Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-03-24

Where Y, demanded Valencia sternly. 1
81 do not know where" r... |
YStand off, then, and do not strive to
remember too much" ,.I ......
Ia THAT voice. / know that tone of
command. You are, then, no other than
Rondinelli, chief of brigands, whom first
met among the wild hills overshadowing
Lake Colanop zen ..e..'
"WelI, is the remembrance pleasant to
your ladyshipa" inquired tlre brigand
my ladyshipr'
BAIL Why seem TO DO astonishedl
Do you suppose know less of Countess
Cavant than she of RondinelIi ~ p
So, them" rejoined the countess, BIZ
ting her lips" it seems that both have Sc
crets here"
"And should beth work for each others
interest" said the chief of the i,rigands.-
What can | do to serve the fair COun-
tess Oavanti p E
" suppose we can trust each other y
" suppose we shall, ii we separate
alive" re piled the bandit.
DO you guess at what want" asked
the countess. -..
~ think l do-tbe death-os your hus-
band, for one thing"
"And what else I"
-'.s'' The death OF tho Duchess Ducarrar."
"Yon do, indeed, know more Of mo
than thought" said the countess, gazing
! upon Inn with an expression Of wonder.
" For what purpose are you hereP
. " ! our pardon, fair countess, but that
is my secret. May | ask what brought
You to met"
"Well, | had heard the story, through
the gossip OF the servants, of strange
man coming TO this old house and shut
Ting himself up in complete seclusion OF
his subsequent aYcst, Imprisonment, and
prediction concerning the magistrate, and,
since that, Of some other death predictions
that have come to pass, and | felt a strong
desire TO consult him, thinking it not inn
| probable that where it might be to lis in
terest to predict a death, u death would be
certain to follow"
''dH other words" said the bandit, "you
believe me to be a professional murder
CRY
Something of that kind, confess"
"Aud howl"
4" trust l have no reason to change my
opinionl 2"
You are plain aud straightforward, at
all events. | don't object to that, how.
ever. Well, now that we understand each
other. what do You require of me %
You have already named what most
desire"
"The death of tho count and the duch-
css z"
Eyes and if you will undertake to rid
me of these, you have to name your
price,"
And what of tho Duke Ducarrar ~
90, he must not he harmed !"
al understand" said the brigand, with
n peculiar look, " tho Countess Cavanti
would wed the Duke Ducarrarl"
go. man. seek not to know every
tone. "Come, viii you undertake what ]
want done |"
:" will give you the means to accom-.
plsh the work yourself" said the ontlaw.
" have q colorlcss poison, that is slow
but sure. 1t needs but few drops in a
cup of water or wine. 1t produces no
pain, no suffering of any kind, and its
effects are not apparent for two or three
days. Then the patient begins to com.
plain of weakness and lassitude, goes into
rapid decline and dies in less than a
month. This poison cannot besdetected
lll lilt bNbltlts anu klltIt Is uOL DlllblClhIl
that knows its anti1ote."
"The very thing" cried the countess,
"give me that poison and will accom-
plish the rest
The countess and the brigand finally
agreed upon terms. lie sold her the
poison at n fabulous price, but would not
dispose of the antidote for any considera-
ton whatever. He told her, however
that should she discover any friend of her:
suffering from the effects of this poison
to come to- him Il; once, and he would ar.
range with her TO save the party.
For several weeks longer Rondinelli re-
manned in that old house, never going out
himself, and now and then receiving Wis
itor. There was some talk of arrestng him
again, but There was an opposing influence
in high quarters, and it was never done.
1t would not have been done had the
police even attempted it, for the fortune
teller, MS he was supposed to be, was moi
Isolated and alone, "a even his nearest
neighbors believed. He had known the
house before he went to it, and why it was
supposed to be haunted. 1t was connect
ed with distant point by subterranear
passage, and ho had been in conmunica.
ton with his band from the very first
There was no time that he could not have
brought thousand desperate men 10 his
assistance but he had chOsen rather'to be
arrested at first, thinking it might favor
his design, which it did.
And this design Of Rondinelli, the ban
dit, whose name was terror throughout
Italy, was singular one, to say the least
lie had come.tO Naples to- be ennobled
to gain title that should give him right