Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-03-19

BY HUGH CONWAY.
CHAPTER XXvII-CoNrrScEp

ever, the sight of those words brought back
the memory of that strange nocturnal visit;
Of the womans earnest, even impaSsioned
appeal to him, to wait five, ten, twenty
years for the one he loved Why should
she write now and repeat the appeals She
who knew everything; she who had accom-
panied Beatrice and who was probably with
her cow.
He could not get the memory of that
strange creature with her dreary belief, vet
answering faith as to his own future. from
his mind, AT the time the woman's earnest
cess had impressed him more than he cared
to confess. Superstition is quality 10 the
possession of which no man of our time is
willing to own, not even TO himself Yet
+ aIne men out OF ten are SuperStitiouS
/ Carruthers told himself that such hope as
he had gathered from Mrs. Miller's words
was simply gathered because he believed her
/ 70 be in Beatrice's confidence Here he was
wrong. 1t was the woman's bread bat alb
solute assertion, uttered with the passionate
Inspiration of s prophecies Of old. that happi-
neSS in this world awaited him and Beatrice.
which had been of aid to him in his trouble.
Ii faith can move stubborn mountains, why
not a heart which is willing enough 70 move
in particular directionl
And now this woman repeated Der Mes
sage, and, as Carruthers read the letter, told
him his case was no more hopeless than il
was months ago.
| He took the note WHICH he had crumplsd
up and tossed away; he spread it out and
/ read it again. he found, moreover, that il
was written on paper similar TO that used by
Beatrice, and upon turning it over he saw
on the back few words in pencil. They
were written so family that he had to carry
! the note to strong light in order to de-
cipher them
| The words were Madonna di Tempt
and TO the best of his belief, as experts say
when giving evidence, the handwriting was
Beatrice's.
! What did the words mean, and how far
would they aid him in finding Beatrice,
He soon settled in his mind that Madonna
di Temp" must be the name of a picture.
| But what picturea Where was it to b
foundl
! Or course, 1t did not follow that surprising
he could ascertain all about this picture,
which might or might not be a world
famed one that he would find Beatrice near
it, Nevertheless, the clew was worth fol-
lowing. He would have followed a finer
clew than this TO the end of the world on
the chance of its leading him to Beatrice.
So he al once set about the task of getting
information if information could he got,
respecting picture called the Madonna di
Tempt" He hoped, but his hopes were not
very strong. Indeed, he could not help
comparing his case to that of the fair Sara
Gems, who found her lover by the aid of two
words. Yet she was better off than he was
She at least had the name of place for one
of her talismanic words. He had the name
of what he supposed to be picture; moth
ing more.
MIR. Carruthers was not one of the inner
circle of art worshippers. His sallet, his
Stlrm and drdng, his emotional days, were
| well over before the era of blue and white
china He had no rhapsodies, written or
spoken, to arise hereafter and prick his con-
science. He had not bowed his knee to the
intense, nor sacrificed on the altar of the in
comprehensive. He was fond of pictures as
pictures, and was bold enough to say he
liked what he did like and that he disliked
what he did dislike. Hence it will be at once
seen that his opinion was worth nothing to
any one except himself.
Having found the knowledge not indis-
Pensable, he could not, like many men, check
off on his fingers the principal productions
of the grand old masters and name the spot
Of earth on which each one could be found.
But like the man who, when challenged to
fight, replied, Il can't fight myself, but /
have q little friend who cam and forthwith
struck down his challenger with a short,
stout poker, Mr.. Carruthers, if he did not
know these things himself, had friend who
knew
This friend was Mr. Burnett, a recog-
nized art authority.
Frank found Mr. Burnett at his rooms,
writing -critiques on the recently opened
exhibitions most likely.
DO you know any picture called the Ma
donna di Temple" asked Carruthers.
"A picture called the Madonna di Tempt
All, yes. The Madonna di Tempt Painted
by Raphael. You have heard of Raphael,
Carrutherss'
Where is it'' asked Frank quickly.
''It is in the Old Pinakothek"
I'm the what's
my dear Carruthers, how ignorant you
are. l thought YOU studied Greek at Ok
ford-Pinakothek is derived from a Greek
word"
Il know all that, but where is itf'
Your ignorance is deplorable. The old
Pinakothek is in Munich. Munich, you may
know, is the capital Of"
Frank jumped up. THANK YOU" he said,
Il am so much obliged
Not going, CarruthersI Oh, sit down
and have a chat. Tell me all about your
book. You must be dying to tell me all"
mo, I'm not. must go now. Goodbye"
But where are you going!"
The words you read have fired me- I
Am going to Munich to see the Madonna di
Tempt" And before Mr.. Burnett could
get out another question Carruthers was