roken
thing to see Alessandro! And she keeps me from all fear. Holy Virgin!
but I had died of terror here all alone. Not that the dead would harm
me; but simply from the vast, silent plain, and the gloom."

Soon Carmena made signs to Ramona that they would return to the gate.
Considerate and thoughtful, she remembered that Alessandro would expect
to find them there. But it was a long and weary watch they had, waiting
for Alessandro to come.

After leaving them, and tethering his pony, he had struck off at a
quick run for Hartsel's, which was perhaps an eighth of a mile from the
graveyard. His own old home lay a little to the right. As he drew near,
he saw a light in its windows. He stopped as if shot. "A light in our
house!" he exclaimed; and he clenched his hands. "Those cursed robbers
have gone into it to live already!" His blood seemed turning to fire.
Ramona would not have recognized the face of her Alessandro now. It was
full of implacable vengeance. Involuntarily he felt for his knife. It
was gone. His gun he had left inside the graveyard, leaning against the
wall. Ah! in the graveyard! Yes, and there also was Ramona waiting for
him. Thoughts of vengeance fled. The world held now but one work, one
hope, one passion, for him. But he would at least see who were these
dwellers in his father's house. A fierce desire to see their faces
burned within him. Why should he thus torture himself? Why, indeed? But
he must. He would see the new home-life already begun on the grave of
his. Stealthily creeping under the window from which the light shone, he
listened. He heard children's voices; a woman's voice; at intervals the
voice of a man, gruff and surly; various household sounds also. It was
evidently the supper-hour. Cautiously raising himself till his eyes were
on a level with the lowest panes in the window, he looked in.

A table was set in the middle of the floor, and there were sitting at it
a man, woman, and two children. The youngest, little more than a baby,
sat in its high chair, drumming with a spoon on the table, impatient for
its supper. The room was in great confusion,--beds made on the floor,
open boxes half unpacked, saddles and harness thrown down in the
corners; evidently there were new-comers into the house. The window
was open by an inch. It had warped, and would not shut down. Bitterly
Alessandro recollected how he had put off from day to day the planing
of that window to make it shut tight. Now, thank