The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-08-15

/ SAASN > JUN anu mast playeU Euy part
well. If thou shouldst ask my present
advice, l should say to thee, Marry the
noble lady at once After having done
which and after having put the old
man out of the way in some quick and
convenient manner thou wilt of neces-
Sity be heir to the dukedom without
any further trouble about the bust
ness"
but have not asked thy advice" l
answered holly, "and it will be time to
| give it when l do So"
"Or, haply, thou couldst seize the
damizella and convey her to some
strong and secret place, there to detain
her until thou couldst make profitable
terms with Castruccio."
II tell thee, base churl," said l in
great anger, that thy advice is often
sive to me and that will have none of
it. And now get thee hence, as / have
business toward which brooks not de-
lay"
NAY, good prince; thou shouldst not
take so unkindly the prudent counsel
which l have offered. And as to this
business of thine, l myself will attend
thee to the postern gate whereof the
maid spoke as the night is somewhat
dark. and I trow that thou art not ia
miliar with the way"
| was aggravated beyond endurance
by his impudent persecution. He was
as hard to get rid of as Sindbad's old
man of the sea.
"Look here, knave," said l, placing
my hand upon my sword hilt, 81 will
speak plainly to thee. l have seen
enough of thee, and if thou dost not
presently leave me will make thee re-
pent of it."
He looked at me for moment in sur
prise, gave me a Mephistophelian leer
and went off whistling and with a
staggering stride into the darkness.
now sent Clan Jacopo to my castle
with directions to expect me within on
hour or two and then set out to find my
way to the rear of the dukes grounds.
1t was rather murky, but the moon was
at that moment rising, and l had just
enough light to get my bearings with.
l passed on beyond the palace, TO the
left, until ! came to a small street,
which ! afterward found was called
the Via de- Ginori, running at right an.
| giles with the one which was on. Here
bore to the right along the side Of the
brilliantly Illuminated edifce until |
came to a high stone wall with spikes
at the top. Following this for furlona
or more, | arrived at a great open field
or meadow which lay behind the wall.
ed garden of the Albizzi. | followed
the masonry along the whole width
of the field and found but one door or
gate in the entire extent of it. 1t was a
heavy, solid, oaken portal, and l came
to the conclusion presently that it was
the place l sought
i Fifty feet from the doorway and just
outside of the wall there was a round
cistern about fifteen feet in diameter
and with a stone coping two feet or sc
in height. 1t was probably public
well, where the inhabitants of the
quarter obtained their water. 1t Lacked
by my watch ten minutes of midnight
and | commenced to while away tho
time until Ippolita should come b!
casting pebbles down and listening fol
| 1, w
of twenty feet below the rim. Sudden
ly l heard footsteps close behind me
and even before could turn my head
| got a terrible thrust or poke in the
very middle of my back which sent me
headlong over the stone coping into the
ciStern
Fortunately l struck the water al
about the middle. which was much bet
ter than having my brains dashed ou
against the stonework around it. / wen
down about ten feet and, quickly rising
again to the surface, found myself
close to the wall, into crevice OF
which | succeeded in getting my fin
gers so that l could have breathing
, spell and look about me.
| "Domeniddio, sirrah, pardy, and by
my halidomw thought l, these being al
the medieval explosives which came tt
me at the moment.
could see three or four heads
; thrust out over the coping and peerins
{ down toward me. l had great presenc,
of mind and kept quiet, l assure you
! for / knew that the assassins if they
thought me still alive would cast dowI
, upon me number of good sized cobble
? stones which had noticed by having
J stumbled over them as I came to tn,
well.
"Beshrew me, but think it is thu
! end of him." in low tone said one O.
these well disposed persons.
'Let him rest in peace" said another
r "What beastly ignorancew thought
Having now, without doubt, come t.
the conclusion that they had dispatch
, ed me, they withdrew from the top O.
the well. However, doubted that the!
could have gone very far and kept al
still as mouse for upward of ten min
utes.
, CHAPTER VII.
| II