The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-29

Into that task Bard6 brought all tie fervor and conyentration that hin an ce8tofn had used to attain power and wealth. 1t was an age when men fought fiereely over Greek defini- tion or Latin hexameter and hesitated not to charge opponents with every crime, from poor grammar to forgery and theft.
 In the beginning he had q son to stand by his gide and help him in his interminabie wrangles over the turn ing of a sentence or the origin of an obscure reference. But the cold heather mythology of the Bafdi house repelied the young man. He was as fiery and passionate ae all the Bar dis and the fierce gospel of the Monks, which began to flame through Italy, soon filled him with a fanatic zeal that drove him forth to roam the world as a pilgrim in a frfar's .cowl
 From that moment he became as one dead to his father, who esteemed him a traitor. and turned to his daugh- ter Romola to help him. With the un- conscious selfishness of those obsessed by one dominating idea he made her his slave--a slave so willing that she carried immense folios for him till she faimted, and searched for quota tions and citations through the mighty library from dawn till dusk, 1aboring desperately to satisfy the blind scholars unceasing demand for more research 4s
 when Tito was admitted into this ancient house he saw before him a tall girl of eighteen. whose hair. shin- ing like red gold, lay in wave-l:ke rip- ples over a brow like that of a queen, while a patrician nose and mouth told not only of naughty blood but of proud tenacity and unwavering firm ness.
 The blind sage was so interested by Tito's travels that he quite forgot the possible consequences of throwing the fascinating young man Into daily com panionship with his daughter. Ro- mola's godfather, Bernardo del Nero, one of the ruling men of Florence, was not equally oblivious to the danger and he warned Bardo; but the scholar could think only of the Creeks knowi- edge.
 Barnordo's distrust was not shared by any one else. except perhaps the painter Cosina. The rest of Florence was charmed by the wit ana the nim.- bleness of temperament that made Tito learn quickly what praise would please Florentines best. Soon the authorities gave him the Greek chair in their uni versity and he was bidden to feasts In the greatest houses night after night.
 He had succeeded in freeing his light mind almost entirely of the memory of his foster-father. when he was aecost- ed on the street one day by d Domini- can frair. who placed into his hand a sealed bit of parchment. Inside were the words: T am sold for a slave. I think they are going to take me to Antioch. The gems alone will serve to ransom me-"
 q am Fra Luca," said the ffiar. "The man who gave me this was a pill grim. who had t from the man who wrote it."
 With these words he disappeared leaving Tito stunned with the fear that his duplicity would be disclosed. Then he bethought himself that the docu- ment had been sealed. Perhaps the friar did not know it's contents. Again, he remembered how pale and suffering the monk had seemed. He looked like one dying. Unconsciously his steps grew lighter as his elastic mind cast the burden of present decision away and postponed 1t.
 So thoroughly was his mind at ease again almost immediately that he courted Romola with all the ardor of one who had no other thought to oc- cupy his brain: and the girl. so long immersed in the gloom of old manu- scripts and dead wisdom. was all too suspectible to his presence that came to her like the living glory of the roses and wine of the shining Greece of