The San Francisco call., 1908-04-05

Omobouo to have her corpse taken
away as quickly as possible. And the
day after tomorrow ne would go again
to see Giustina Polo in her fathers
house, and she would have thrown her.
self out of the window for nothing
Besides. It would be wicked.
She realized how childish her
thoughts were. and she sat down to
think-"like a grown up woman she
said to herself. But just then she re-
membered Zeno's last words to Ono
bono. Never think. for IL is not your
strong point" he had said to his secre-
tary; but he had. of course meant 10
for her. Everything had been meant
for her. She wished she could hold his
brown throat in her hands and dig her
little nails into it.
She lay back among her cushions.
her brown eyes CLEANED augrily. her
lips were a little parted and her nos
trils quivered now and then as she
drew a sharp breath. Presently she
called Yulia to her side.
60 to the secretary" she said. "and
tell him to send me book"
a book repeated the slave. stupid
1y. for she never had seen woman
who could read.
Yes. A book in Greek. Latin or
Italian: IL does not matter which. 7
am sick OF doing nothing Tell him
to be quick. too.' she added, in a tone
of authority.
The girl tripped away and found
Omobono in the counting house on the
ground floor. He was in a bad humor.
too but in his case it took the form OF
dignified sorrow. His master had COM
pared him TO a fowl. and to one that
cackled.
What does she want with a bookg'
he asked in a dreary tone, looking up
from his accounts
ITO read. I think. SIR" answered the
little maid timidly: "and she told me
to beg you to let her have IL soon"
"As IL a slave could readr' He looked
about him In a melancholy way. and
rose to take from the shelf above his
head a good sized volume bound in
soft brown leather. with little thongs
tied in slip knots for clasps TO keep 10
shut.
Take her that" he said. thrusting
the book into the girls hands.
Yulia took 1T and ran upstairs
Zoe united the thongs and opened
the book in the middle. An exclama-
ton of anger and disgust escaped her
lips. The secretary. who did not be-
Iieve she could really read. though she
spoke Latin fuently, had sent her an
old volume OF accounts in answer TO
her request. There were pages and
pages of entries and columns OF figures,
all neatly written in his small. clear
hand, on stout cotton paper. Here and
there some one else had made a note, as
IL checking his work.
She turned over the pages with a
sort of angry curiosity. half expecting
to find an entry concerning slaves
bought and sold like herself She found
a great many strange words which she
did not understand. but there was
nothing which could possibly be In
terpreted TO mean that Zeno had dealt
In humanity. Sebastian P0fo's name
occurred very often 1t was clear that
the two men were In close relations
OF business.
That might account for Zeno's con-
stant visits to his fellow merchant,
though Zoe was not inclined to admit
such a view On the contrary. she
made herself believe that Zeno dealt
with Polo solely in order to make an
excuse for seeing the latter's daughter.
He should pay for that, too,
She clapped her hands.
Take this back to the secretary"
she said. giving the book TO Yulia.
tell him am not merchants clerk.