The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-29

around His neck. Eagerly she recount.
ed to him all that had happened since
his last visit-how the babies had act
ed, and how she had seen all the SOL
diers pass below, and finally great
piece of news about q poor, poor old
man. who had begged for permission
! to sleep in an Clubhouse.
with quick suspicion. Tito arose and
stepped into the shed. The moonlight
| fell on him as he entered. The next
instant figure sprang at him and a
dagger was driven furiously at his
| heart But 1t snapped in too-for ever
since the meeting at the church Tito
had worn chain armor under his tu-
| mic He hurled the man from him and
| looked at him. It was Baldassarre.
Haltingly he tried to explain. He ask
ed Baldassarre 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 vengefully. At last Tito turned
and went back to the house. feeling
THAT there was no choice now but to
hight Baldassarre BY charging him
with being madman.
| The opportunity came soon, for Ball
dassarre forced himself into d gather
ing in the Rucellai palace and there
tried to tell his story. But the priva-
tions OF his slavery and escape had
worn his mind sadly. More ana more
often during his wanderings ne had felt
himself forgetting his learning strange
Ivy. And now, when Tito denied ilith
and Barnardo Rucellai held out Greek
book to him and asked him to prove
his claim that he was the scholar
\ f3AidAsSarre, the once familiar char
Acters, meant nothing to him. He looked
around In d lost way. gave great
cry and tied.
II any at the gathering still sus-
pected that the strange old man wat
4 not entirely mad thcy gave little
4 thought to It, since they needed the
4 supple, cunning Greek In the deadly
Il game Of politics that they were play.
/ ing to bring the Medici back to power
4 one Of their plots was to assassinate
Savonarola. who had become the great.
4 est danger they had to tear. He has
4 won the people over ana had advanced
4 from pulpit prophecy ana denuntiatioi
to political activity TO Tito fell thc
I task OF turing the friar outside Of TIN
), walls. With hapitual prudence he full.
Titled his duty wsllA-but at the same
time he took pains to warn the prlest
not to venture without an escort. Thus
whichever aide won, he had the coma
, dence st Both.
An accident ditciosed his plotting
though not the full measure o. HI
Il duplicity to Romola. Hardly had shs
: recovered from the shock before Bal
dassArre came to her and told her hi
story II, a way not to b disbelieved
'.rhey would not belteve mo-" said ne
.'bAeAusS he lied and said was mad
And my Knowledge Is Kons--all gone
. / am old. Ny mind will not come back
, ant YOU will help me! He has beei
. false TO you, too. He has another VIII
|; ana children"
stumblingly, brokenly, he told he
! about Tessa, whose story he had lcarn
ed easily after Ttto's appearance at TIL
little home. Romola thrust some none,
. into his hand ana went home stunned
t She had not vet gathered he
i thoughts to some sernblAnce OF clear
! mesa before a new and far more tArri
] bic blow fell upon her. Her godtathsl
1 Bernardo del Nero, was arreatsd Wit
0 |Bothet man bArs OF his party and charge
with high treascn--and Tito. who hA
8 . been one OF the eplotters. was the maj