The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1905-09-07

and she called the little girl Nita after
herself. For a few year my wife
Nita and little Nita travel with ne in
the circus, but my wife Nita take sick
and die. Then | hat little Nita put in
a big school in Albany. and she is
there now.
I hat a pin and a locket and a
chain witch little Nita wore, witch l
aaf kept. They will be in the box
with this letter. On the pin is the
name Alice. The locket hat a picture
of a beautiful lady. l took this pic.
ture out and put a little slip of paper
under it with the date on it when 4
found the child.
This is all know. 1 love little Nita
like she was my own. My brothers
name is Charles Sigmotta, but 1 do
not know where he is. Little Nita
is at Madame De Longs school in Al
bany, in the Stat of New York.
Il swear by all the holy saints that
what | hat written is true.
"ANTONIO SIGMOTTA."
Here, indeed, was a valuable docu.
ment. My exultation was so great
that I seemed to have Ralph Gravis-
court completely routed, and Edith
B%roughton's sweet face seemed to
smile en~couragingly at me from way
across the sea. But after a few min.
utes of supreme qualification, the
thought flashed over me that the
statement of Antonio Sigmotta, other.
wise known as Barlotti. did not in any
way connect Ralph Grayiscourt with
the case. OF course, the photograph.
the pin with the name Alice engraved
1t and Nita Barlotti's striking
resemblance to the wife of Charles
Graviscourt. were to my mind conclu-
sive evidence, but would the evidence
hold in law? knew it would not.
took the locket from my pocket,
removed the picture and found a slip
OF white paper bearing a date. l ex-
amlned this, and my heart throbbed
with excitement when l saw that the
date of Doctor Sigmotta's attempted
murder of Nita Barlotti was the same
as that inscribed upon the tomb.
stone in Trinity cemetery, New York,
as the date of little Alice Graviscourt's
death. l carefully replaced the paper
n the picture, and with wild dreams
OF n might occur if l ever escaped
from the clutches of the prefetto, |
passed the remainder of the night half
sleeping on a broad. low couch that
stood in one corner of the guard room.
In the morning l was served with
a substantial breakfast and soon
after | had disposed of it | was con
Quoted before the prefetto. The elder
Maligni looked at me with a venom.
Gus glance, and I saw in the faces of
the crowd of men around him not one
g.ance of friendliness.
Among the spectators was a rascal
Unlocking fellow who was called by
the prefetto "Pordino," and as he
seemed to have the friendship of the
powerful Maligni, l at once identi-
fed him as the Count di Pordino, the
uncle of Henry Thorlans, spoken of
by Mutterelli.
Mia was not brought into the room
during the trial, and did not seem to
an important factor. There was
not a friendly voice raised in my be-
half. made an attempt to speak,
but was ordered to be quiet.
When the testimony was all in, the
prefetto turned to me, and said:
Young man, | have listened to the
evidence against you, and l find that
you are guilty Of the murder of my
brother. From to-day, you are the
as dead. The sentence which I
impose upon you is that you be
put n the Cagliari prison and work
for h state during the remainder of
your life. That is all l have to say
to you"
Butt" cried, springing to my feet.
Il am not guilty. l swear to you, pre-.
fetto, that l do not know who killed
your brother! l had no cause to hate
him or to wish him dead! But others
had! An attempt at his life was
made in New York. I saw it, but |
had nothing to do with it. Your
brother had enemies who have
tracked him here. l."
Enough! You were seen yesterday
company with another, examining
my villa and grounds. At night my
brother is murdered and YOU are
found on my property, carrying off
my brothers promised wife. 1t is
enough"
Then turning to the guard, he Ut
tered a command. and l was conduct
ed from this hall OF justice to my pris-
AS entered the great iron gates Of
the prison yard, and heard them clang
behind me. | felt the deepest despair,
My clothes were taken from me,
and | was clad in the bi-colored pris-
on suits with which Sardinia clothes
its prisoners.
These suits are made of stuff very
similar to that in use for the same
purpose in the United States. but the
colors, instead of running in stripes,
are divided in the middle. One-half
measuring from a line drawn'from the
nose downward, is dark and the other
light. When | had been thus clothed
l had one arm. leg and the right side
of my body black. and the left arm,
leg and half of my body a dirty gray.
My watch. the gold locket and pin
that had taken from Maligni were