The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-08-18
A0ul|kgCk, The j u|lIQlg||
By SEWARD w. HOPKINS,
Author Of "Jack Robbins Of Amefica.' in the
China Sea- 1.-Two Gentlemen Of 4
Hawaii" "On False [
Charge" Etc.
Copyright, 1895, by RosEnr BosSr.'s sora
CHAPTER W.-(continued.)

dHlleu INC 'uOOI. IidNluS sure ludI IL
was closed, and that any person pass
ing in the hall could not overhear our
conversation. Mutterelli. who sat
near window smoking cigarette,
looked ct me in surprise.
Il am going to tell you something,
Mutterelli." said, smiling at his sur
prised look, "and l want to make sure
that no one can hear me but you"
you need not fear" he replied. 81
do not tank, signor. that there is
another person in the hotel who
speaks English"
every good. Now. to begin, Nut
terelli, must tell you that l have not,
come to Sardinia to hunt moution., In
fact | don't care a sardine whether
there are any moutlon here or not"
Muttereili opened his eyes wide and
pulled harder on his cigarette.
ct is lady, signor," he said
AN AFFAIR.""
ut is lady" 1 replied, "and good
deal OF an affair. Now listen There
is somewhere in the island of Sardinia
a man whom 1 must find. l have rea-
son to believe that he has lived here
some years. You may have heard of
him. His name is Maligni."
"Maligni," exclaimed Mutterelli,
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
Caglari to find him! He owns you
while you are in Cagliari!"
TAis was startling. Mutterelli
gazed at me as if l was a maniac He
certainly looked like one.
There may be other Malisnis," l
| said. "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
D 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 said.
"Pacho Maligni. Snowman He was
In America. but | have reason to be-
lieve that he is now in Sardinia. He
has in his possession young woman
about whom there is a great mystery
To solve this mystery | have pursued
him here. To enable me to attain
my object it is essential that I OBJ
tain possession OF certain red box
that was given to Pacho Maligni by
this girls father on his deathbed. |
believe that in that box We're 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 | want to get at"
Mutterelli shrugged his shoulders.
you are in love with the young
lady, signor?" he said.
NO" replied 81 am not. though
she is lovely enough for any man to
fall in love with her But l 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
rovina?" he asked. "You will not at
tempt to take her from Pacha Malig-
| NIP"
"She must be Eescued from the
clutches of this Malgni at all haZ-
ards" | replied. emphaticalIy 81 have
sworn by the memory of one who
loved her, and whom she loved, now
t'""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 ra:ne of the siSnorina?"
asked Mutterel!i.
"Nita Barlotti."
Muttere!li smoked an entire cigar
cite before he answered I sat and
| looked out of the window. giving him
all the time he wanted to study the
matter.
Finally MuttereIIi shook himself
and heaved a great sigh
| We'll" l said, what do you think
of it?"
1T 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
ous'
"But how will you begin, signor?"
asked Mutterelli
IL shall begin by leaving the details
. Of the beginning to you," replied.
1 you understand these Italian houses,
and you can bride the servants. I
don't care how much money you use,
III you only succeed. You must arr
range for me to meet Nita BarlOtti