The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-26

as AylWIn Merton, lying a. ease among
The stern cushions OF his gondoia, was
being slowly poIed along one on the
outer canals of Venice.
He had come into 4 fortune but three
months before. and after seeing the
affairs OF his estate put into decent or
der, had packed up his traps and was
off TO Europe for q holiday. He had
visited Nice and 3Ientone, and only
three days before had arrived in Venice,
where he had taken rooms n the Pal
azzo Luciano, no longer a palace but a
great hotel. Americans and B~ritishers
jostIed Zach in the great hall Of the
house where once the proudest mobiles
OF Venice had been wont 70 throng; Ger
mans and French scowled at each other
in rae smOking-rOom. once the ladies
salon. where the patricidn danes OF
the old city had gathered TO ak scan
daI and intrigue.
1t was his first visit TO Venice, and
the rOmantic gIamOr Of the place was
strong on him. This fascination 1t was
that made him lend u ready ear to his
~lOQuaciOus gondOIier. Alessandro Ber-
ger5. A~lessandrO, or as he was known
to all mis- comrades, SandrO. had d great
fund of Venetian story; ne may not
have been historically accurate in all
his detail, but he was generally anus
ing and always interesting. h facul-
ty had caused him TO be run after. n
AyIwiu had good reason to congratulate
himself on having secured Sandro to be
his g]OudOIier for the period of his stay
Gu Venice.
The g0ndOIa was drifting into 7 Of
the smaller canals. on the left hand
and seaward side stood a Palazzo, dark,
frOWuiuS and, to all appearance tenant
less. The steps Of the Ianding-place
were crumbling under the action Of the
water, and the stones were covered with
q green slime that spoke Of death and
decay. Here and there along n stone
parapet were wooden posts used afOre-
time for the mOoring of boats and gOn-
dOlas, these were now mildewed and
altogether rotten. the wood being dry
and splintered
The PalaZZO stood on a little island
all by itself. Water surrounded it on
its four sides, cutting il off from the
town and leaving it bare on the lagoon
side 1t rose some -four stories in
height. and you may judge of its length
when you know that no less h eigh-
ty great windows ran along each of its
tong sides; on the short sides there were
twenty windows.
And every window was shattered.
Not 4 single one but was absolutely
closed.
AyTvyfD looked nm 1qz1v
What do you call this. Sandro?" he
asked.
This IS the PaIazzo SfOrziani. Signor.
For n hundred years it stood as
you now see it. No one has lived there,
and no one has been daring enough TO
attempt to enter it"
Why is that? Is there a history
'Si. Signor, a history and Il mystery.
y hundred years ago Prince Sforziani
married a woman out Of a strange
country He was on his travels when
he met her. and he married her before
he took her home to Venice. When they
returned there were great festivities
balls and entertainments. One night
whan all the guests a left the palace
and all was still, shrieks were heard
from n rOOm-what room no one car
TNHE III Int I III IL NAN
hall. too frightened 70 search for the
meaning of the noise. Half the night
the shrieks continued. but at about -four
in the morning. just as the sun besar
to rise. the terrible cries ceased. Some
Of the servants. seeing that the light
was showing against the stained glass
windows of the hall. plucked up cour-
age and ventured to open the grea-
InNr. Of Tho n111r. n-la D-r+SYTa -hAT
fled toward the L.earest gOndoll. Blu
as hey passed along the pavement
they came on the body OF the Prince
lying in his nisht-dress. his face paIliC
as death and two small holes in hi!
throat. The holes were wiped clean. 5,
that no blood showed. but 10 all il ap
peared as if he had bled TO deatt
through these small apertures
They lifted him up and carried hin
INFO the palace towards the chamber o
tha Princess. The Princess. l SHOULD
have told Ou. was a most lovely wona
tall. With a crown of r~aven-black hair
Il complexion as white and bloodless d
the snow, and I voice that would haV'
ravished Death himself. She SCENE,
cold and im~periOus. but rot more 3
thar most OF our old Venetian ladies.
1uS\ Carried the EEILCe 90 tile steep
ing chamber. The door was locked
Thy knocked Violently \ voice Gale,
10 them after 4 while: it was the VOC
IL The Princess. She asked what the
wanted. They told her that they ha,
found the Prince dead, and that me.
had brought him to her.
Then the door opened. The Princes
stood II her white sleeping-rObes. Bu
her face WAS no longer pallid as one tina
IS dead: she was flushed with wha
seemed an unnatural color. Her cheek
were red With rose OF youth. her broI
vas TudGy IS If with anger, ana he
neck even was tinged with an unusua
hue. The servants stared at her 70
4 seemed as f she had been transfg
ured.
she save them brief commands. an
they bore the dead man in and laid hir
Town upon n couch. You would natur