Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-07-22
A GOOD PLEA.

There came one day to sn Inn near Bo-
logna, kept by a widow, Madonna Lucres-
gre, three travellers. Seating themselves on
q bench under her vine trellis, they were
supplied with q flagon Of Aleatico by love
ly girl, her only child, the image of her
former self. In their hats they wore O
medal, such as In that age was often dis
tributed In war, nud they were evidently
ubalterns In one OF those free bands which
were always ready 70 serve in any quarter,
II a service It could be called, where a bat
tie was little more than mockery, and
the slain. "a on an opera stage, were up
and fighting tomorrow. Overcome with
the heat, they threw aside their cloaks,
and, with their gloves tucked under their
belts. continued for some time IN earnest
conversation.
At length they rose 70 60, and the Vene-
tian thus addressed ;seir hostess:
Excellent lady, may we. leave under
your roof for day or two this bag Of goldT'
"You may, she replied slyly; "but, re
mem her, we 'astec only With a latch.
Bars ard tolts SO have none IN our viii
laee, and II we had where would be your
z.cu-ity.'
In your word, lady
f1HN FFAt+At II a f4f-N llL4gz+ts Fai'Ao
would It u theai' said she lauEhingly.
"The money would go 60 the church, for
none could claim II"
Perhaps you will favor Cs with an &C
knowledgment?"
If you will write IT.
An acknowledgment was wrirten &C
coriingly, and she signed 1t before Master
BsFtol0, the village physician, who bad
Just called hy rhanoe % learn the news Of
the day, the gold 80 bo delivered whom Gp-
piled for, but 10 be delivered (these were
the words) not to one nor to two, but
to the three-words wisely introduced by
those TO whom It belonged, knowing what
they knew Of each other The gold they
had just released from a miser's chest in
Perugia, and they were low on scent that
promised moro.
They and their shadows were no sooner
departed than the Venetian returned, say
Ing, "Giye ne leave 20 set my seal on the
bag, as the others bago done" And she
placed it on IL ia Bile before him, but in that
moment she was called away to receive a
cavalier who had Just dismounted from
bis horse, and when she came back II was
gone. The temptation had proved irresisti-
BILE. The man and the money had vanished
together
fWretched woman that Iamr' she cried
as in Sn agony Of grief she fell ON her
daughters neck. What Will become of
u.s. Are wo again 30 be cast out into the
wide worldf Unhappy child, would that
thou hadst never been born" And all
day long she lamented, but her tears avail
ed her little. The others We're not slow in
returning to claim their due, and there
were no tidings of the thief He had fled
far away with his plumber. A process
har {rufantly hayny N Rn-
logna, and what defense could she make;
how release herself from the obligation Of
the bondY Willfully or in negligence she
had parted with 1t 20 one, when she should
have kept 1t for all, and inevitable ruin
awaited her.
go, Gianetta :" said she to her daugh
ter. ''Take this veg which your mother
hos worn and wept under and implore the
Counselor Calderino 20 plead for us on the
day Of the trial. He is generous and will
listen to the unfortunate, but II he will
not, go from door 10 door. Monaldi can
not refuse us. Make haste, my child, but
remember the chapel as you pass by 1t.
Nothing prospers without prayer"
Alas, she went, but in vain These were
retained against them. Those demanded
moro than they had to give, and all bade
them despair. What was to ha danef- No
rowl
Now Gianstta had IA lover, and he was Is
student of the law, u young man OF great
promise, Lorenzo Martelli He had studied
long and diligently under that learned law
yer Giovanni Andreas, who, though nttlo
of stature, was great In renowD, and by
his contemporaries was called the arch doc
tor, The rabbi of doctors, the light OF the
world Under him he had studied, sitting
on the same bench with PoJrarch, and. also
under his daughter, Eoyella. who would
often lecture TO the scholars when her ia
tler was otherwise engaged, placing her
self behind "a small curtain lest her beauty
should divert their thoughts, preoaution,
| in CHS instance at least, unnecessary, Lo-
| reaEo having lost his heart to another.
To him she flies In her necessity, but
| of what assistance can he bes He has just
taken his place at tho bar, but he has new
| or spoken, and how stand up alone, un-
practioed and unprepared as be is, against
/ an array that would alarm the most ex-
/ perienoedr
Were l as mighty as am weak, said
! he, "1ny fears for you would make me- as
! nothing But l will DO there, Gianetta,
and may the Friend Of the triendless give
me strength in that hour! Even now my
| heart fails me, but, come what will, while
| I have u loaf to share you and your moth
or shall never want I Will beg through
the world for you."
The day arrives and the court assem-
| bles Tho claim is stated and the evidence
given And now the defense Is called for,
| but none Is made. Not syllable Is ut
| tered, and after pause and a consulta-
tion OF some minutes tho judges are pro
ceeding to give Judgment, silence having
been proclaimed in the court, when Lo-
renzo rises and thus addresses them:
Reverend signors, young as l am,
may venture TO speak In behalf OF one
who has none else to help herr 1 VIII
not keep you long. Much has been said,
much on the sacred nature Of the oblige-
| tion, and we acknowledge il In It's full
| force Let 1t be fulfilled, and TO the last let
ter 1t is what we solicit, what We re-
| quire. But to whom is tho bag of gold 10
be delivered? What says the bond? Not
| TO one, not to two, but to the three. Let
| the three stand forth and claim IL. y
From that day-for who can doubt the
issues-nono was sought, none employed,
but the subtle, the eloquent Lorenzo.
Wealth followed fame Nor need l say
how soon he sat at his marriage feast or
who sat beside him. Exchange.