Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-02-03

gether Guido's famous picture of st.
Michael and Satan. Thither at the
hour agreed upon Miriam and Dona-
tello turned their steps. Conscious
of secret guilt, they were the more
anxious to keep casual engagement.
But, when they drew near the
church, Kenyon alone was waiting for
them. Hilda had promised to be of
the party, but she was not there. The
three pushed back the heavy curtain
and entered the nave, only to have
their gaze arrested at once by con-
spicuous object. On slightly elevated
bier lay the dead body of a monk, tall
candles burning at his head and feet.
The rigid figure was clad in che brown
wooden frock of the Capuchins, with
the hood drawn over the head but
so as to leave the features uncovered.
Something seemed to act like mag
net upon Miriam. She passed between
two of the lighted candles and looked
down. "My God!' she murmured,
"what is this?" She grasped Dona-
tello's hand and felt him give a con-
Vulsive shudder. No wonder that their
monk gazing at them beneath it's half
closed eyelids was the same visage
that had glared upon their naked souls
the night before as Donatello had flung
him over the precipice. What did it
mean? Kenyon drew near, perceived
their agitation, and started to say
something. But Miriam laid her
finger to her lips and quietly said,
Hush" From the shadowy church
the tree emerged into the Roman sun
light, Kenyon to go in search of Hill
da, but leaving a darker shadow still
to settle down upon the lovers. The
young italian was petrifed with. hor-
ror. Miriam tried to cheer him, assur'
ing him of her undying love. But she
met with no response. They parted,
almost as strangers, it being agreed
that Donatello should seek his castle
in the mountains.
Thither, in the summer, Kenyon
went to pay long-planned visit. He
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 happened,
arranged with Miriam that she should
be in the public square of Perugia 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 en-
couraged them. Their two lives flowed
together and the great bronze statue
of the Pope, his hand outreached in
a papal benediction, beneath which
they had met, appeared to lmpart a
blessing on their marriage.
So Kenyon went back to Rome to
WOO the gentle Hilda. whose sensitive
soul was burdened by the knowledge
of the awful guilt of her friends. The
secret weighed upon her heavily. She
sought the seclusion 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 wit
messed.
But for Miriam and Donatello the
end was not yet reached. The sense
of sin had awakened in the faun-like
youth what human love could not as
suage. Miriam could not rid him of
the idea that he must surrender him.
self to Justice. Kenyon had glimpses
of the pair, now taking part in revel-
ries. but again concealed behind habili-
ments of woe. In desolate spot IN
the Campagna Miriam at last dis
closed the mystery surrounding her
own past. 1t was the story of mar
rage to be forced upon her from which
her soul revolted. She escaped, though
not without unjust suspicious OF
crime. Concealing her identity she
gave herself to art. Then, in the Cat
acombs. the man whom she loathed,
half brute and half religious maniac,
had reappeared, logging her steps ana
threatening 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. But
even as they plighted their troth TO
one another in the Pantheon before the
tomb of Raphael, upon turning around
they saw a kneeling figure on the
pavement. 1t was Miriam, who reach
ed out her hands in blessing, but
blessing which seemed also to repel.
AS for Donatello, remorse eventually
worked it's way and when heard OF
last he was in dungeon as deep as
that beneath the Castle of st. Angelo.
Copyright, 1919, by Post Publishing Co.
CThe Boston POST. Printed by perrnls-
sion of. and arrangement with, Hough-
ton. Mifflin & Co., authorized publishers.