The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-30

Sopour your light, October skiesl
Oh, fairest skies which ever arel
Put on, o earth, your brayest dyes,
And smile, although the cricket cries,
And winter threatens from afar!
-Sf -o-e-S
SAs THE COUNCIL OF TEN.
Concluded.
"Good evening, Voorn,'' said the
duke.
Voorn returned the salutation gruf-
fly, for he knew that the crafty man
would try to hatter him with soft
words. The bravo handed him his
stool, while he seated himself on the
table. There was o momentary ST.
lence. when the duke said:
ssVoorn, / came on business"
"Glad to hear it, for my st:letto is
beginning to rust, " replied the bravo,
with a grin.
sThen it shall rust no longer, said
the duke. "But see if there are any
listeners. y
sI will do so;" and Voorn arose
and went odt. He saw o form
crouched below his window; he ap-
preached and asked, "is that you
Pedro?" ...s.
SIT is" said the spy, in low
voice.
tsRemoye that stone and listen, for
I have an important visitor tonight"
He returned and reported that he
had found no listeners.
"In the first place." began the
duke, ''I will ask if you make any
distinction between youth and old age
in your business?"
81 do not, replied Voorn.
"Have you noticed an old man with
long white beard, walking in the
streets of Venice?" asked the duke.
SCI have. What of him?" said the
bravo.
'.Well, L want him removed"
.tAh, I seei You want him silenced
forever" said the bravo, in a bust
ness-like manner.
EXACTLY; can you do it?" said the
crafty man.
.T can; but I must have pay" re-
piled Voorn.
"Of course; how much?"
srTwenty talents"
.sYou shall have it."
The duke arose and poured the
gold forth on the table. y The bravo
looked at every piece, and said, sit
is right. I will finish him this week."
"That will do; but bring me his
iron ring as a proof that the deed is
DONE" said the duke; and in mo-
ment he was gone.
The bravo recounted his gold, and
placed it in drawer in the table.
The duke had not been gone long,
when Pedro di Alberto entered the
same room. He looked like an old
man, but he soon threw off his dis
guise, and stood revealed. He was q
noble-looking person, in the prime of
life, though there were marks of sor-
row in his face"
GA good nights work, my friend
Voorn." said the spy.
Indeed it is; and for the money. I
must kill that old gray-haired man, :"
and the two men laughed.
"Henceforth that old man will not
be seen in Venice" said Pedro.
"Give me the ring, Pedro" said
Voorn.
Pedro took the iron ring from his
finger, and handed it to him.
ST guess the duke does not know
that L also am spy of the TEMP"
"Of course not" replied Pedro.
''Now is my time for revenge. You
know what made me bravo, Voorn?
But for that duke, / might have been
q happy husband and loving father.
swear that he shall stand before the
Ten!" and he brought his clenched
hand down on the table.
eyes, and the League of Twelve,
tool" responded Voorn.
"Yes, they shall all stand before
the Ten, and be Judged" said Pc
dro, loudly, as he thought of his past
wrongs.
They divided the twenty talents,
and Pedro went to his abode.
At the next meeting OF the
"Twelye," the Duke of Milan report,
ed that Pedro di Alberto was dead,
and to prove his words he showed the