Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-05
marked Venice. And the riddle was
CHAPTER XVI.

feelings thus frankly? Well, l am hui
man; l do not pose as being better
than / am. have suffered grevious
wrong. At the hands of this man /
lost my illusions, learned the words
hate and loathing, shame and despair.
Again say that regret the violence
of his end, but l am not sorry to be
free. II we wait long enough the scales
of Heaven will balance nicely. Some
outraged father or brother, to this
alone do ! attribute his death.
Let me be as brief as possible; |
have no desire to weary you, only the
wish to vindicate in part what appear
ed to you as species of madness.
My father was Colonel Grosvenor of
the Confederate army during the civil
war. On General Lees staff was an
italian named the Principi di Monte
Blanca. He was an Arab for wander
ing. The tumult of battle would bring
him round the world Rich, titled, a
real noble, he was at heart an adven-
turer, word greatly abused these in
glorious days. For does not the word
adventurer stand for the pioneer, the
explorer, the inventor, the soldier and
the sailor? 1t is wrong to apply the
word to the imposter. My father was
cut from the same pattern, wild and
reckless spirit in those crowded times.
The two became friends such as you
and Mr. Merrihew are. Their exploits
became famous. My father was also
rich and man of foresight. He knew
that the stars and bars was a flag Of
temporary endurance. All that portion
OF his wealth which remained in the
South he readily sacrificed with his
blood. His real wealth was in foreign
securities, mines, oils, steel, steam
ships. When the war terminated, the
prince prevailed upon my father to
return with him to Italy. Italy was
not new to my father; and as he loved
the country and spoke the language
he finally consented. He saw the shad-
ow of the reconstruction and dreaded
it; and there were no ties of blood
to hold him in the States. Italy itself
was in turmoil. II Re Galantuomo
that Piedmontese hunter, Vittorio
Emanuele, wished to liberate Venice
from the grasp of Austria, to wrest
temporal power from the Vatican, and
to send French troops back to France.
Well, he accomplished all these
things, and both my father and the
prince were with him UP to the time
he entered the Quirinal After victory
peace. Ny father invested in villas and
palaces. added to his fortune through
real estate in Rome, lived in Florence
little while, and settled down to end
his days in the Venetian palace on
the Grand Canal. He and the prince
met daily at Florian's and planned flu
lures or dreamed over the noisy past
Then my father, still young, remem-
Der, fell in love with the daughter Of
a Venetian noble It was a happy
union. Shortly after the prince also
married. He was, with the exception Of
my father, the most lovable man I
ever knew. Brave, kindly impetuous,
| honorable, witty. wise; it does not
seem possible that such a father
should have such SON. Though he
covered it up with all the rare tact Of
a man of the world, his martial ties
were not happy like my fathers.
There came a great day: a young
prince was born and the rough king
stood as his godfather. Later l added
my feeble protest, at the cost of my
mothers life. These domestic histor-
les! how far more vital to the history
of nations than the flaming pages of
war and politics! AS l grew up 1 be-
came my fathers constant companion:
we were always out Of doors. By and
by he sent me to America to school;
for he still loved his country and was
not that fault-finding scold. the ex-
patriate. And I may as well add that
your defense of America pleased Inc
as few things have in these later
years returned from America to en-
ter convent out of Rome From there
went to Milan and studied music I'M
der the masters. Ny father believed in
letting youth chose what it would. Mu
sic, What should have done without
1t in the dark hours?
One fatal day the old prince and my
father put their heads together an6
determined that this great friendship
of theirs should be perpetuated; the
young prince should marry the young
signorina. When will parents learr
not to NEEDLE with the destinies o
their children? So they proceeded tx
make the alliance an absolute certain
ty They drew up the strongest o
wills. Both men were in full contro
of their properties; there was no en-
: tailed estate such as one finds II
England. They could do as they pleas
ed; and this was before Italy hat
passed the law requiring that no ar
treasures should be sold or transport
ed. Fortunately for me. my mother
property was considerable.
The Impossible clauses in the join
will read that if we two young peopl
declined the bargain the bulk of tn
estates should revert to the crown
again, if we married and separate
and were not reunited inside of fiv
i, years, the fortunes should become tn
crowns; if, having separated from m
husband. either for Just or unjust res
\ son, I should secretly or publicly OF
cupy any villa or palace mentioned i
! the will. it would be tacit admissio
that l accepted my husband Wa
there ever such an insane tangle kint
> ly meant? We must marry, we mus
:, be happy; that our minds and heart
were totally different did not matte
\ at all Do you understand why I wer
;. from city to city, living haphazard
Sometimes I was very poor, for my il
l. | from, ,,,r octo+a