The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-15

Harold Brand was an American of
twenty-four, moneyed and cosmopoli-
tan The way in which he dashed
away his hair which dropped from the
parting. was characteristic of him; his
blue eyes were quite alert; his blood
fresh and brisk. But woman, some
how, had hitherto engaged little of the
interest of his free manhood. She, he
guessed, would come; and, meantime,
the busting world was a keen concern
and pleasure to him. He visited Ven
ice and, on the third day of the car
nival he beheld a chin, white between
the draperies of a gondola cabin, and
this he followed.
Venice the mysterious. BY Martedi
Grasso (Shrove Tuesday, he had al
ready kissed the lips above the chin,
and was told that he did it in peril Of
his life That was a great carnival
night. the Venetians in wild fete.
Gliding eastward he could hear the
= revelry from the Place of st. Mark,
and at II was at the old Procurator
- palace, where a municipal masquerade
lac was in full gala reel. BY u, he had
left the roulette room had descended
stairway, and walked on the tufted
carpet Of a dim corridor He found
himself alone-with her.
Her bosom heaved. Her eyes were
like bright black moons behind her
mask.
{ She was trembling. We cannot
: sneak here. These taSselS may De
,ea ears" She paused.
RS To him it was incredible. He was
unable to sympathiZe with her agIta-
ton. Yet that chin, the emphasis Of
these tones could hardly appertain to
one given over to fancies. She posed
with one projected slipper, the other
hip supporting her palm. He stood
adniring the dash and curve of her
the young full NSure clasped in
trainless dress of amber silk A ia
bura, or mantilla Of black l4c=,
tered from her head.
But. Belvidera. l say, do not agi-
tate yourself'-With a tenderness new
to his voice; what l had to say is
this: They have summoned me back
to AmeriCa-sOOn. Am | to go alone?
If you are beset with dangers, as you
say that is the more reason"
Danger? her fan touched his arm
but not to me, Harold. 1t is for you
I fear, dear. He dares not hurt me,
y you see? His motives for wishing me
dead are too evident and there is law,
isn't thera? But you, you cannot guess
Mauro BeIlini's poWers-the number Of
his emissaTies-"
Dear love! what emmissaries? He
can have no power over me.
She whispered They are members Of
the Banda, He looks upon himself as
the last of the old nobility, and the
design Of his life has been the en-
thronement of himself in the old maj
esty of the Doges AS it is he is chief
magistrate. Hence the league-it in
cludes all classes: he knows that |
know of it. and secretly fears me.
Guesses that l. too, have friends-ser-
vants-I. But you must not think that
he viii he lightly baked in his life
Work-in his old age-by Whim, as
he certainly considers our love-Har-
old"
y But I am innocent of desire to balI
this old boy in anything whatever! Per
sonaIly l do not care rush
1T is al a question of money, you
see? You know that my wealth is Won
derful? All, you did not know! 1t is
for myself only is it not-good you are.
But it is in his hands. dear--till l mar
Ty. That by my fathers VIII, you per
ceive? Meanwhile l am MaurO Bellini's
niece and wizard Ny money is his
poWer-the power Of the Banda. My
lover is, to him, the deadliest. foe Of
Venice He viii destroy a thousand
lives, and he can, if they Interfere
with his dream"
But the question is this. BeIvidera;
will you, in ten days, leave Venice, with
or without the consent of this old gen
tleman?"
- ficing your. Look there. did you see
the tapestry stir? You know the arch
way near the porch Of Santa Maria del
la Salute, meet me there at l.
The tapestry parted and sgnore m
evening dress sauntered toward them
He bowed pTofusely. BelVidera held Up
a finger to Brand with a whispered
"One," and walked after the stranger
AS Brand assembled once more to the
halls, the throng had formed lane,
down which paced an old man, gor-
geOuS in velvet. The double line of
heads went undulating at his advance,
like foliage before the wind. A neigh
Dor whispered Brand that this was
Mauro Bellini himself. The candle
light illustrated the thousand Fuckers
of the skinny face, the mouth, whose
lips had inclined inward to a crevics;
but the bald brow told of mental maj
DI esty. Some great priest he seemed
more than a civil dignitary. AS he
passed, his head deliberately turned
and directed upon the rosy face Of
Brand a warning gaze. Brand, sur
prised. returned the look with a frown
of coolest insolence. 1t was challenge,
and its answer.
Before the stroke of one, behind
turret OF Santa Maria, two men waited.
One, a Moor named Ali, a squat OK,
with corded throat and huge jaw; the
other was Ronaldo, the signore who
had been behind the tapestry.
But Belvidera was looking in agon-
lied concern for Brand. Despairing,
she darted out into the piazza. She
reached the Merceria, down which she
sped. In a lane she stopped and ut
tered a kind of yodel; a door opened.
and tall old woman with scattered
hair stood shading a lamp. In con-
trast with her poverty, a diamond
- glittercd on a finger-the gift of Bel
~TRidera.
"Brescia, quick-put that lamp down!
You must be at Santa Maria before
Yes, signOrina."
The American-yoU KNOWS in dan
ger. 1 told him to meet me there, and
was Overheard-I have found Out-by
Ronaldo. Something is brewing, l
know; some plot, something. You must
be there and watch for his coming. Say
I cannot meet him tonight. Warn him
aWay-force him away, good Brescia.
.NIauro Bellini has looked at me queer
~ this night. GOi And, Brescia, at
2 be back with news. 1 will be here
for you"
x Brescia had pulled out the light She
p covered her head with her skirt, and
walked swiftly away. Northward to
the Rialto she traversed the deserted
city, turned then westward and south
ward. She reached Santa Maria before
l, and in the deep of the archway
crouched.
'He is GOMEZ whispered the black
IL