The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-02
The Torture of Fear.
a Tale of Venice. From Cornhill Maya
zine. In five parts.)
PIT

PART l.
Harold Brand was British person OF
twenty-four, moneyed and cosmopolitan.
The way in which he dashed away his hair
which dropped from the parting, was char
acter.stic Of him; his blue eyes were quite
alert; his blood fresh and brisk. But Wo-
! man, somehow, had hitherto engaged little
Of the interest of his free manhood She,
he guessed, would come; and meantime the
| busting world was keen concern and
! pleasure to him. TIL. on the third day of
the carnival he beheld chin. white be-
! tween the draperies Of q gondola cabin
| and this ne followed.
Venice the nyster.ousi By Glovedi Gras-
so (Shrove Tuesday, he had already brush
| ed the lips above the chin. and was told
| that be did it in peril of his life. That
| was great carnival-night, the Venetians
| IN wild fete. Gliding eastward he could
hear the revelry from the Palace OF 81.
| Mark, and at eleven was at the old Pro-
| curator Palace where a municipal masQue-
rade was IN full gala reel. BY twelve ne
! had left the roulette-room, had descended
a stairway, and walked on the tufted car
| pet of a dim corridor. He found himself
! alone-with her.
Her bosom heaved. Her eyes were Ike
! bright, black moons behind her mask.
| 'Listen,-I was foolish, you see. We can
! not speak here. These tassels may be ears
! believe me-"
To him II was Incredible He was unable
| to sympathize with her agitation. Yet that
| chin, the emphasis of these tones, could
hardly apperta:n TO one given over to fan
c.es. She posed with one projected slip
per, the other hip supporting her palm. He
/ stood admiring the dash and curve of her,
| the young full figure clasped in irainles.
dress OF amber silk. A Tabura, or mant,lla
, Of black lace, f1uttered from her head.
But Belvidera, I say, do not agitate
| yourself with a tenderness new to his
voice; what l had to say is this: they
| have summoned me back to England
soon. Am 1 to go alone? If you are Seset
with dangers. as you say, that is the more
| reason"
"Dangers?'-her fan touched her arm
but not to me, Harold. Ii is for you
fear-dear He dares not hurt me, you
see? His motives for wishing me dead
are too evident, and there is law. isn't
there? But you! you cannot
guess Mauro Bellini's powers-the number
of his sworn em:ssar;es--''
Dear love. what emissaries? He can
| have no power over me-"
She whispered: They are members Of
the Banda! He looks upon himself the
last of the old nobility, and the design of
his life has been the enforcement of him
self in the old majesty of the Doges. AS
il is, ne IS chief magistrate. Hence the
Lsague-it includes all classes; he knows
that I know of it, and secretly fears me.
Guesses that /, too, have fr:ends-serv-
ants-I. But you must not think that he
will be lightly baked in his Efe-work-
IN his old age-by whim, as he certainly
considers our love-Harold-"
But l am innocent of desire to balk
this old boy in anything whatever. Per-
sonally, 1 do not care rush"
1T is all question of money. you see?
You know that my wealth is wonderful?
An, you did not know. 1t is for myself only,
IS ii not? good you are. But it Is
n his hands, dear-till 1 marry. That by
my fathers VIII, you perceive? Meanwhile
l am Mauro Bellini's niece and ward. My
money is in his power-the power OF the
Banda. My lover is, TO him, the deadliest
fee Of Venice. He will destroy a thousand
lives, and he can, if they interfere with
his dream-'
But the question is this, Belvdera: in
a week, ten days, do you leave Venice.
with OF without the consent of this old
gentleman"
But yes if 1t is possible. without sac
r!fcing you. Look there, did you see the
tapestry stir? 1 have much to say to you
at one-meet me-you know the archway
near the porch of Santa Maria della
Saluta--"
The tapestry parted. and a signore in
evening dress sauntered toward them He
bowed protusely. Belvidera held up fin
ger to Brand with a whispered One and
Tlral H.
cended once more 10 the halls, the throng
had formed a lane down which paced an
old man gorgeous in cramo:sy velvet. The
double line of heads went undulating at his
advance, like foliage before a wind. a
neighbor whispered Brand that this was
Mauro Bellini himself The candle-light
illustrated the thousand Fuckers OF the
skinny face, the mouth, whose lips had in
clined inward 10 a crevice: but the bald
brow told of mental majesty. Some great
priest he seemed more than civil dig
nitary. As he passed his head deliberately
turned and directed upon the rosy face
of Brand a warning gaze. Brand, surpris-
ed, returned the look with frown OF COOL
est insolence II was a challenge and its
answer.
Before the stroke of one, behind a turret
of Santa Maria, two men lurked. One. a
Moor named Ali, a squat OK, with corded
throat and huge jaw; the other was Ro- |
naldo, the signore of the profuse bow in
the corridor.
But Beividera was again in the CORR /
DOR even while the challenge of eyes was !
being exchanged in the halls above look |
ing in agonized concern for Brand. De- /
spairng. she darted out into the piazza. !
She reached the Merceria, down which she 1
sped In a lane she stopped and uttered 1
a kind cf yodel; a door opened. and a tall !
old woman with scattered hair stood shad- /
ing a lamp. In contrast with her poverty. 4
a diamond glittered on her finger-the gift /
of BelviGera.
"Brescia, quick-put that lamp down, /
You have 10 be al Santa Maria before /
one,'
Yes, signorina."
THE Englishman-you knows in dan !
ger. l told him 10 meet me there, and /
was ovrheard-I have found out-by RO- /
naldo Something is brewing, I know:
some plot. something You must be there
before the Inglese. Watch for his COM
ing. Say I-cannot meet hm tonight. Warn
HIM away-force him away. good BreScla
go with hirl-keep sharp eyes. VIII you?
Mauro Bellini has looked al me queeriy this
night. Got And. Brescia, a. two be back
with news. I viii be here for you
Wheat King of the World.
The wheat king OF the world resides IN
Argentina He IS an Italian e-1icrant /