, 1906-02-28


Tradition said that the feud between
the Colorino and the Martelli families
began by Il Martelli man carrying off a
Colorino woman that no issue came
from the union and that the feud would
One day be ended by a Colorino man
carrying off a Martelli woman. For
generations romantic youngsters used
to concoct situations for this final elope-
ment, the story gaining dramatic
strength with each generation.
The Martellis were originally an Ital-
ian family, the Colorinos natives of
Corsica. After most of the members of
both families had been killed off a Co
lorino removed to Florence, where the
last of the Martellis lived, In order that
he might exterminate them. He sue
ceeded In getting rid of all that was
left except Signora Lucrecia Martelli
and her infant daughter Gianetta, but
in the last encounter lost his W life.
Signora Martelli grew old, c%herlshing
a bitter hatred against the Colorino
family, and brought her daughter up to
regard them all as monsters. But the
strife was mere history to the child,
whose hate for the Colorinos was much
like that of an American girl studying
the history of our Revolution for an
Englishman.
When Gianetta was nineteen her
mother spent much time with her in the
galleries of Florence, for the girl was
devoted to art and painted well in wa
ter colors. One morning. when the two
were In one of the principal galleries,
they came upon a young man who was
copying a painting. Unlike Italians
generally, his eyes were blue and his
hair "A soft brown. He was absorbed In
his work and did not notice the lockers
on till II Of them spoke directly be-
hind him. Then he turned and, with a
smile, offered to get them chairs. The
elder declined the civility, and after re-
marking to her daughter how well the
copyist had caught the spirit of the orig
inal they passed On.
Nature has given to human beings as
well as to doves an instinct by which
mates may recognize each other. The
artist was deferred in his work for the
rest of the day by Gianetta's face COM
ing between him and his canvas, and
Gianetta saw only the blue eyes, the
brown hair and the sweet smile of the
artist. Weeks passed, and the images
were by no means diminished for the
man or the girl. Then one evening at
a ball, when Gianetta was standing be-
side her mother, she saw n of her
friends coming toward them and with
Il.~ lo. Ioor@ a+nad ottIl tho nhioot
of her dreams.
81 beg leave to present Lorenzo Colo
rino."
OF the four figures in this living pic
ture Signora Martelli drew back as II
to avoid a wasp, Gianetta turned pale,
while the artist and the friend were
transfixed with establishment at ther re-
ception they received.
Come, Gianetta," said the mother.
"Signora," said the mutual friend,
"may | not know the cause of this
treatment?'
"Signor Colorino will explain when
you tell him that we are Martelli."
As the ladies moved away the mutual
friend looked at the artist inquiringly.
Colorino explained that he had nearu
of a feud between the two families,
but he had supposed it had died out
about the time he was born. The ex-
PLANTATION was satisfactory, and b
two friends separated.
Signora Martelli noticed from this
time that her daughter was absorbed,
startled when approached or spoken to
s~uddenly-in short, showed signs of
having something hanging over her.
Months passed before an explanation
came. Then the mother discovered a
note In her daughters possession sign
ed IL. G." From that time Gianetta
was a prisoner, and her mother hired
n Spanish duenna, Papinta by name, to
keep a constant watch upon her. Pa
pinta had no especial sympathy with
young lovers. She was paid well and
was i~ncorruptible.
One morning Signora Martelli re-
ceived a telegram that her sister was
dying in Pisa. Giving Papinta instruc-
tons to keep a careful watch, she