The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-12

$500 - AA-S Ae~%C with Tie THEFT, DuS 1Cnl
| would not stir on such an Grand 1t
was no use, he said; his beautiful panel
was gone-destroyed by now-and Cecco
would only laugh and deny everything.
He ought never to have left his precious
carving till he had himself handed It to
the judges
This seemed sadly true
Giulio ventured to hint that the strange
lutanist himself might have hlched the
carving. He had admired it hugely. He
might have lurAed at hand in some deep
doorway, till TOMS going out gave him
chance to return and make of with
the panel. To this Toni made indignant
reply that any one whose music was so
| angelical. and whose words hal been SO
kind. could never have done him a
wrong like that
All night the wind went CRYING down
the narrow street. 1t dragged at the
! iron bars of TOMS window. The rain
/ fell in floods: so that Giulio, who had
stayed by his friend, whimpsred prayers
beneath his breath TO Santa Barbara
| protectress against storms. As for
| Toni, he needed nothing but his SIR
row, His tears fell fast as the dro. 8
| outside. But. at last, in the hoIr be-
fore dawn. when the storm finally was
dying away. sleep came to the boy
Next day. at 10 of the clock, the Judges
apartment of the Paliazzo Albert. close
beneath whose windows ran the tawny,
| ripping Arno. There was Ser Luigi A.
| berti himself, in doublet ana hose Tncre
was tho frocked ami tcnsured prior of
the monastery, TO whose church the Al
berti chapel belonge1-a prior of much
! judgment In regard to sculpture OF all
sorts. There was also Messer Bene-
detto da Maiano, a woodcarver of great
distinction. rag
These Toni saw when he presented him.
self. He came L ale and sad-eycd, but dc
termined to tell his story, and beg for a
| little more time that he might try to re-
produce his work At the end of the room
were his comrades of the workshop, and
in row before the judges were the
carvings. ready for examination. Among
| them was a wreath so del cately scooped
from the wood that It's leaves seemed
ready to tremble before the breath OF
! the passer by. 1t was the lost panel
Toni had recognized 1t instantly AS IL
drawn by unseen. pulling hands, he came
nearer and nearer the carvings, while
| judges and boys looked on In astonish-
ment
at is mine. mine Messere.' he cried,
| pointing a trembling hand at the panel.
Last night this was stolen from my
room! Who has brought 1t here?"
And who are you, sir, who come bring
| ing accusations?" demanded Ser Luigi
Il am Antonio Motto, one of the con-
testdnts. and that is my carving" was
| TOMS answer
This was, l think, the panel handed
in by Cecco Bossi another contestant
said Ser Luigi to his colleagues. "Cecco
Bcssi. what have you to say to all
| thi;?"
| Cecco advanced with a smooth, fawn-
ing air.
! 81 cannot imagine what Notta means
| by claiming my carving" he &c ,iarel.
| 81 have been at work on 1t ever since
! the contest was given out
| TT is not so, Messere. 1t Is mine'
| was all that Toni could say
'It is by all odds the best piece OF
carving here very gen." said the
prior aside to Ser Luigi I'VE must
unravel this dispute before going far
Their" Then TO the boys. he said: Can
not your comrades bear witness to which
| of you the panel beIongs?"
81 worked privately always in my
own house and not in the bottega." an
swered Toni My comrades never saw
| the carving
at was the same with me-" asserted
| Cecco.
| The judges evidently were puzzled
but there must be some mark or sign
| on the carving" said Ser Luig', by
| which ownership can be provedY'
1 Then ioyfully. Toni remembered the
cipher. He opened his lips to speak OF
4 it, when Cecco took the words out of his
1 mouth.
.'If You will lock on the back of my
/ panel. Excellency," he said you will
see there a curious row Of loops. That
! is a private device invented by me "a
4 mark nay work. CeCco also had seen the
/ cipher, not likely 10 pass unnoticed.
In desperation Toni made one last eff
! fort.
/ 1T is not as Cecco says" he insisted
! once again. The work is my very cwn,
! and the mark on the back was charm
| to bring me luck, carved there by lu-
| teTist. who told me it would aid me in
! the contest"
Father of Liesg' cried the Prior
and lutanists. indeed! Had we not better
| have the fellow put out ut once. Ser
EIigi?"
But Messer ~Benedetto. touched bv the
! bcTs despairing face, said more kindly:
| And where is this lutaniSt? You could
| appeal 10 him. you know. to confirm year
/ story"
Poor Toni! He was obliged to answer:
Alas! l know not where he has gone
He came from Milan he said perhaps
1 he has returned there"
You see. sirs. what false tale nc
! tells cried Cecco again.
! The judges conferred together.
! 1t is truly strange happening said
! the Prior: but, in my opinion, we should
! panel mere and tells a straight story
AS for the other fellow he can show M
proof for his highly improbable account,
! and should be Immediately dismissed"
/ Toni heard the words. AT that moment
| when his case seemed lost, a sudden
! thought camr to his rescue.
There is one thing morer' he ex
! claimed. making a step forward. The
] lutanist said. If I needed help to call for
a. mirror and hold it to the cipher. Then
/ the charm would be complete"
locked ir1Hu &C
! interested.
"A mirror" cried Ser Luigi
! A servant brought one. with a golden
| setting Of quantity wrought grotesques.
/ 1t was faced toward the cipher and into
/ seen i'll the mirror. stared them in the
face the words: Approved Ii: VIZ"
''Wrat make you of this?' murmured
Ser Luigi. in angry perplexity. This
! nightly resembles the writing and sig
nature of Messrs. LEONARDO da Vinci.
the light of the art of painting. I know
! them both of old. as do you, Meseser
! Benedetto-and his left-handed habit Of
writing from right to left. But LEONARDO
/ Is far enough from Florence How
comes this on the panel? There is some
/ outrageous trick here
Perhaps" said Messer Benedetto;
but at any rate. Notta knows more
about the panel thai the other claimant"
After little more, Ser Lugui addressed
the contestants:
This panel, about whose ownership
there is dispute, is the best piece of work
offered. The carver. whoever he is. will
! be made decorator of the choir stalls of
our family chapel. But the matter needs
/ looking into. We will inquire as to the
work and standing of the rival pretend
( ers at the bottega. But more. The panel
bears the name and approval Of the
: T .fAta.. 4 "a