The Press., 1893-02-23
COULD RAISE THE DEAD.


 Toward the middle of the fourteenth century there suddenly appeared in Flor ence parsonage calling himself Dr. Att trapeccini.
 Whence he came no one knew. His name indicated an Italian origin, but from his accent in speaking one would have supposed him to be German, while his long beard, grave expression and majestic bearing seemed suggestive of the Orient.
 Whatever might be his nationality, how ever, the doctor had no sooner arrived in Florence than he caused to be announced, with grand flourish of trumpets, comets and drum, that on Tuesday, the first of of May, at precisely 6 o'clock in the moIn- ing, he would repair to the city's cemetery and there restore to life five, persons of his own choosing.
 At last the excitement grew so intense that the podestat, or chief magistrate of Florence, resolved to send for Dr. Attra- peccini and demand an explanation.
 A man who was able to restore five dead persons to life could have no diffi- culty in guessing what was passing in the mind of a podestat, and accordingly, the magistrate was just about to strike his gong to summon an usher, when the doc tor himself was announced.
 You came just in time, doctor" said the magistrate. ''I was about to send for you"
 1T knew it, my lord, and wished to an- ticipate your orders," was the reply, ut tered in calm tone that filled the pedestal with amazement.
 He recovered himself, however, and was going to interrogate the new conner, when the latter exclaimed "I understand, my lord, that some of your people here have doubts of my sci ence and even my honesty-in fact, that Il am suspected of coming to Florence for the purpose of making dupes." Something of that kind has been in- timated," replied the magistrate. "You can understand, ;" said the stranger slowly, "that 1 owe it to myself to put an end to these false reports. have come to request of you that a guard of 10, 20, 30 or more men be stationed round my house, so as to make it impossible for me to leave Florence before releasing from their tombs five persons, as have prom ised. You can not say that my request is an unreasonable one, since you have determined before seeing me to have me watched"
 StV0ur io fad bo cold shall have your house guarded night and day by twenty men, until the time comes for you to fulfill your promise, or until you change you mind and acknowledge you we're not in earnest.
 ''It would, perhaps, be wiser for you to leave the city at once; believe me, it is not safe to put whole town in commo- I ticn. know the Florentines, and be- lieve them to be capable of falling upon you in fury, perhaps of hanging you, when they find they have been mocked at and | tricked.
 l "The least serious mishap that could befall you would be 8 sojourn of several months in prison while you waited for the public indignation to subside."
 "I should deserve even more severe treatment if failed to carry out my pro gramme," said the doctor.
 A week before the first of May a man about forty years old, and dressed com pletely in black, entered the doctors study.
 He was the Senator Arozzo, celebrated l for the violent grief he had displayed on the death of his wife six months before.
 "Sig. Attrapeccini, said he, briskly II do not wish to waste words. Although what you promise is generally considered impossible, admit that it may be possi- ble, and have come here to beg you to leave my wife at rest in the cemetery"
 "What '" exclaimed the man of science, with laugh; and the widower repeated his own words earnestly.
 "I beg of you," he cried, II am about to marry again-the bans will be published next month. You would not like to put a man in such a predicament, would your"
 AS he spoke he placed purse full of gold on the table.
 The next day he received a visit from
 Philippini, the most famous physician of
 Florence, and indeed fall Tuscany; out
 of every hundred Florentines at least
 eighty were at one time or another in his
 care.
 Learned and honored brother" said he to Attrapeccini, "I trust that you would
 not do me the injury of bringing back to the light of day any of the unfortunate people who have chanced to pass away while in my hands," .... Certainly not" replied the other !; you mean"
 "That would be very difficult matter" |" , said Philippini; ''would it not be more f. simple for you to exclude from your cere- mony all my former patients" and with I these words he laid on the table heap of I gold coins.
 f The door had hardly closed upon Phil f ippini when it was opened again to admi;
 two brothers named Gavazza. The Duke Pierre Gavazza and his broth. a CT, the Marques Paul, had risen, partly by f. their own merits and partly by good luck il to the first rank in the Italian nobility " but their journey had been long and difii
 cult, as their father had been miller Il s was the miller whom they did not wish tc :: see restored to life. n Dr. Attrapeccini was shocked and ex }. exclaimed angrily that he could not be @ lieve it possible that two persons could bt f so unnatural as to oppose the resuscita
 tion of their own father. . '' It was nothing less than parricide ant l. he would not connive at such baseness d He had not any intention of reviving th miller, but now he would take good car