The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-08
sg A GOOD PLEA.vE

bgns, kept By widow, Madonna Lucrst-
ois, three travellers Seating tbemseIvss on
bsnch under her vine trsIlis, they wsrs
supplied with nsson Of Alsstioo BY love-
" girl, her only child, tho image Of hsS
former self. In their hats they wose .
medal, suoh ~ In that ago was often dis
tyibuted In war, and tbey were evidently
subaltcrng In one Of those free bands which
were always ready TO serve In aDy quarter,
n = service IL could be called, whore bat
tie was little more than u mocksry, and
tho slain, ~ on aD opera stage, were up
and fighting tomorrow. Overcome with
the heat, they threw aside their sloaks,
and, with their gloves tucked under their
bolts, continued for somo time In earnest
conversation.
At length they rose to 20, and the Vene-
tian thus addressed their hostess:
Excellent lady, may we leave under
your roof fora day or two this bag Of goldf"
"You may" sho replied gnyly; "but, re-
member, We fasten only with latch.
Bars and bolts we have none In our vii
lage, and II we had where would bc your
security"
'In your word, lady"
but what IL / died tOnightf Where
would 1t be tbenr' said she laugbiDgly.
"Tbe money would go To tho church, for
none could claim It,"
perhaps you will favor US with an ac
knowledgmcntY'
III you will write It,"
An acknowledgment was written no
cordingly, and she signed 1t before Master
Bartolo, the village physician, who had
just called by chance TO learn the news OF
the day, the gold to be delivered when ap.
piled for, but to be delivered (tbese vert
tho words) not to one nor to two, but
to the three--words wisely introduced by
those to whom 1t belonged, knowing what
they knew Of each other. The gold they
had just released from a miser's chest In
Perugia, and they were now on "a scent that
promised more.
They and their shadows were no sooner
departed than the Venetian returned, say
ing, "Give me leave to set my seal on the
bag, as the others have DONE" And she
placed 1t on table before him, but In that
moment she was called away to receive
cavalier who had just dismounted from
his horse, and when she came back IL was
gone. The temptation had proved irresisti
BILE. The man and the money had vanished
together
"Wretched woman that am - she cried
as In an agony Of grief she fell on hen
daughters neck. "What will become OF
us? Are we again to be cast out into the
wide worldS Unhappy child, would that
thou hadst never been bornW And all
day long she lamented, but her tears avail
ed her little. The others were not slow In
returning to claim their due, and there
were no tidings of the thief. He had fed
co. ~rt< x,I
against her was instantly begun In Bo
logna, and what defense could she make;
how release herself from the obligation OF
the bond' willfully or in negligence shs
had parted with 1t to one, when she should
have kept 1t for all, and inevitable ruin
awaited her.
"Go, Gianetta," said she to her daugh
ter. "Take this veil which your mothe,
has worn and wept under and implore the
Counselor Calderino to plead for us on the
day Of the trial. He IL generous and will
listen to the unfortunate, but, II he will
not, 60 from door to door. Monaldi oan
not refuse US. Make haste, my child, but
remember the chapel az you pass BY It.
Nothing prospers without prayer"
Alas, she went, but In vain These wer.
retained against them. Those demanded
more than they had to give, and all bads
them despair What was 10 be donef No
advocate, and the cause to come ON tomor
row!
Now Gianetta had lover, and he was
student Of the law, young man Of great
promise, Lorenzo Martelli. He had studied
long and diligently under that learned law
yer Giovanni Andreas, who, though little
of stature, was great In renown, 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 Petrarch, and also
under his daughter, Novella, who would
often lecture to the scholars when her IA.
ther was otherwise engaged, placing her
self behind a small curtain, lest her beauty
should divert their thoughts, precaution,
In this instance at least, unnecessary, Lo
renzo having lost his heart to another.
To him she flies in her necessity, but
of what assistance can he be? He has just
taken his place at the bar, but he has new
or spoken, and how stand up alone, un-
practiced and unprepared as no is, against
an array that would alarm the most ex
periencedP
"Were as mighty as am weak, salt.
he, "my fears for you would make me as
nothing. But will be there, Gianetta,
and may the Friend Of the friendlcss give
me strength in that hour! Even now my
heart fails me, but, come what will, while
have loaf to share you and your moth
or shall never want. will beg through
the world for you."
The day arrives and the court assem-
bles. The. claim is stated and the evidence
given. And now the defense Is called for,
but none ie made. Not syllable is ut
tered, and after pause and oonsulta,
tion Of some minutes the judges are pro-
ceeding to give Judgment, silence having
been proclaimed In the court, when Lo-
renzo rises and thus addresses Them
"RoverenA signors, young as / am,
may l venture to speak In behalf OF one
| who hns mono else to help herp will
not keep you long. Much has been said,
much on the sacred nature Of the obliga-
tion, and we acknowledge it In Its full
force. Let IL be fulfilled, and to the last let
ter. II is what we solicit, what we re-
| quire. But to whom Is the bag Of gold To
be delivered? What says tho bond' Not
TO one, not to two, but To the three. Let
sI..s slsx... a. - Il. q