The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-03

ct made out in the name Of Comma
Bardi was brought TO her by a man OF
the same nationality. This tall, slender.
supple Italian. with oval olive face and
fierce eyes, had come to take the cruel
fix out Of pawn. Although he produced
the ticket and offered the money, Hagar
hesitated at giving the article to him
1T was pawned by Comma Bard,
said she. taking down the crucihX from
where IL hung in the obscurity-
MY wife" replied the man, brier1y-
she sent you to redeem it
Gran Dio! Why nOt?" he broke Out
irnpetlIOusly. 81 am Carlino Bard1, her
husband. She pawned the crucihx
against my will, while I was absent IN
the country with my organ. Now that
7 have returned, came with ticket and
money to redeem it. I do not wish 20
lose the crucifix of Fiesole.
1.-The Crucifix of Fiesole,' repeated
Hagar-''is that what il IS called
cot a surety. signorina; and II Is
worth much money"
More than ten pounds, I am sure,
said Hagar, smiling, as she picked up
the note silently placed on the counter
Inv CarIino. well, I have no right
to refuse YOU the CTuCifiX. You give
me the ticket principal, and interest
so all Is legal and shipshape- Take up
your cross
fash from his big eyes. "Gemma Is
my cross"
Your wife, That is a strange way
to speak Of one dear to you.
pear to me. signorina, That may
he. but she is dear to Pietro Nerf MAJ
the pains in hell seize him.
why? What has he done?
Run away with Comma, said
Rardi fierceIv. "Oh, she went cheer
fu11v enough. To get the money for
NV dishonor she pawned the cruc1tx.
"Ob. So she did not send you to re-
deem it?'
No" replied CarIino. with tranquil
fnsoleuce. THAT was a lie I told to
get back my property without trouble
But now il is mine'-he clasped the Sill
yer Christ cOnvuIsively to his breast.
Il shall make Comma and Pietro pay
for their evil deed
You speak English very well for a
foreigner
I ought to-" answered the man in
differently. Il have been ten years in
England and 7 have almost forgotten
nv Tuscan tongue But 1 remember
still what Tuscan husbands do to faith
less women and their paramouTs- We
kill them.''-his voice leaped an octave
ia 2 shriU scream of wrath-"we kill
the man and the woman"
Thrilled by the terrible hatred of this
passionate Latin nature, Hagar started
back The man was leaning across the
counter and showed no disposition TO
deDart. nor did she want him to leave
her. for there had come upon her a
desire to learn the history Of the FiesOle
crucffix. Bending forward. she touched
it lightly with the tips of her fingers.
How did this come into your posses
sion - she asked.
Il stole it from painter in Flor
ence.
you stole it echoed Hagar. con
founded by the frankncss Of this ad
mission.
Yes. ] was the model Of an artist
one SignOr AncillOtti. who had
studio in Piazza san SDirito, hard by
the Ponte Santa Trinita, of the Arno.
This cruCifiX hung in his rooms, and
once when I was posing as his model,
he told me the legend which gave it
the name of the CrUcifix of Fiesole- It
was the story which made me steal it
But why? What is the story"
A common one" said Bardi. bitter
Iy-'man's love and wOman's faith
lossness TO her husband. There was a
silversmith I'm Florence. what time the
magnificent ruled who was called
Guido He had one fair wife whom he
loved very dearly. She did not care for
his love. however, and fed with a
young count of good family, one Luigi
Ga Francia. From France. you under
stand for from that country the race
had come to Florence in the days Of
the Republic. Luigi was handsome and
rich Guido. ugly and rather poor, al
though 4 clever craftsman; so you can
not wonder that the wife-Blanca was
her name-fled from the ones arms to
the others palace. Guido determined
upon revenge and manufactured this
crucifiX"
But I don't understand how
NO more did anyone else" said Bar
81. cutting her short. When Guido fin
ished the crueifix he disguised himself
a a priest and went Up to see Count
Luigi I'm his palace at FiesOle. After
W ARDS the nobleman and Blanca were
found dead with daEgeTs thrust in their
hearts and Guido was missing. Be
tween the corpses lay this silver cruel
fix. but no one ever knew how they
died"
why not? Guido killed them with
his dagger
No" said Bardi. shaking his head.
Guido had no dagger with him at the
time. Count Luigi was always afraid
Of ASA sinatiOn, for he had many enc
mics; and every visitor was searched
by his retainers to see that they car
ried no concealed weapons. Guido. the
supposed priest " dS SGdICUeu also ana
had nothing on him but the silver cru
cifiX. So the legend grew that whose
ever had a faithless wife. the posses
sion Of the Crucif1x of F'iesole would
give him power TO slay her and her
lover. as Guido had slain his two de-
ceivers- Therefore" added Bardi. grim
Iy. "as I had then married Comma. and
thought that some day she might be
faithless. 7 stole the Cruciflx from Sig
nor Anciuotti. It seems I was right to
/ 90 50"
a strange story" said Hagar, med
I itatively. and stranger still that the
means by which Guido slew were not
( discovered long ago"
DO you know how he killed them -
Certainly. By means Of that cruel
+ fix"
I Bardi looked at the cross eagerly. and
a lurid light came into his eyes as he
/ gszed. How ne questioned, loudly.
/ Tell me, signOrina-"
But Hagar refused to impart that
/ knowledge
/ The story of tho man dAsHrfaS nv HE