shone on. He was as fair as
Signorina Morelli was dark, his eyes
were blue as violets and his hair like
spun gold and the two young people
fell in love with each other at first
sight.
My nephew, Reginald, whom we al
ways called Rex, was the organist of
the church and the young lady joined
the choir.
The cousin to whom the signorina
was to be engaged used to accompany
her to church every day. He was evil
IDENTIFY very much in love with her,
though some people said he cared only
for her money. He was as jealous as
Turk and if looks could have killed.
Rex would have dropped dead on the
spot, but neither Rex nor Blanca minded
nis angry looks.
tOne day Rex hurried to the church
to practice the music for the following
Sunday, but it was a different kind of
music he was called to play that Sun
day, for the next day 1 rang the church
bells for the death of Blanca MOrelli,
who had been found dead when her
maid came to call her in the morning.
This was a Friday and the funeral was
set for the next Sunday and there was
much talk among the people because Oh
the sudden death.
'I'oor Rex said nothing. He seemed
to lave been turned into stone, but he
played at the funeral as no one ever
heard him play before, and though l
did not let him get near the big ma
! hogany coffin, I allowed MIN to help
! NE lower it into the grave and he
threw a big bouquet of red roses on
| il Just before 1 began to fill in the dirt.
1T was late in the evening, and L
was Just about ready to go to bed,
when Rex came rushing into my room,
all excited and as pale as a ghost.
blanca is not dead, uncle he cried.
| Look at this-read,' and he handed me
| q slip of paper upon which was writ
ten: Rex, darling. if 1 die or seem to
die, do not believe it. See that L am
! taken from my coffin within II hours
after my burial and everything will be
all right I know you will not fail
| goodbye. Blanca.
It read these lines over several times
before 1 understood their meaning, but
when 1 did, 1 saw we had no time TO
| lose.
/ leone with me, Rex. 1 said 1t
is almost u o'clock and pitch dark out
| side
u found a small lantern and mo-
| ment later we sneaked into the ceme-
| terry, carrying a pick and spade In
! less than half an hour we had removed
the body from the coffin, wrapped it
| in a lug and Rex was carrying it nome.
1T was the most ghostly job 1 ever
tackled when we put the body on my
bed and rubbed its cold limbs. l de-
| ciarec I saw no sign of life, but Rex
| swcrc that she was not dead.
| LAS it was necessary for me to put
| tHe empty coffin back into the grave
| ! had TO leave him for while. He was
| kneeling at her side kissing her cold
| hands and calling her name again and
egain. 1 shook my head and felt sure
| this affair would only get US into
] trouble, but he was right for when l