The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1905-08-24
MQubkeCk, The uOnlo1e|.
By SEWARD w. HOPKINS,
Author Of Jack Robbins Of America ''ln the
China Sea-" Two. Gentlemen Of
Hawaii, "On a False
Charge" Etc.
o.pyr,sns. 1895, by ROBERT Boss..,. sor.
CHAPTER VI.-(continued.)

eANs 49, ShoS pussy
ing in the hall could not overhear our
conversation. Mutterelli, who sat
near a window. smoking a cigarette,
looked ct me in surprise.
Il am going to tell you something.
Mutterelli,' l said, smiling at his sur
prised look, "and l want to make sure
that no one a hear me but you"
You need not fear" he replied. "I
do not think, signor, that there is
another person in the hotel who
speaks English"
Very good. Now, to begin, Nut
%terelli, must tell you that I have not
come to Sardinia to hunt mouhon. In
fact, l don't care a sardine whether
there are. any moufon here or not"
Mutterelli opened his eyes wide and
pulled harder on his cigarette.
1T is a lady, signor," he said
AN AFFAIR.""
ut is a lady" I replied. "and a good
deal OF an affair. Now listen. There
is somewhere in the island of Sardinia
a man whom l must find. l have rea-
O to believe that he has lived here
some years. You may have heard of
hint. His name is Maligni."
"Maligni!" exclaimed MuttereIi,
leaping to his feet. THE prefetto!
You came here to find Maligni? Ma
ligni! He is the prefetto! The gov
error of the province of Cagliari! The
most powerful of the Sandman
judges! The head of the Order of
Our Lady, the strongest order in Italy
OF the Catholic Church. You came to
Cagliari to find him! He owns you
while you are in Cagliari!"
This was startling. Mutterelli
gazed at me as if I was a maniac. He
certainly looked like one.
There may be other Malignis," I
said. 1.-THE name is not an uncommon
one, is it,"
There is but one family Di, Ma
ligni,", he replied. Their estate is
about ten miles from here, on the
northern Boulevard. 1t is the finest
country seat in Sardinia. 1t belongs
to the prefetto, who, although he has
his legal residence in the castle, and
is there every day, spends most of
his time with his family in his coun-
try villa. There were two brothers
Di Maligni, and the prefetto is the
elder. The other is in America. He
is not rich like the prefetto.'
That's the man | am AFTER" I said.
"Pacho Maligni, Snowman. He was
In America, but I have reason to be-
lieve that he is now in Sardinia. He
has in his possession a young woman
about whom there is a great mystery.
To solve this mystery l have pursued
him here. To enable me to attain
my object it is essential that OBJ
tain possession of a certain red box
that was given to Pacho Maligni by
this girls father on his d%eathbed. L
believe that in that box were papers
or other things throwing some light
upon the birth of the girl. The man
was an Italian. But she is not, and
that is the mystery l want to get at"
Mutterelli shrugged his shoulders.
You are in love with the young
'ouy, SiSHOl NE SdlU. ~
NO" | replied, Il am not, though
she is lovely enough for any man to
fall in love with her. But | am al
ready in love with a young lady of
New York. but | cannot marry her
until the mystery of the red box is
solved"
"But what about this young sig
Norman he asked. "You will not at
tempt to take her from Pacha Malig-
rip"
"She must be rescued from the
clutches of this Maligni at all haz-
| replied, emphatically. 81 have
sworn by the memory of one who
loved heF, and whom she loved, now
d"'d. although she does not know it
to rescue her, and, if my suspicion is
correct, restore her to that position
in life to which she belongs"
And the rane of the sig%norina?"
asked Mutterelli.
"Nita Barlotti.'
Muttere!!i smoked an entire cigar.
cite before he answered. sat and
looked out Of the window, giving him
all the time he wanted to study the
matter.
Finally Mutterel!i shook himself
and heaved a great sigh.
Well" l said, what do you think
OF it?"
ut is dangerous" he said, slowly.
"Of course it is dangerous. In fact
it is more dangerous than even you
imagine. This Maligni has an enemy
unknown to me, who has made one
attempt on his life. and may make
another. Maligri will, .of course. be
constantly on guard, even though he
may fancy himself secure in his
brothers house. Yes. it is danger
GUS"
But how will you begin, signor?"
asked M%utterelli.
Il shall begin by leaving the details
OF the beginning to you," l replied.
You understand these Italian houses,
and you car bride the servants. I
don't care how much money you use,
if you only succeed. You must ar
range for me to meet Nita Barlotti
alone-at her window or in her room
-or any place where | may speak to
her without interruption. Then you
must arrange for me to see Pacho
Maligni in his private apartments,
tho his Saejup mo mr. knou,ir,