Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-04-22
CHAPTER XIX.

tanQrlSUe lOOh n oAu "Nhb Az OAAS
direction and Montresor and the Duke
went with Heterogeneous in another.
The threatened storm still kept off,
but the sky presented an appearance
that was far from reassuring.
Montresor walked in silence save when
he raised his voice, as they all did from
eime to time, to shout Denzilia's name
aloud. But no answer came, except an
occasional echo.
Kenneth talked necessarily. He could
not forgive himself for having left the
girl TO come alone.
What could l dot" he asked despair
ingly, when she told me plainly that
she wanted to be alone"
you should have kept at respectful
distance, but you should not have lost
sight of her." returned Montresor pitt
essly.
They toiIed on. 1t was now begin
ming to get dark. Heterogeneous walked
on ahead out of earshot.
The Duke presently began again.
Il asked her to marry me, and she re-
fused me-"
Montresor said nothing. He was not
in mood to feign condolences he did
not feel.
"She was very sweet and gentle" Ken
meth went on, more for the relief of talk
ing than for enlisting Montresor's sym
pathy But she said her mind was
quite made up: she did not think she
would ever marry. | shall never marry
either"
you will think better of that by and
by" Montresor said, with an effort at
kindness "and so will she, for that
matter"
''She will not think better enough of
it to marry me-" replied Kenneth. "She
spoke very decidedly. She told met
lust shows what she is-sne said it was
only fair to tell me so that | need not
go on buoying myself up with false
hopes, that she cared for somebody else
Somebody who had once loved her, but
who, because of her own fault, had
ceased to do so, and now despised her.
love her, Montresor," the Duke repeated
with sad earnestness. 81 love her as |
have never loved anybody beforel
will make her love me! will make her,
Montresor!"
Presently the guide stopped for a mo-
ment and held up his hand. They Ais
tened but there was no response to
lltil l1Ouo AlltI lew
minutes of intense listening they walked
on again. A very distant growl of thun-
der now increased their fears.
For ten minutes they walked in 81
lence. Then Heterogeneous having once
again got ahead of them, the Duke be-
gan again his tale of love and sorrow
He expatiated on his hopes and fears I'M
til at last his normally sanguine tenn
ampnf hpD1n m tho
ascendancy over him. He had in i'm
agnation won Denzilia's heart, and for
gotten the trifing circumstance of her
being lost in the mountains.
Montresor never interrupted him. He
was so profoundly Inundated that he
almost felt that he would be glad if
Denzilia would bestow her affections
upon this honest, open hearted scion of
the nobility. Then would he spend the
remainder of his days in silent and BIT
ter and unavailing rep enhance. 1t was
all he deserved. But she loved him. He
caught his breath as the thought came
TO him. Suddenly the guide once more
stopped and held up his hand.
81 heard something" he said.
The three held their breath and lis
tened Yes, this time there was the I'M
mistakable sound of a cry. 1t was faint
and far off but it was a human cry.
Montresor raised his voice and shouted
with all the power of his lungs.
The answering cry came again from
hollow to their right.
The three men rushed forward. There
was no moon, and it was now so dark
that they could with difficulty, even by
the light of the guides lantern, see where
they were going. But they made their
way to the falling ground where the cry
had seemed to come from. 1t had never
been repeated, though they had al three
shouted over and over again. The next
moment they found themselves on the
edge of steep declivity. Heterogeneous
furned the rays of his lantern over the
edge The other two men peered over
also, and the three uttered simultan-
eously sharp cry. At the foot of the
rugged slope. some twenty feet below
them, lay what looked, so far as they
could see by the uncertain light, wom-
mans figure, motionless.
Montresor never said word, but in an
instant he seemed to hurl himself down
%he declivity. He was not, in fact, quite
20 reckless as he seemed, for he had
swung himself down by some bushes
5aat grew on the slop. The Duke imme-
oiately followed his example.
The Duke was slightly the more ac-
i've OF the two, but nevertheless Mon
tTesor was there before him, and was
already kneeling beside the senseless
form of Denzilia Lavenham, uttering
cries OF anguish as he endeavored to re-
store her to consciousness
heterogeneous presently made the de-
sen too, with his lantern, by the light of
winch it became evident that Miss Law
SAham had sustained severe injuries in
her fail; but she was nevertheless only
"a faint at this moment In few
MINUTES she opened her eyes, and met
1he distracted gaze of Montresor, who
vas supporting her in his arms.
a faint light broke over her face
.. aubrey" she murmured, her white
ups curving into a little smile of con-
zen rsl'inent, now that am dying, Aubrey,
You viii forgive met"
FER ger eyes closed, and she again became