The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-21

| the rest. Gently but firmly refusing to
be Kissed on both cheeks, sent him on
and then went home and laid my plans
| for my first, and In so far as man can
| be sure. my last burglary.
When walked into tho yellow recep-
| ton room OF the Pnlazzo Tranionti
| littio before ten o'clock, was tile first
OF all tho ball guests to arrive. Tho
| dinner gucsts were sitting about. talk
| Ing, nnd saw the sweat standing OIL
| 1,cpplno scnrpestretti'H forehead, as no
| released Trninonti whom he Tad button
holcd, and allowed that evidently per-
picked entertainer to greet me- All,
! T3ont, -~delighted to see you 60 early"
| Tramont, exclaimed, III you will cx-
| cuse me for ono moment to Took through
| my letters, We Will have a chat before
| the crowd cofnes--E Exposition business,
| you know"
Beopino's eyebrows climbed desphirngly
| M his moist brow. and he turned away
| Alba. her curly hair done up for the
| FIRST time sat near by In white frock.
III cav her eyes follow HOPPING ds no
[ moved.
I know the boy we'll. and knew that
under his sometlrnes cxnspcratlngly SHY
| exterior there was much good. and that
! he had d. deep concealed, much denied
! reverence for women, rather rare IN
| young fellows OF hiS age In italy.
50 1 sacrificed myself. and boldly be-
| came a bore for his sake
mo no. cried. shaking my finger
with ghastly jocularlity IN Trnmontfs
| face, .1nter there will be no time for
| my dear, and tell me about your pigeons.
| How are thcy?"
He looked surprised but insisted. II
was told yesterday that you have pair
| OF Rotmaninn wood piScohs--is 1t true7"
mo! i didn't ever know that thero
were Ro,iuanian wood pigeons One
minute, Blont-I must take look at
portant one. which may need a telc-
graphic answer. T."
What might have happened II the
| Princess Orsini had not come In Just
| then. can't say. but she did. and when
tho greetings were over. Contessa Ghika
with her three lantf wnd dnuslit.rf.
arrived, and Tramonti had to take up his
stand BY hls wife.
An hour later he pretended not TO- see
me as passed. and lodged behind old
| Madame Zlcglcr. who has woodei, les
I and IL enormously fat. ID
didn't blame him: had always been
a comparatively harmless man, and my
sudden development into A. garrulous old
fool babbling OF idiotic wood pigeons must
| have been shock TO his nervous sys-
J tenn, Y. A few minutes later heard him
tell Maria tAntoinctt1. in answer to =
Equestfon sun1ieard by mo. that no would
manage It during supper.
! Then Maria Antoinetta gave me a
LOOK OF ulmistakable disgust and walked
! of. Shc had never fixed ne, and can't
| say that my life has been pcrcept!blY
darkened by the fact, for I'VE never 40
mtred women with moustaches and stifr
eyelids, but no man likes 10 DO looked
! at In that way, so It was with growf
! at my own folly In having mixed myself
/ up in tho matter, that I started to look
| for Beppino to find out what time
| supper was TO be. found him, at last
| talking to Alba, and whispered my ques-
ton to him.
He stared. The goose had forgotten
everything. excepting evidently. Alba's
black fringed gray eyes.
Hungry. old MANI" he asked. gurgie
| OF imbccilc mirth in his voice. Sig
I norina-Signor Blont is hungry"
She looked up shyly. and Laughed.
"supper will be served in half on hour,
! she answered.
| Then glared Mt the besotted Beppino,
| and-he remembered.
Half an hour later. after had seen
T'ramonti leading Princess Weisscnstein
! to the superb room. went to the dress
| Ing room, and put on my oyeDshoes.
The servant stared. and explained
to him that my feet were cold.
/ Then sneaked out through an empty
| room 10 little back staircase and went
upstairs. Tramonti's study was at the
! front OF the palace in the second story.
| and behind 1t lay ,as know. the bed
/ room OF the secretary. The secretary,
d man with a semi-transparent nose.
would probably be in his room working
! on his cheerful book on Vegetable De-,
cay. There was no carpet on the sec
| ond floor, only occasional rugs; hence
my cold feet.
This story OF the palace was not open
i to the guests, but someone OF the house,
/ hold might easily be prowling about.
/ and shivcred as I reached the study
door,
/ Then. after a pause, pushed It gently
open. and peered In. The lamp on tho
y big green covered writing table WINS III
I and in its circle OF light lay neatly
arranged pile Of letters and papers, NO
one was In the room.
i nv passage to the table was accom-
| plished In absolute silence, thanks TO my
galoshes. and soon had the fateful let
ter IN my pocket
Hastily re-arranging the letters. ana
cursing the wan secretary's sense OF or
der az did so. ! started to the door.
TO my right was the Marchese's dress
sng; room, beyond that his bedroom.
/ and through tho ialS-open door saw
the figure OF man. bending over
table, his back iowa rds me. thinking
that 1t was the secretary smiled as
! sneakad nolselessly to the door BY which
I had entersd Just as l reached 1t a
voice to my left said MISUNDERSTANDING
suddenly, 1t seemed to me-"1Ialt, or
i I fire.
/ halted 80 much so that didn't
even turn around.
"Drop that knife, or fire." !.
i certainly had no knife. and was about
to say as much, when the voice went
4 on: NOW throw up your hands ana
4 come In here to me-
Then I heard the husky scraping OF
unwilling Footsteps over the stone floor.
i and understood, It was another burgtarl
I withdrew into the dark corridor and
turned
The wal, secretary, somewhere out Of
sight, to my right, since had turned
man / had seen bending oyer the table
4, Tranontis dressing room, and who