The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1905-08-05
NQUIkeCk, me Lion Toner.
Nv SEWARD w. HOPKINS,
Author of '.Jack Robbins of America. In tins
China Sea- Two Gentlemen oil
Hawaii" "On False
Charge" Etc.
Copyright 1895, by ROBERT BoNNEE's Sons.
CHAPTER III.

| knew where we were being taken.
"But what is this Maligni's hold on
| the signorina?" | asked. Where does
| he get his authority over herr?
Nita shuddered and crouched closer
to the stalwart frame of Maublkeck.
'He is my master by my father S
| will" she said in voice that was
touching in it's plaintive sweetness.
"And your father was performer
like yourself, was he not, signorlna!
| said.
yes l will tell you about his
death when we reach my rooms
One thing was certain: No matter
how severe, harsh or tyrannlcal
Maligri might be, he certainly was
not niggardly in regard to Nita's COM
fort. Number 112 was but the hrst
of a suite of four rooms, one OF Whlch
was a parlor, one a coy little dress
ing-room, and the other two, bed
rooms. one for Nita and one for the
old bag who served her.
She stepped rather YEARLY, l
thought, and sank into chair be-
tween Maubikeck and me, resting her
head in her hands, as if she felt pain
in the temples.
had taken my card from my card
case and handed it to her.
"Signorina," I said, Il have become
interested in the mystery that seems
to surround you, and beg you Will
allow me to assist you and Maubikeck
in your efforts to unravel it. That Will
| tell you who | am
"Well, Signor Wilberton," she SAID,
| twirling the card in her hand, L sin
cerely thank you. l am greatly I'M
nerved by what has occurred, and can
not understand it. My life is in dan
ger, and alone I am unable to combat
my unknown enemy"
''Now, see here I said, assuming
| the authority of detective, Il saw
something tonight which will be OF
material interest and aid to us in this
matter, but to get at it right, | must
know all about your life
Nita passed her hand over her brow,
and. after a moment spent in thought,
began: [ remember little about my
| mother. She was, as | can see her
now. an ordinary woman-of course,
an Italian. She died when [ was,
perhaps, seven years of age. Then my
father took me to Madame De Long S
school, and placed me there as
regular boarding-scholar. Madame De
| Longs school is in Albany. My life
| there was very pleasant, | took con-
siderable interest In my lessons, and
advanced rapidly. When [ was four
teen, [ was suddenly called from Ma
dame De Longs to a hotel in Utica.
I remember it we'll 1t stood near the
| railroad. and I believe they called it
| Baggs Hotel. Barnum was in Utica
on that day, and, as you know, my
| father was Barnum's principal trapeze
| performer.
con this day, my father had grown
| dizzy and had fallen from his trapeze,
and had sustained injuries which, the
surgeon in attendance said, must
cause his death. l was taken at once
| to my fathers room. | reached there
| lust one hour before he died. Mallgn1
was with him when I arrived, and
my father signihed desire for us
| to approach together. My father
| spoke to Maligni in tongue l did
not understand. l have heard the
same language since, but cannot recall
enough of what was said at that time
| to translate or to understand. Then
my father put my hand in Mal1gni's
| and told me in our own language that
he was going to die, and nenceforth
I was Maligni's. Maligni would take
his place and would take care of me.
I remember that sobbed a great deal
and kissed my father, and that sur
geon came and other men, and then
my father died. Maligni attended to
everything, and had my fathers body
taken to Italy for burial. He took me
| there also. I never went back to
Madame De Longs. Malignl Informed
me that under the terms of the con,
tract by which he took me, | was to
fill the place of my father and become
an actress on the trapeze. Oh, the
shame of it nearly killed me! I wept
and pleaded with him, but all to nc
purpose He was not to be moved
by my tears or my prayers, and in
the house at which we" lived he had
one room fitted up as training-room
Here | was compelled to go through
the severest kind of physical training
to perfect myself for the trapeZe. Al
first I refused to wear the tights, and
was severely f1ogged. Maligni is q
| cruel man, and would Kill rather than
be thwarted. Well, you do not need
to be told the details of my hard life
Suffice to say that after nearly four
years of severe training, | am before
the public in role that hate and
despise. But what can I do? Malign
is my absolute master. If I ran away
from him, he would capture me and
bring me back to my degrading life
What can | do?"
Nita paused here, as if she ,was
weary. l had taken small notebook
from my pocket, and was jotting dowr
all the important points of her story
!, Still, there was nothing in it that sheG
the slightest ray of light on the mys