The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

/ kill Pietro Certainly he might
strangle him with his bare hands. out
/ that was not a Tuscan fashion OF DIS
posing OF rival Perhaps. after all,
he meant to forgive Pist-O.. "A
/ You see" said Carlino. when heA
arms dropped. Il am Gnarmed; I has
nothing with me save this silver cru
/ cifix. AS Retro Is so i'll he may Ike
/ to look at it,"
4 His look as he said this was hardly
pleasant. and a glimpse OF IL might
/ have put the woman on her guard but
/ 1T was lost on her. as already she had
/ turned her back and was climbing the
crazy stairs. Bardi followed her. car
\ rying the organ on his broad back. ana
holding in his two hands the silver cru
/ cifx like some priest bearing the host
| to the dying. Gemrna conducted him
/ into a bare garret on the topmost story.
Here Carlino put down the organ and
I looked around
In a corner near the window Pietro.
( wild looking with his unshaven beard
/ OF a weeks growth. lay on a pile or
/ straw roughly, covered with some
pieces OF coarse sacktng- He wRs
enaciated and haggard about the facA
/ and his skin was flushed red with the
/ burning OF the fever which consumed
/ him. At times a dry. hacking cough
would echo through the bleak room
and the man would fall back on tha
! poor bed In a paroxysm OF pain. Clearly
[ he was very Ill a. Gef111n8 1&3 3&s9s
! and not long FOR this world; but ths
knowledge that he was dying did net
/ move CarIino's determination. He had
come hither to slay Pistro with the
| crucihx. and he was bent upon exc.
cutting his purpose.
"carlino" cried the sick man. raising
( himself on one elbow with . look OF
! mingled terror and BurprfsA "TlR9
here?"
Yes" said Gsmma. moving toward
her lover: he has come to forgive you
! and to take me back"
That Is so.' answered BarA, rails
ing the crucihx aloft- 7 swear by this
cross. Dear Pietro." he added. moving
toward the bed. II know you we're
tempted and
keep or! Keep on" screamed NsrL
shrinking back. Liar! you have come
to kill ma I see 1T IN your eyesH
NO. no." said Gemma. soothtngiyi
che has no weapon"
4 None, my wife, echoed Bardi, touch
ing the spring Of the cross-oniy this
dagger" and Gemma saw the silver
Christ fall on the floor. while the cross
which had borne him remained. a pom
lard. in the right hand Of her deceived
husband With cry OF horror shs
hung herself upon the sick man.
Me irstI Me irst."
NO. You laterr' cried Bardi. drag
ging her or. This for"
s.
ger flashed downward-"for the love
i Of" The rest of the cry ended IN
a gurgle. as a stream of blood burst
from his breast and stained the bed
clothes.
Murderer. Assassin gasped Gemma.
i scrambIing on her hands and knees
toward the door. Il shall
u DIE snarIed Bartii. "Dier'
When 1t was all over he stood look
ing at the two dead bodies. and began
to think OF his own safety. His plan
was soon made.
Il shall wound myself and say that
there was a struggle" he mutt 4 e.
/ that they tried to kill me andJ
struck in seIf-defense. One little
wound will be evidence enough TO save
my life"
He placed the dagger at his throat.
and. setting his teeth with stern de-
termination. he inflicted upon himself
slight cash. Then he rent his clothes
as evidence of the ciutching of hands.
and thrust the stained dagger into the
grip of the dead woman.
She tried to kill me because T slew
Pietro in self-defense." he said, re-
hearsing the story to himself; so now
I-ahl Dio. What Is this?'
cold feeling as Of iced water was
creeping through his veins, film OF
gray mist swan before his eyes and in
his throat, where he had inflicted that
lying wound, there rose a ball which
choked him. He staggered and fell on
his knees and hands. striking the sill
yer image OF the Christ across the
room The walls spun round and
round, his eyes grew dark, and with a
sob of agony he pitched forward on
the bodies OF his victims-dead.
i One week later Hagar was rewarded
for her searching by reading the con-
clusion of the tragedy OF the Fiesols
crucihx The journal explained the
AnA
commented upon the deadly ingenuity
of the weapon used. which was at once
a dagger and a crucifx. IL added that
one OF the men and the woman had
been struck TO the heart, and 20 had
died; but mentioned that the third
cornse had a slight wound only. in.
hfcted on the neck. quite insufficient
TO cause death" said the sapient re-
porter: therefore how the other man
died-his name has been ascertatned
to be Carlino Bardi-is a mystery
1t might have been to the press, but
Hagar was better Informed short
time previously Bolker had confessed
that when he discovered the secret OF
the crucihx thin piece of paper had
been wrapped round the blade OF the
poniard This he had kept, not that IL
was Of value or that he had any rea-
son to withhold it from his mistress.
but simply out OF a thievish propensity
which was inherent in his nature Find
Ing it one day in his poclxet-fOr he had
forgotten all about tt-he gave IT TO
Hagar As 1t was written in Italian.
and she was ignorant OF the language.
Hagar took it to the old bookseller, OF
whom mention has been made, 10 have
il translated. This was done by Gus
toner OF his and the following trans
lation was handed TO Hagar the next
day:
II, Guido of Florence. have mapufao-
tured this dagger, hidden In this silver
I crucifx. to slay Count Louis from
France and my faithless wife, Blanca.
who. with him. has deceived me- As
may not be able to strike them TO tia
heart I have anointed this blade with
deadly poison. so that the slightest
scratch OF the poniard causes death.
write this warning and place IL wtthnR
the cruciix. so that he who hnds "
may beware OF touching the point; and
/ that he may use IL upon faithiess
wife, as il is my intention TO do. signed
at Florence in Tuscany GUIDO.
, Hagar looked at this paper, after
| reading the report Of the tragedy. and