The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-07-10
CONTINUED from Wednesday,
XIII.
TWO in the COLOSSEUM.

Two in the Colosseum.
Immediately after the lawyer had left
the room a letter was handed to Blanca.
1t had no signature and contained the
following:
''Princess-Be careful. Prince C. medi-
tates a hellish design against you. He.
too, desires his marriage with you dis
solved, but at the same time wishes to
marry you to his favorite. Until now you
have been the wife of the Prince. and
the Marchioness Caldariva his mistress.
Prince c. desires to reverse these rela-
tons. The Marchioness Caldariva Is to
be his wife and you his mistress. Be
upon your guard. The birthplace OF the
Borgias is here e
This letter filled Blanca with alarm.
However monstrous the ideas expressed
in 1t, when used In connection with these
two men. even such things become cred
Ible. She was confirmed in her suspicious
by the terrible scenes of the past. the
recollection of which was sufficient to lead
person to contemplate suicide, Neither
the vdndictive man nor the libertine allows
any restraint to be placed upon him.
They are hideous demons.
But what If this letter were only a
anare7
Who might have sent It? Here in a
foreign country. where only few know
that a Princess Cagliari exists, who can
be acquainted within er most profound
secrets?
To whom may she make known her
Involuntarily she took out her sketch
book. Again her eye wandered through
Its pages. But 1t was all in vain. the
address was no longer there. 1t was
written upon the leaves she had torn
from the book. and these are somewhere
among the many-colored acanthus bushes
in the Colosseum.
Since they had nothing more to do that
morning, Blanca proposed to Nine. de
Dormandy that they return to the Colos-
scum: she would renew her unsuccess-
full efforts Of yesterday TO force this
wonder OF the world within the limits
of sketch-book leaf.
The two ladies entered one of the car
riagesw aiting below. on the floor of which
were the arms of the house of Cagliar!
and on the box a coachman wearing q
Colosseum. They arrived there in good
time; no one but themselves was TO be
seen in the spacious arena.
Blanca remembered the exact spot
among the bushes where she had thrown
the leaves and could therefore immediate
ly begin her search in the right place.
But the united efforts of both ladies
proved unsuccessful; the leaves could not
Who could Have picked up torn pieces
of paper from among the bushes-frag-
ments that were not of the smallest use
Since she was here yesterday no one
had visited the ruins of the amphithe-
alter. Only one artist, protected by a red
umbrella, had been painting on the upper
gallery. Who could have come here for
those innocent pieces of paper? VINO
could have been interested In the unin-
telligfble scribbling upon them?
In the meantime German party. I'M
der the guidance of the able. had arrived.
Mutual acquaintance was soon formed.
The Germans-their thoroughness Is not
commented without reason-desired to be-
gin immediately with the inspection of
the subterranean rooms: therefore, torch
es and wax candles were lighted. The
Princess begged to be excused She
stated that whenever she went into dark
recesses she was seized with dizziness.
She preferred remaining alone outside in
order to look into the deep chasms of her
own fate: that caused her no dizziness.
She could without danger remain there
alone. There are neither robbers nor wild
animals in the Colosseum. and there arc
guards standing at the door
She sat down again at the foot OF the
cross, not for the purpose of sketching.
for this she now had no thought. She
INDUCED in childish play. From the bios
SONS of the dandelion, which grew here
in profusion, she made chain and hung
II around her neck. While making 1t she
thought that among all the martyrs who.
on account of their Christian belief. had
here been torn to pieces by wild beasts.
there are none who, at the approach or
the tigers and hyenas, had suffered great
err anguish than does she as she sees the
approach of the monsters who are sent
to tear her to pieces.
How happy Is that painter up there in
the gallery! Today again he sits working
before his easel. The painter Is the only
happy man in the world. He need not
fear exile; every country is his homo.
The language of its people does not trou-
BILE him; his thoughts are understood by
every people. He fears no hattie and
takes no part in 1t; he only paints 1t. The
painter is a man of cold temperament
He paints a Venus without falling in
love with her; he paints Madonna ana
does not become piouS; he paints God or
the devil and fatters neither.
How much better portion his fate or
dained for him whom it has caused to
be born with the fire of st. Helmo on
his forehead than for him whom 1t has
destined to wear a princely crown.
And 1t is art which renders woman the
equal of man. A woman-painter is not
half of another: she Is herself whole
tune from the charitable. name from
man, nor a blessing from the altar. She
provides all these herself.
How is that art to be acquired? Blan-
heart seem inspired with an ardent long
ing to possess 1t.
Prompted by these feelings. she as
cended the gallery for the purpose OF
seeing how the artist finished what she
was not able even to begin.
Admiration for an artist while he is
using his brush Is a voluntary tribute OF
homage to the art
Blanca repaired alone to the gallery
upstairs She could walk there unmo-
Tested. No rose-wreathed lihertines of
Heliogabalus advanced to meet her; no
scantly-clad courtesans caused the blush
of shame to rise to her cheek; nor were
the archers of the mutinoLs Roman YES
sells lurking in the embrasures of the win
dows; on the broad steps, worn away by
the sandals of the populus Romanus. her
eye met only the names which former
visitors had written on the walls. And