Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-03-22
CHAPTER X.

Alai uau iulOEuieu luc tudl uc was OWL
- of only half the vast business he
conducted, his equal partner being one
Mario Battista, Venetian merchant
who had been for many years located
at Constantinople, where he was bus
led with affairs such as he was him
self engaged with at Venice. 1t was
the wish Of Signor Simona to transmit
a great treasure of money to his part
ner, and he was in doubt how to do so
with assurance of It's safety. On two
previous occasions when he had es-
sayed to send much smaller sums to
his partner his captains and sailors
had treacherously betrayed their trust,
and gone off with the money to some
small island in the Mediterranean, or
to the northwest coast Of Africa, and
there become pirates, but goods. how.
ever valuable, he had never lost in this
way. The occasion, though, afford
ed an excellent opportunity for me to
serve the interests of my host, and In
so doing to reach Constantinople with
out expense to myself, and l was De-
sides anxious to be gone from Venice
that might be rid of the amorous at.
tentions Of Anita, which found much
difficulty In resisting. Nevertheless.
for her fathers sake, and for no other
reason, l spared her. 1t was in these
circumstances that l acquainted Sig
nor Simona with my intention to visit
(Nny, OF nj n nplo NJ tho oh
Ing him my passports and my letter
Of Introduction to Sir Thomas Roe,
English Ambassador to the Porte.
signed by King Jamess own hand. II
- would fit out and man a frigatoon
for Constantinopie I would. I said.
gladly make the voyage therein. the
money being packed and treated as
my baggage, but none the less faith.
fully delivered by me to Signor Mario
Battista Immediately on my arrival In
that city. My host was delighted with
my offer, and that same day gave or
ders for frigatoon to be made ready
for sea, as I had suggested. He also
caused ten chests to be made OF stout
ebony, lined with sheet lead and
bound on the outside with bands of
copper. Each chest was of about one
cubic foot content. and into each Sig
nor Simona packed with his own hands
$4,000 gold sequns. When all the
chests were filed they were fastened
with screws, the copper bands made
fast with metal studs, and the whole
coated with Il resinous black paint, to
which later was added my name, in
white characters, upon each.
When the design of my journey to
Constantinople became known to Ami
tn, she opposed it with all her wit.
and exhibited great wealth OF art
ifce In her efforts to prevent it. She
represented to her father how essen
tial was change OF scene to one who,
like himself, had lived long and
worked hard in one place, and who
was besides suffering from recent be-
reavement, from which she argued
that he would do we'll in going to Con-
stantinople, more especially as she was
capable, with my protection, of taking
charge of his house and affairs. But
finding that the old man could not be
persuaded to undertake so perilous
voyage, she changed her tactics. and
after some honeyed compliments con-
corning my honor and probity endeav-
Ored to show chat 1t was unfair to Sig
nor Battista to entrust great treasure
To- ;nl ho l,I hnI i,{ 70
custody of one who was entirely I'M
known to him, and whom he (SimOna)
himself had known but little more
than a hundred days, and that his
merchant wisdom would be more ap-
parent in devising some other and
more regular means of getting the
money to Constantinople. This advice
being also rejected, she feigned illness,
kept to her bed and inflicted upon her
aged father such fears for her life that
he dispatched a special courier to Pa.
Qua to fetch q learned leech of that
city. Several days passed before the
leech reached Venice, and when he
came he made but a hasty and superb
Cidl eAdlulhutioh VI thS patiSht. AouA
daughter" said the leech to Signor ST.
mona, ''is suffering from an indetermi-
nate languishment and may die at any
time; the best thing for her Is pro-
longed cruise in the Mediterranean;
by such means her life may be spared
Ar many years." When Signor 81
mona acquainted me with what the
leech had prescribed for his daughter
/ perceived at once what had hap
pened. Clearly Signor Anita's courier
had sped faster than her fathers, and
&his was a prescription which had
been first dictated by the patient to
he prescriber. Matters fell out as |
eSpected they would. A week before
tie frigatoon was ready to put to sea
Signor Simona took me aside, and at
ter profuse expressions of his affection
for me, said he had resolved to entrust
me not only with his money but his
daughter also, and straightway I'M
folded his desire that Signorina Anita
should accompany me to Constantine
pie for the benefit of her health. l
had expected as much, and was not
Surprised, though l heartily wished
the Italian girl at the bottom of the
sea. To have raised any objection to
| the proposal would have savored Of an
Intent ON my part to feloniOusly make