Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-09-11
CHAPTER XXVU.
MYSTERIOUS DIsApPEARANCE OF FRAN
CESCA.


VIII L. RodolphO was making his
final arrangements for the departure
10 which we allu cl in our last chap
ter. and at the moment he discovered
that II loved Fran ,cScl h d so mys.
ter ou>l q sappcai ed a troop If we'll
mounted horsemcn healed b, Pierre
N person were 9allopng along at a
rap Il "a toward the rendezvous as.
; gnCd them b; Their C. mmander
Ire Ga;I ght broke they were safely
Sccrctfd in lie gorge hcj ond Vccchia,
where thcy were to remain for further
orders. These mel had lately formed
the retinur OF attendants AMI Gtidchc.
to the Count Auticnnc, ut Maple.
he were. IN fact portion of The
band o R1dolpho, Of which Pierre was
now ] cut nant.
In the m anwhile, rs VIC have seen
ROdoll no hai written his note To thi.
landlord. and it had passed out of h
hands. Upon reaching his wife's apai
mCnt he was astonishcd to find thu.
She was absent; for lie rcCollcctai !
luickl, { at he let er At the doc s.
few hou's previously, lie had caut onrd
her part culary against any intruS1r.
We must Low 90 back for morect
IN our siOr..
"retirc." he SAID, loved Francescl l.
and hay ng locked the door upon the
inside, remove your key. have a
duplica.c. and VII thus return %
You anon. W thout disturbing YOU
She followed his instruct ems; but
re Their of them suspected that they
had been logged. and that the + move
ncnts had bccl watched during the
evening up To the time of heir arrival
at the ia cshold of their sleep ng-apari
mGnt. uch. however. was the fact.
Scarcely hai the footsteps of Rodol-
pho ceased TO g no in the long, wind
ny corridor which led from one of Iris
rooms 30 the chef parlor he occupied,
when the iigu C of a stalwart man dark
cncd the passIgcway cyOrd the cham
Der door. Advancing cautiously. the
person alluded TO halle near The room
where francesca had ret rel. and hav
ing seemingly tax n careful survey
of tie Coor he d Sa9lcared; but in a
few minutes he returned aga n, APP
Piled 10 In lock a skeleton key, and.
W thout utter : a single word OF cX-
planat o. or warning. thrus, himself
at once MO the aStonished presence of
Francesca The intlu Ter was the man
who had C o sed the path of Rodolpho
i'm the gar len n w m nutes previous
ly-it was her former protector and
guardian. the Count Donati who
stood, unsummoncd, before her.
"llcavcn IFS rive u.s. said Fran
C sea. deeply startled. and scarcely
willing t. cred t her own vision.
"Count i O lati. : it yolrself? Speak,
al sc Frances a." les bonded Do
nat. 81 o1cc. 1T u, YOU have not for
gotten YOU cd protect II and friend. >
Tell me. Count Donati. | pray YOU,
what does III mean? Whence came
you? lloN aid YOU escape the pcrils
of that awful night? What has
brought
Cease. France ca - replied Donati,
IN a hurried manner; "cease TO ques-
I on me ut pre- en- | have no time
fcrauswcrs not a moment for cXplana-
ton. come to rescue YOU from the
tolls of n Llama traitor-a consum-
mate scouadrel who has ssduccd
Your affect ons, and who VII prove
your certa ruin, body and soul. un-
! - you flee at once from the mcshes
IN which YOU have become cntangled. y
II beg YOU, good Signor, explain
those dreadful words. II | have
erred '
"Frrcd,' exclaimed Count Donati,
with deep emphasis. Poor child! how
YOU have been deceived. and caioled.
Il 4
NJ hand. The wretch VINO has impos-
al upon us must now answer for his
y,llainyl Count Donati lives TO pro-
tcct his ward
"Oh. Signor of what terrible con-
spiracy am | the victim. as your words
NAV Indicate
"Franccsca, in one word, are you
not the companion Of Rodolpho, the
bravo?
II am the wife of Rodol-"
"Pshgw, girl DO not attempt TO
deceive me with this stale stull!''
III tell YOU. Signor, in all honesty,
am his In Yful. W led W f.. our hands
were ,onci by the priest Of the Holy
Church within this month.
Then are YOU doubly deceived; for
that he has impose false priest up
on you. | 90 not doubt But haste
thee. francesca. for | am here to claim
my ward, and | demand your attend
ence on me forthw tn. For the pres
emit. you will leave this place under my
protection. and / will quickly show
you how fortunate YOU are that ! have
been able to rescue YOU thus from the
power aud the compan!onship of the
vile robbcr and knavc who has so
cruelty imposed upon your confidence
Gu ok, then. for time presses me"
"Robber. Signor!'
THE chief of murdcrous band of
robbers, Francesca. The leader of the
clan that sacked our dwelling. and left
me amid the burning ruins. The willy
Magician of Genoa who stole my gold,
and cheated me of my ward, amid the
ruin his hand had been the cause of
producing. speak the truth. Fran
eesca, and l am here, | say fully pre-
pared TO punish him and TO save you.
Haste, then, repeat. Anon you shall
know all.
Even while he spoke thus earnestly,
Count Donati approached his late ward,