The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-03
ADMIT "a :cR Princesss in S1avgGy~
\FILI lOOZ Dy.I:<lnar10m S2r:aNy6s ~ &c,

bring the promised bread and water in.
the morning They did not believe THAT
he vas unable 10 pay the ransom thsy
demanded. and they meant TO starve
him into yielding. Bat re had spoken.
the truth: he had not such q sum OF.
money at his command The question.
was. what the end would be- For thu
present they had not left him 50 much :.
IS Jug OF water. and he suddenly.
realized that he was thirsty after his.
many exertiOns He could not help
laughing 10 himself at the idea that he
might die OF thirst in a cistern-
But il was not in him 70 waste time
in idly rejecting on the detestabfe
irony OF fate when there was any pos
sibility that his Own action might help
him. He rose again and took up the
lantern 10 make a systematic examin.s-'
tion OF his prison.
The walls We're covered with smooth
cement 10 which the dust hardly ad-
hered and which extended upward TO
the spring of the vault. at the sane
level as the capitals OF the columns.
There was no opening TO be found ex-
cept the one entrance Zeno followed
the steep inclined passage upward tilt
he reached the closed door. which. as
he well understood must be az a con-
siderable distance from the cistern- 10
was made OF oak. and though. il might
have been IN It's place couple OF hum
7
The lock had been wrenched OF long
ago, probably 10 be used for som.
nefghboring house. but Zeno had hear
the stones rolled I'D outside the doo--
and even before he tried # he knew
that he could not make II move. =. TO-"
He wondered whether Toektamish.-
had set watch. and he called out and
listened for an answer. but none came
he shouted with the same result Then:
he took I'd his lantern and went down
again for u was clear that the soldiers
thought him so safely confined that IL.
would not be necessary 50 guard the
entrance Since that was their. opinion.
there was nothing to be done but To-
agree with them. Zeno lay down IN the
dust. rolled himself I'd in the spare
cloak. placing a double fold OF IT, be-.
tween his head and the base OF a coll
unan. and he was soon fast asleep
There was CONSERVATION IN little.
OuoSoao's face the next morning when
he learned that his master had gone
out during the night and had not come
home. The secretary would not believe
IL az first and he went himself 10
ZeaO's bedroom and saw that the couch
had not been slept on he could tell
that easily. though IL was not a bed
but a narrow divan covered with q
carpet: for the two leathern. pillows
were not disturbed. and the old dark"
red cloak which Zeno always used as
a covering was neatly folded in its
place II had been with him through
the long campaign in Greece. and be.
had the almost anecfionale associations
with it which men Of action often COM
meet with objects that Have served
them well in dangerous times.
Zeno had not slept at home: and he
had changed his clothes before going
out Questioned BY OmobonO, e: Vito;
could not say with any certainty what:
the master had put on: IN fact he
could not tell al all All the cloth
hose and doubiets and tuniGs were IN.
their places in the cedar wardrobes ard,
chests OF drawers. except those he had
taken on. which lay on a chair ic
looked. said the servant. as u the
master had gone out without any
clothes at all.
Omobono felt that IL he had been a
bigger nan he would have boxed the.
fellows ears for the irnpsrtinent Sug-
Eestion. But il was not safe, for the
man was a big Venetian gondolier and
sailor Besides. as he went on 70 ex-
plain. the master had often gone down
10 the marble steps al dawn for a
plunge and a swim with nothing but a
sheet around him. coming back 70 dress
IN his room Perhaps he had done 50
now. and perhaps i:
The man stopped short Perhaps zenO-
was drowned He looked al OInobonOs
but the secretary shook his head and.
pointed 70 the undistuTbsd couch Zeno
would certainly not have gone ont Oaln-
ing before going 20 bed Neither OF
them thought OF looking into the small
military trunk which stood IN dark.
corner. and from which Zeno had taken.
the leather jerkin and stout hose
which he had put on for the expedition
Omobono had. Of course, already
questioned the slave girls They told
what they knew. that the master had
supped upstairs and had dismissed
them When they came back 70 the
room he was gone. they said. and this
was true since they had slept all night.
The Kokona was now asleep. they
added: but they did not say that she
was sleeping dressed as she had been
on the previous evening. and looked
very tired. for that was none OF the
secretary's business
Omobono went up ard down the stairs
almost as often that morning as on the.
dav OF Zoe's first coming. and again
and again he instructed Yulia to call
him when her mistress awoke- The
answer was always the same the ko-.
kcna was still asleep, and the secretary
should be called as soon as she arose.
At last he began to think that she. toe.
had left the house. and that the girls
were in the secret. and he Threatened
70 go in and see for himself To his
surprise Yuiia stood aside 20 let him
pass. laying one finger On her lips as =
warning 20 make no noise. for the fitfis
slave saw vel enough that he sus-
pected Of her lying. and she was afraid
OF him in Zeno's absence. Seeing that
she did not oppose him be was con-
WINGED and did not go in
He would not send out messengers 70
ask for his master AZ the houses OF the
Venetian merchants OF at their places
OF business. for he had a true Italians
| instinct 10 conceal from the outer world
everything that happens in the house.
Yet be found himself in dilemma. for
Zeno had invited Sebastian Polo. his
wife and his daughter and other friends
20 dinner. and they would come and BE
amazed TO And that he was net there 70
receive them. Yet II word we're seat D
. them not 10 come. Zeno might return In
time and be justly angry; ard then he
would call the poor secretary something
worse than a cackiing hen II was
terrible difficulty ard All the servants
: and slaves down stairs were chatter5aE
about il Ike E,agpies. except wnen the
secretary was just passing. The cook