Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-21

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she had drawn into her doom. and
pressed him close, close to her bos-
ON. with a clinging, embrace that
brought their hearts together. Eyes,
Donatello, you speak the TRUTH"
said she. MY heart consented. The
deed knots us together like the coil
of a serpent" They threw one glance
at the heap of death below to assure
themselves that it was not all a
dream-then turned from the fatal
preciptce and made their way back
into the city arm in arm and heart
in heart.
An agreement had been entered
into before the moonlight tragedy
had taken place that the four friends
should meet next morning in the
Church of the Capuchins to study
together Guides famous picture of
st. Michael and Satan. Thither at
the hour agreed upon Miriam and
DonatelIo turned their steps. Con-
scious Of secret guilt, they were the
more anxious to keep a casual en-
gagement. But, when they drew
near the church, Kenyon alone was
waiting for them. Hilda had prom
ised to be one of the party, but she
was not there. The three pushed
back the heavy curtain and entered
arrested at once by a conspicuous
object. On a slightly elevated bier
lay the body of a dead monk, tall
candles burning at his head and feet
The rigid figure was clad in the
T. nf
with the hood drawn over the head
but so as to leave the features un-
covered. Something seemed to act
like q magnet upon Miriam. She
passed between two of the ligh ted
candles and looked down. my God!'
she murmured what is this?'' She
grasped DonateIlo's hand and felt
him give a convulsive shudder. No
wonder that their blood curdled. The
dead face of the monk gazing at
them beneath it's half-closed eye-lids
was the same Visage that had glar-
ed upon their naked souls the night
before as Donatello had flung him
over the precipice. What did it
mean? Kenyon drew near, perceiv-
ed their agitation, and started to say
something. But Miriam laid her fin
ger tips to her lips and quietly said,
Hush" From the shadowy church
the three emerged to go in search OF
Huda, but leaving a darker shadow
still to settle down upon the lovers.
The young Italian was petrifled with
horror. Miriam tried to cheer him,
assuring him of her undying love.
But she met with no response. They
parted, almost as strangers, it be-
ing agreed that Donatello should
seek his castle in the mountains.
Thither, in the summer, Kenyon
went to pay a long-planned visit. lie
found the poor faun sadly changed.
The idea of a lifelong penance had
taken firm possession of Donatello.
He was intent on finding some meth
Cd of self-torture. Kenyon, knowing
now something of what had happen
ed. arranged with Miriam that she
should be in the public square OF
Perugla on a specified day, near
the statue of Pope Julius. There the
lovers met again. The sense OF their
mutual crime had stunned, but not
destroyed the youths affection. They
needed one another. Kenyon cheered
and encouraged them. Their two
lives flowed together and the great
bronze statue of the pope, his hand
outstretched in a papal benediction,
beneath which they had met, appear
ed to impart a blessing on their
marriage.
SO Kenyon went back to Rome to
WOO the gentle Hilda, whose sensl-
tive soul was burdened by the llnowl-
edge of the awful guilt Of her
friends. The secret weighed upon
her heavily. She sought the seclu-
sion of great churches, and at last,
Protestant though she was. she
found relief by pouring out in the
confessional at st. Peters the story
Of the crime that she had witnessed.
But for Miriam and Donatello the
end was not yet reached. The sense
Of sin had awakened in the faul-like
youth what human love could not
assuage. Miriam could not rid him
of the idea that he must surrender
himself to justice. Kenyon had
gliInpses of the pair, now taking part
in revelries, but again concealed be-
hind habiliments of woe. In a DESC
late spot in the Campagna Miriam at
last disclosed the mystery surround
ing her own past. 1t was the story
of a marriage to be forced upon her
from which her soul revolted. She
escaped, though not without unjust
suspicion of a crime. Concealing her
identity she gave herself to art.
Then, in the Catacombs, the man
whom she loathed, half brute and
half religious maniac, had reappear-
ed, logging her steps and threaten
ing to disclose her to the world
with what catastrophe the sculptor
knew.
AS for Hilda and Kenyon they
went forward into happiness, their
pure love consecrating all they did
Eut even as they plighted their troth
to one another in the Pantheon be-
fore the tomb of Raphael. upon turn
ing around they saw a kneeling fig
IRE on the pavement. 1t was Mir
lam. who reached out her hands in
blessing, but a blessing which
seemed also to repe1. AS for Dona-
tello, remorse eventually worked its
way and when heard of last he was
in a dungeon as deep as that beneath
the Castle of st. Angelo.
Copyright, 1919 h. Post Publish
ing Co. (The Boston Post). Printed
by permission of and arrangement
with, Century Co, authorized pub
fishers.
Published by special arrangement
with the Mcclure Newspaper Syndf-
cate ~