The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-03-29

Romo1a listened as If she were turned
to stone. She heard him rise after his
confession and heard the great outer door.
shut on him. Then she went to her
fathers chair and fell on her knees be-
fore it, sobbing.
During the next few days she saw but
little of her husband. Men came In to
pack the books and manuscripts, and she
watched without a word When the last
package had gone sch called her servant
and prepared to depart forever. She wrote
letter TO her godfather, explaining all
and begging him to forgive her for not
saying farewell. Then she wrote a note TO
Tito telling him that her love was dead
and that she would never return to him.
But she had scarcely reached the city
wall before she was arrested by the sound
of Savonarola's voice. Return said he.
MY daughter, l know what your life has
been. Every bond of your life is debt
The right lies in the payment of that
debt. 1t can be nowhere else. In vain
will you wander over the EARTH Return
and help in the great work by which God
, will purify Florence"
The power OF the man subdued her.
She sank to her knees, and Savonarola
stretched his hands over her.
Thus when Tito returned home he FOUND
his Swife there, and her manner showed
him that she would not reproach him for
the sale of the library. He was GLAD enough
to be relieved of this unpleasantness, Tor
he was still full of a great dread or Bal
dassarre, the greater for the fact that the
old man had disappeared mysteriousy
after the scene at the church. He was
soon to see him, and most Unexpectedly.
. One evening he went to little house
that stood Just beyond the town. 1t was
a familiar way to Tito, for he had become
frequent visitor there. He stepped In
gently and stopped in the doorway, look
ing at a pretty sight. 1t was Tessa,
kneeling by a cot with two chlloren anu
saying prayer over IT,
She sprang up and threw, her arms
around his neck. Eagerly she fecounted to
him all that had happened since his last
| visit-how the babies had acted, ana now
| she had seen all the soldiers pass below,
| and finally a great piece OF news ABOUT
| poor, poor old man, VINO hau pesseu
| for permission to sleep in an clubhouse;
| with quick suspicion, Tito arose an !
stenned into the shed. The moonlight fe'l
! ON him as he entered. The next instant
| n figure sprang at hint and dagger was
| driven furiously at his heart. But II
| named in two-for ever since the meet
| ing at the church Tito had worn chaln
I armor under his tunic. He hurled the MAJ
| from him and looked at him. II was BAL
| dassarre.
Haltingly he tried to explain He asked
! Raldassare to forgive him, and swore that
he would make amends. To 1t all the old
man. trembling and exhausted, returned
| no reply except to glare at him vengeful-
| lv. At last Tito turned and went back
to the house. feeling that there was no
! choice now but to fight Baldassarre by
| charging him with being a mailman.
The opportunity came soon, for Balda-
sarre forced himself into gathering in
the Rucellai palace, and there tried to tell
his story. But the privations OF his slave
nv and escape had worn his mind sadly
I More and more often during his wander
!, Jugs he had felt himself forgetting his
learning strangely. And now, when Tito
| denied hi mand Bernardo Rucellai held
| out a Greek book to him and asked hin
To prove his claim that he was the scholar
I,aidassare, the once familiar characters
,-eant nothing to him. He looked around
| in a lost way. gave great cry and fled
If any at the gathering still suspected
| that the strange old man was not entirely
| mad they gave little thought to 1t, since
| thew needed the supple, cunning Greek II
| the deadly game of politics that wa'
aving to bring the Medici back to power
one Of their plots was to assassinate
s,avonarola, who had become the great
asst danger they had to fear. He hao
won the people over and had advances