Year: 1876

thrust her forcibly into the black ,loath-
some cave. With an exultant laugh
he pushed the bowlder back into place,
thus imprisoning the girl in the vile
serpent's den. Without waiting to hear
the wild cries for help uttered by VAN
nina, the Corsican strobe away from
the spot, leaving her to her fate.


The cavern in which our heroine
found herself was sufficiently lofty to
permit of her standing erect, but it was
so very narrow that she could touch
both walls with her outstretched hands.
Her horrible situation forced her to give
vent to several wild cries for help, but
as the sepulchral ring of her own voice
added to the terror Of her position, she
soon ceased. All was intense darkness
within the cavern, save for narrow
stream of light which came in betwixt
the bowlder and the side of the cave.


Desperately the girl pushed against
the bowlder in her attempt to remove
it, but her struggles were in vain, for
the rock was as immOvable, from the
inner side, as the cliff itself. In despair
she sank upon the rocky floor of the
cavern and strove to pierce the dense
gloom which surrounded her. Pre-
sently her eye caught two small, bright
specks close to the floor of the cavern,
and less than three yards distant. They
were so intensely bright that she gazed
upon them in wonder. As she gazed
they seemed transform their phcspho-
resent whiteness into rainbow hues Of
marvellous brightness and beauty. As
if spell bound, she continued to gaze
upon them, and presently they slowly
but surely commenced to approach her,
their hues changing and scintillating,
and seeming to penetrate with their
horrible intensity to her very brain.
An indescribable sensation of horror
and dread crept upon her, and she strove
to move her limbs and take her eyes
from those strangely beautiful objects.
But in vain. Strange, celestial music
filed her ears with its mellifluent
strains, and subtle charm seemed cast
over her whole being. Though she
half realized that to submit to that
charm would end in her doom, yet she
was 10th to cast off its influence.


Nearer and nearer drew these objects,
more and more powerful became their
influence, until Vannina might have
touched them with her outstretched
hand.


At this juncture hoarse strange cry
smote her ears and drowned the melody
which had possessed them. And the
cry, as it was repeated, resolved it into
her own name. In an instant she
turned her eyes toward the boulder.
The charm was broken, and her wild
cries of horror, as she realized that
those strangely brilliant spots were the
orbs of serpent, filled the cavern, and
she drew back from them as far as pos
sible. As she did so a footstep sounded
close to the mouth Of the cavern, and
an instant later the boulder swung
slowly back, admitting a flood Of daz-
zling light. With acry ofjoy vannina
sprang forth from the horrible den, and
sank in a swoon at the feet Of Nolan
Gordon. The latter had been but mo-
mentarily stunned by the blow Of the
young COrsican, and upon his recov-
cry ne bcheld the latter fleeing toward
the beach with Vannina in his arms.
He unhesitatingly started in pursuit,
though taking care not to show himself
to the ruiiian. When the latter had ef-
fccted his purpose and returned toward
the village, the young man followed
along the beach, divining that the pur-
pose of the Corsican was to confine the
girl. He noticed the loose bowlder con-
cealing the cavern, and was about to
investigate it when he heard Vannina's
cries.


The young American raised the drOOp-
ing form of the girl in his arms, and
bore her toward her dwelling. Ere he
had reached it, she recovered her sem
ses, and briefly explained the horrible
position from which he had rescue her.


"I must flee from this vicinity at
once" she said in conclusion, ''or Wit
torio will kill me i'm the end ~


Nolan Gordon's heart thumped almost
audibly as she turned those darkly
brilliant eyes full upon his face. cyan
nina, we know little of each other, yet
believe me when say that my intentions
toward you are perfectly honorable. If
you will trust me 1 will take you home
with me to America. and there, if Tread
your face Alright, you will consent to
become my wife!'' As he spoke the
young man bent and kissed the red lips
of the girl. who blushed silent con-
sent to his proposal. What more shall
1 add? Only that the twain did come
to America, and that now the warm
hearted, impulsive Corsican girl is the
wife of the somewhat rash. but never
theless fortunate Nolan Gordon.