The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-11-17

mentioned, two entrances, one going on
the piax tia and the other on one of the
small canals which iniersect the town in
all directions. There Was liltle light In
the room except Just close to the window
and the gathering darkness held undis-
puted possession OF the other end Of the
apartment.
Orioli stood and looked out on the pi.
azeua but bis ewes took In, as far as he
Vas conscious, nothing OF the scene be-
fore him. He Was absorbed in the letter
which be was debating to bis sister and
which related to q final meeting Of the
brotherhood to which be belonged, which
Was TO take place in o few days, and Of
the time, place and object OF which he
vas notifying his veronese friend Now
and then be would pause In the work OF
dictation to say few words to has sister
on come subj ct connected With the mat
ter In hand.
"Brigids," be said on one OF these oc.
cssions, 81 think I was folio wed las,
night when I parted from Tito Grimsno
and bis brother Bartoloumeo in the eL.
closure at the back OF the palace. The
vile spies and secret tffl ;ers of the Sen.
ate are everywhere, and I surely think
that I detected one Of them dogging my
footsteps last night"
Brigida looked up from her writing
with anxious, frightened eyes.
81 am always tearing it," she said
'.Desr Lucca. the thought that this plot
will one day be discovered, and that y ou
will be taken and imprisoned. is forever
haunting me. How l wish that the old
day, before you became involved 10 snv
OF these terrible risks, we're back again !!
At this moment . slight noise in the
room attracted Lucas attention. and tur
ming hastily from the window and look.
| Ing into that part OF the apartment which
vas involved In comparative obscurity
be wss able to detect the shadowy forms
Of three men who, he felt at once, weie
servants OF the state.
I'VE come to arrest you as head con
spirator in pot against the lawful au.
thority of the Venetian Senate, said the
Chief officer stepping forward out OF the
obscurity.
The Venetian Serate In those dsvs
made short work OF the trial OF polItica
offenders There we're 90 many OF thes.
that the government, 10 alarm for its o wn
safety. dealt out severe justice to all such
as came within its reach. The evidence
against Luca Oroli WAS irresistibly
strong and it being considered that an
opportunity OF "making an example
was afforded by his detection, il was de
termined that q punishment should be re
sorted to in his instance which was only
used very rarely, and principally 10 cases
which we're marked bv especial atrocity
-parricides, persons who we're convict.
oil Of saerileRe aud the like exceptionails
gross offenders The punishment In
question consisted in beine hung out 10
40 iron cage which was suspended from
the top Of the great bell tower or Camp.
snile OF Venice. and ir iich the victim
was suffered to perish miserably Of star.
vation and expos IRE.
This was the horrible penalty which
vas awarded to Llca Ofioli.
But shst was the saddest part OF all
and it was certainly felt to be so by LIca
himselt-was that bis sister. hi> poor lit.
tie Brigida. was convicted OF complicity
with him in this DISASTROUS plot and was
condemned TO share bis punishment.
II waa this skill OF hers 10 penmanship
which had ruined her. All sorts OF doc.
uments OF the most comprom:s ng char
acter, plans Of action to he adopted by
the leading conspirstors letters to them
from Luca himself on matters connected
With the plot which, though entrusted to
careful hands for delivery. bad fallen into
the clutches OF the numerous spies who
we're always on the lookout for such ps.
pers-s great mass OF such writings bad
been seiz,d and proved beyond doubt
to be In the young girls hand writing
proved, indeed, BY comparison with the
piece OF writing on which she was actu'
sily engaged ut the moment when the OF
ticsrs Of justice made their arrest OF Lu.
CO.
The crushing weight With which this
implication OF his little sister fell on In.
CO can scarcely be described 10 words
Brigida- a-Brida as he slwavs called be,
had been so many years under bis
care, her parents having died in her child.
hood, and was so much bis junior, that
be had got to regard her almost more as
daughter than as sister, SO much did
feeling OF care for her and sense tha,
she was q creature to be sheltered from
all harm and protected by HIM at all cost,
pervade all the relations between the two.
Nav, It is impossible to say whether the
physical difference between them-for
Luca vas . big, powerful man, while
Brida was slightly and delicately formed
In an uncommon degree-may not have
helped to strengthen this feeling on the
hrother's part, that to keep his little sis-
ter out OF harms way was one of the
chief occupations OF bis life.
That this frail creature should he In.
volved through him In go terrible q ca
lamity was to Orioli thought which wss
entirely insupporlsble. Her constitution
was delicate, as her frame was. and there
could be little doubt that the exposure TO
the cold and damp-for it was now late
au'umn-must cause her The EXTREMIST
suffering Death, OF course, was inevi.
table for hoth,as they were to hang there
in the open cage till famine did its work,
but that she should suffer as we'll as die
-! 1t Was too terrible. and the earn.
est and passionate appeal which Luca
made to the judges on bis sisters behalf
-he hal made no such appeal for him
selt-m,ght have touched, one would
have thought, even harder hearts than
those to which he bad to address him.
self
ut Is my doing and mine only" be
cried at last. "She did what I told her
- miserable that | am! On me let the
penalty falls double penalty IL you
choose LIT ne be TO ,red. burnt at q
slow fire, anything. only spare her, my
little Brigida, creature incapable o.
hsrming any one and whose love for her
brother was her only fault"
But he spoke to men of stone when be
addressed that pitiless assembly in the
l;-lc E-htol n&,.r:t