The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-06-30
The stolen ChIId.
b a DETECTIVE.

BY A DETECTIVE.
The italian revolution was at its
hight. The mountain dehles were
swarming with marauders, and the
nobility had hocked to the capital.
or sought refuge from Imperial avar-
ice in another land. Those who pre-
ferred life of freedom to the servil-
ity, that attended submission sought
refuge IN New Orleans. Among
them was Cassina de Rita, in whose
veins stirred the blood OF the Colon.
mas, and whose sword had been first
in defence of his oountry's outraged
liberties and 1nsulted honor. Young
in years. he was old in fame; and
when resistance Wasno longer OF any
avail, with his n ife and child he
came to New Orleans. HisWife was
the daughter ofanoble, high in rank,
and soldier under the banner OF
Emanuel, an only child, sole heiress
to his riches, her son the heir of his
title. Like our own war, the italian
revolution had engendeled fierce
jealousies and family dissensions. =
Because the wife had adhered TO the
fortunes of her husband, her father
disowned her-no. rebel,s child, he
said, should wear his coronet, To
the exiled family these threats of
the old noble mattered but little
Time, they thought, would appease
his resentment, or, If It did not, they
could rear q new heritage in the land
they had come to.
Their many accomp plishments their
high rank and fame, gave them q
place in the best society The wife
was fiattered and admired, the hus-
band the observed of ali who did
honor to virtue or loved a patriot
Years wore away the strangeness of
their new home, and their sympath-
les and feelings became Identified
with those of our people. No name
stood higher among our merchants
than that of the exile, while society
Iayished upon the beautiful Italian
all the admiration 1t bestoWs upon
its queens. The memories that cIune
to the past were remembered more
as a dream than a reality, and the
grief they at first had felt had grown
into a regret, just as the clouds some
times darken with Impending temp
est yet mellow into golden twilight.
The pomp of high estate was an il
fusion now seen through the midst
of years, While content and plenty
sat smiling at their door.
AS said before, years had fed,
and no word of reconciliation had
ever passed between the father and
his e2 lied daughter. ~
But one night the child disappear
ed. The mother was frantic-the
father wild with apprehension. The
city had been searched through and
through. In this emergency nv
mate and myself were applied to-
The circumstances under which he
had disappeared convinced me at
once that he had been abducted; and
when the mother explained that on
ly the night before a poor italian
soldier had applied for shelter and
protection, 1 was sure he knew some.
thing of the strange evasion. When
said as much to them, they then
revealed the family history 1 have
told you. / knew then the Cause
Unappeased in his dislike Of the ex-
lie, the old noble sought to gain pos
session of the heir of his title and
rear himself or crush the young life
he hated. s y =
If my conclusions were correct. I
had no time tor delay. The affair
demanded haste. Before midnight
we had searched the coast from the
Barracks to the Forts. In seclud-
ed nook-a quick bend of the river
lay the vessel we were in search of.
The Spanish flag was hoisted, hut I
knew Italian skill had shaped its
hull, and now controlled its course.
1t was a perilous enterprise to board
1t alone, and even if we succeeded in
finding the boy, it was still more
doubtful if we could escape. Still I
had no thought of abandoning the
enterprise. Just, however, as we
were meditating plan of approach
to the vessel, an old man appeared
on the deck, leading the child. I
knew the child sat once. The ebon
curls elung around fair young face,
on which the trace of the mothers
beauty yet fingered. A moment
more and they had descended the
gangWay and sought the shore. Now
was our time. 1t took but an in
slant to snatch the child from the
old mans hand and lift him to the
carriage. But In the moment of our
triumph shot was fired from the
vessel-lt shattered, the glass of the
door, and buried itself in the temple
of the child. / sprung from the Veh-
iele with the bleed ing child in NV
arms. The old man saw it. and rais-
ed his hands with a gesture like tri.
umph, sprung down the bank and
into the ship. That night it sailed.
I returned the child to the parents,
yet alive, but il died within an hour
"a victim of plots and ambitious its
young Spirit had never knoWn-its
life a sacrifice tO.hunan pride.
The parents yet dwell in New Or
leans, and age has haIloWed their
grief, and softened their sorrow into
a memory; but the Wite's beauty fad
ed with the life of her child, and her
great black eyes look sad from be-
meath her snow white hair. TO heI
the joys of life are gone, and hope
beckons from the sky.