Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-09-17

~ tOAA yO4 ~.
Not sorrier than l am to hear it,
supposing what you tell me to be true.
Is it so?"
1T is quite true. If there be an ar
fist in Rome poorer than I, I've not had
the pleasure of meeting him."
Rather a melancholy pleasure that"
laughingly ~rejoints the bandit, "as my
experience of you with your ffty-fiye
scudi enables me to say; that, too, when
was expecting to find you of those
rich forestieri-English milords-who
You're sure you're speaking TRUTH"
Il am Can give you my word of
honor that all the money / have is in
that purse, which, l suppose, is now
no more mine"
Bah! signore; you needn't make
such a mouth about it. Fifty-fve scudi
-paltry sum! Why, even with the
trinkets added it isn't enough to salts
fly a common footpad for his pains, let
alone a band of brigands-that, too,
Corvino's! But come! I'm not now
speaking of money. You've given me
your word Of honour you haven't any
of that, and |, as a man of honour, ac-
cept it. But you've got something be-
sides money-property of a valuable
kind, convertible into cash; you must
have. A man who wears a watch like
this, with such a splendid cluster of
brilliants on his finger, should have
other belongings to correspond. If
not, t'would be an imposture-decep-
tion-rank false pretence. Likely,
you're playing with me, and let me tell
you that's a dangerous game. You've
got ONE other things in the citta, at
your studio, or lodgings. Run them
over in your mind, and let me have the
list"
IF you wish it," assents the artist,
thinking it best to humour the mex
orable requisitionist.
Il do wish it, greatly desire it; nay,
command it."
"In that case Well, two suits of
clothes made by a London tailor"
stop! Has he got paid for them?
I've heard o gentlemen of the pen
Gil are not the best of paymasters, not
neal so good as we, whose portraits
you're SO fond of painting. However,
go on. Whether your spare apparel be
settled for, or still upon some poor
sarto's books, will be all the same in
the end. Proceed with the inventory"
Say a dozen shirts, with a like num-
Der of collars and 'kerchiefs; two or
three pair of boots, with socks to go in
side them; a tile"
n tile! What's that?"
"a head-covering-a hat"
ooh, l understand"
"a hat tall as your own, Signor Cor
vino; though, l admit, neither so grace
full to the eye nor comfortable to the
crown. In my country We call it a
chimney-pot."
ooh, you mean one of those ridicu1-
Gus things I've seen upon the heads of
milords?"
Il do"
you're right, signore, at least as re-
CARDS its appearance. 'Twould make
Satan himself look a Guy. But go on"
Il can think of nothing else, save my
painting tools and materials. All, yes,
here's a double barrel shotgun, with a
pair of duelling pistols. Allow me to
say, Signor Corvino, if I'd only brought
them along you wouldn't now be con-
Tossing me in his free-and-easy fash
ion."
'Ha! ha! ha. You're f~acetious,
friend. l admire your spirit. Keep 1t
up as long as you can, though I'd wager
my Neapolitan hat against your En-
glish chimney-pot it'll be toned down.
and thoroughly tanned, before we two
part company. Have you gone through
the catalogue of your effects, or is there
something omitted? Think.
Not a thing. l have nothing more"
That's not true. You have friends
in the citta!"
mot one-not even an acquaintance.
l arrived in Rome only a week ago, and
don't know a soul in the place, except
the landlady who lets me my apart
ments."
What about Val di Orno? You have
friends in that village, else why should
you be going to it?"
The question takes the young En-
glishman abaek, starting apprehensions
OF a difficulty which hitherto had not
occurred to him. He sees how he has
committed himself by inquiring the way
to Val di Orno. The counterfeit pif-
ferari and peasants are beside him, lis
tening to every word said. And now
to make known his object in visiting
the remote mountain town, OF say aught
of his relationship to its Sindico-I
though only a letter of introduction,
and as yet undeliyered-may bring
trouble to the house of Francesca Tor
reani. Evidence of the power welded
by the redoubtable robber he has had.