The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-12-16
LOVERS BOWER,
BY F. A. mitchell.


citation.
Out Of Lake Maggfore, in northern
Italy, rises sheer rock to height of
several hundred feet On a park
where the eminence slopes is an es
tate acquired by the Peretti family
during the middle ages, when Italian
territory was being divided up be-
tween the gentlemen robbers Of that
period The stronghold built by Pc
retti is now ruin, and Of this little
remains. Yet one may climb the as
cent from it to the summit of the
rock, proceeding here and there over
short spaces of the old path by which
the Perettis frequently assembled to
hurl missiles down on an attacking
foe. There remain on this pinnacle
few weather beaten stones which ira
dition calls Lovers bower"
OF all the daughters of the house of
Peretti, Blanca, who lived at time
when the BOrgias were eminent at
Rome, was the most beautiful and the
most celebrated. Report said that her
heart was as cold as her face was
heavenly. Indeed, there were whis-
perings that danger lurked under her
snowy bosom as the bee is hidden
within the flower. Several young no
bles who had met her at foreign courts
Travelled to her home on Lake Mag
giore to propose for her hand. There
they met misfortune. One was said
to have fallen i'll of a fever, and, al
though the barber on the Peretti es-
tate let nearly all the blood out Of his
body in an effort to save him, the
young man died. Another was said to
have left the castle as a storm was
rising His boat was wrecked, and he
was drowned. 1t was rumored that
a third sutton had been accidentally
killed in fencing with the lady he
wooed. she having declared that she
would marry him if he could vanquish
her with the foil But there were
those who averred that this man was
sent to his death purposely by the icy
hearted Blanca
Whatever of truth there was in
these sinister reports, certain it is
that none Of these three young men
ever returned from the wooing. Then
Pietro Calleoni, count of Malpaga,
who had just succeeded to his family
estates. met Blanca at Rome fell I'M
der her thrall and begged her to marry
him. She replied that she would give
him his answer at her fathers castle
on Lake Maggiore, where he was in
vlted to- be her guest the following
month at the full of the moon.
The young count was warned to dis
regard the invitation and keep away
from one whose suitors had been. to
say the least, so unlucky. But no one
on whom Blanca smiled could ever be
induced to heed a warning Pietro
could barely wait for the DAYS to
elapse when he should visit the Girl he
loved-to be made happy. he believed
and the moon was no sooner half full
than he set out from Rome on his Jour
ney northward. Reaching the lower
end of the lake. he embarked and soon
saw the rock Of the Perettis looming
up ahead of him. He was received by
Count Peretti. Bianca's father, and en-
tertained sumptuously.
After dining Pietro drew Blanca
away on to terrace and begged for
her reply. Il will give it, she said.
con the summit of the rock" Darling
forward. she led the way in the min
gled twilight and moonlight to the
path. which zigzagged upward. Pietro
followed and was soon started on a
mad chase. The girl. light as a bird.
kept always the lead. The lover now
and again looked up to see her on the
road ahead, which to gain height had
been turned in an opposite direction
She gazed down on him. an enchanting
witchery in her eyes. Though he hur-
ried to his utmost ability, he could
never catch her. One moment he would
be looking out on to the blue lake, the
silhouette mountains and the full pale