The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-10-11

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wasable TO see clearly again Any attempt
60 move gave me agony. aud, closing my eyes.
! lay still. ! heard the candle expire with a
splutter, and leave me in darkness Then
began TO get light headed, and unable 20 con.
troll my thoughts Somehow my mind trav.
elcd back to the days Of my childhood and
the figure OF the only living relative | can re.
member my tathcr, came before me, standing
just a. he was wont to stand, when about to
| give me lesson In the exercise Of the sword,
and repeating a warning he never ceased 20
din in my ears. Learning" he said, is Of
| little use to a gentleman. You need not
know more of books than a Savelii should,
| but in horsemauship and in the use oi the
| sword he finished with a gesture more
| expressive than words And truly old Er
| cole di Savei was never book worm,
though he ended stormy life in his bed.
lie was the son OF that Baptista iii Savcll.
| who was ruined with the prefetti Ill Woo
and other noble houses during the time 81
| Eugene ". Such estates as Baptsta had
were transferred with the person OF his sis
| ter Olympia. who married into the Chigi
| to that family aud with them the custodian
| ship Of the Conclavcs. Baptista III Savell
| left his son nothing but few acres The
| latter tired TO WOO Fortune in the Spanish
| war, but did not obtain her favors lie ~
turned to Italy, and, poor as job though he
was, hesitsted not to marry for love. and
engage in a lawsuit with Amilcar Chigi
What between the one and the other Ercole
was ruined in a hand turn. Ills wife died in
giving birth to me. and, disguised with the
world, he retired to small estate near Cola
in the Bergamasque There he devoted him.
self to a pastoral life, and to bringing me up
as a soldier, until, one fine day, having con.
tracted a fever, he received absolution and
died like a gentleman and a Christian.
followed the profession for which | was
intended. joining the levy Of the duke OF
Urbino. and sharing in all the ups aud
downs of the times, until Fortune did me
good turn at ForuOvo. Subsequently things
wen. well with me, and, although had to
mortgage my narrow lands, to raise and pro
vide the equipment for the men, with whom
! joined lrcmouille. ! was in expectation Of
a full reward. when ! was 30 suddenly strick-
en- down.
Thinking of these things in the darh, tor.
mcuted hy a dcvouriug thirst. which | was
unable to Inench, haunted by the impression
that ms last hour was come. aud that |
should die here like dog. without even the
last rites of the church, fell INTO a FRENZY,
dclrium D'Entrungues came before me.
wearing a smile Of triumph. and | strove im.
pUtently to reach. Then the whole room
seemed TO be full % my enemy. from every
corner | could see the white face. the red
hair, and the smile OF successful malice. The
figures. each one exactly like the other, float
cd over me, stood by my side. sometimes
brought their faces within an inch Of mine.
until ! imagined | felt ilame.like breath
beating on me Finally they fitted back
wards and forwards, rapidly aud more rap
idly. until there was nothing but a mass OF
moving shadow around me, which gradually
resolved itself again into single form. !
strove TO reach for my sword TO strike at It,
hut my arms were paralyzed. So through
the hvelong night the phantom stood az the
foot of my bed. until the white morning
came in at my window, and ] fell into
sleep
When ! awoke found the old ntendant
of the building bending over me The fever
had abated, but the thirst still remained
Water ] gasped through my parched
lips, and he gave me To drink.
To cut a long story short, ] arranged with
this man for such attendance as ! should
want, and to do him justice Ccci-foT that
was his name performed his part Of the
contract, getting me food, attending to the
dressing Of my wound, to which he applied
a most soothing salve, and such other offices
a helpless person must expect. lie did not
trouble me much with his presence during
the earlier part Of my illness, but came as
occasion required him, and. when he had
performed his work, lett me to my refec-
tions.
! may note here that never again saw
the people who helped me when | was
wounded. Having assisted me To my lOdg.
ing and aided inc to dress my hurt, as |
have said, they departed. and apparently
gave me no further thought. This am per
suaded was net due To unkiBdy feeling, but
to prudence, and a wish to AVOID being
mixed up in an affair such as mine appeared
to be; for the times were such that II was
better for a mans head TO be unknown to
the Magnifci Signori of Florence
Subsequently, when things changed with
me, ] caused public cry To be made, re-
qUesting the worthy citizens to come for. 1
ward; but my attempt was Of no avail. be-
yond producing a half-dOzen or so Of rascal |
impostors, who swore to helping me, under |
circumstances that never occurred, on the |
chance OF hitting nail on the head, and oh. |
tanning a reward. But this was long after |
my ulnesH, ana lne biock IN the Dafkcllo ]
may have, since that time. been a resting |
place for the heads Of the good Samaritans |
for all can say. took longer time in |
mending than thought should, for an in |
fiammation set in. the fever came back, and |
when that was passed recovered strength |
but slowly. II was at this time, however, |
that | discovered the advantage OF reading. |
having Up TO now borne only too well in
mind my fathers saying on that subject.
! began with "Polizianos Orfeo, poor |
affair." and then procured, To my delight, a
translation Of "Plutarch's Lives Both |
these books were obtained with the greatest
difficulty, so old Cec. the attendant, said,
fIom the library of great Florentine noble,
in which nephew Of his was employed in
copying manuscripts, and the old man
charged me an entire double form for the
use Of the latter alone; an expenditure l
grudged at first; but which ! would have
willingly paid twice over before ] finished
the volume. inquired the name OF the
Dobleman; but Ceci was not inclined TO tell
me, and ! gathered that the owner was
probably unaware that his books were tax
ing an airing, and enabling his library scribe
to turn dishonest penny. On the binding
Of the Plutarch was pricked a coat of arms,
a cross azure on field argent, with four
nails azure; but ! could not for the life OF
.l... thfs 1n.staa aIthnasfgh 4 haI