Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1909-12-31


drew them together perhaps uaers than
anything else was their uusnai loee
OF outdoor pleasures Take two men
and Fut them on COED horses send
them firth into the wilaS 10 FACE Al
tneonyenienees. and Il they are not
fast friends at the end Of the journey
they never win be
Fer ali his aversion % cards there
Was a biz Of the "a mester in HHlarsi.
as ence in his sfgfee be decided on the
fail Of coin nor To withdraw bis per
sonai from the paper Tie was quite
positive that he would never hear that
voiee again. bur. having thrown his
dire. be would lei then lie.
New. at II e'eissck that same morn.
Ing two distinguished Italians sat
down to breakfast In one Of the fash.
icnahle hotels The one nor the other
had ever heard Of billiard They did
not even know that such person ex-
listed. and yet serenely unconscious
one was casting his life line. as the
palmist would say. across Hillard's
The knots and tangies were to come
later
The coffee In this country IL sbom-
lnabler growled one.
The waiter smiled covertly behind
HE hand. These Italians and these
Germans! Why. there h only one
place In the world where both the arc-
ma and the navor Of coffee are pre-
served. and Il II not decidedly not, In
Italy or Germany. And II his tip ex-
ceeied 10 cents he would be vastly
surprised. The Italian never wastes
on necessities . penny which can be
applied TO the gaming tables And
these two were talking about Monte
Carlo and Ostend.
The younger OF the two was very
handsome man. tall. slender aud merry.
GUS. the Venetian type. his black eyes.
keen and rowing. suggesting hasty
temper The mouth. partly hidden I'M
der graceful military musfaehe. was
thin Tipped. the mouth Of a man who
was always master OF his vices. From
his right cheek bone 10 the corner OF
his mouth ran scar. very we'll heal
ed. And the American imagination
might readily have pictured villas.
maids In durance vile aud sword
thrusts under the moonlight. But the
waiter. who had served his time In
foreign army knew no foil or rapier
could have made such a scar. more
probably the saber.
Ills companion was equally pietur-
esaue. With white head and iron gray
beard. he wore IN his buttonhole tiny
bow of ribbon. the badge Of foreign
service
"Im afraid. Enrico. that you have
brought me TO America on q useless
adventure" said the diplomat
.She Is here In New York. and l
shall find her | must have money
must, | owe you the incredible amount
Of lo0. 900 lire. There are millions un.
der my hand. and ! cannot touch q
penny"
"Do not let your debt to me worry
you.
You are so very good. Giuseppew
Have we not grown MP together
Sometimes | think ! am partly e
blame for your extravaganza. But a
friend Is n friend or he Is not
But he who borrows from bis friend
loses him. Observe how am placed
II IL maddening. have had dozen
opportunities 10 marry riches This
milestone is eternally round my neck
| have gone through my part OF the
fortune which was left us independ
entity. She has all OF hers. and that Is
why she is 80 strong. am absolutely
helpless
Poor friend. These American wo-
men. They all believe that man
must have no peeeadillos once be has
signed the marriage contract Body
of Bacchus, The sacrament does moi
make man less human than be was
before But this one is clever. She
might be Italian born"
Her mother was Italian. II Is the
schooling In this country that has made
her SO clever. The only thing Italian
about her is her hatred. She Is my
countrywoman there. Without hei
consent can touch nothing. and II
divorce her-poufY!-all goes to tht
state. Sometimes long to get my tive
hands round her white throat One
mistake. one little mistake! ! am VIII
ing TO swear that she loved me In the
beginning. And | was n fool not tc
profit by this sentiment Give me pa.
tiepee. patience. III | say to her. 81
much and you may have your freedom.
there is always that cursed Will. The
crown Of Italy will never withdra "
its hand No With bis wife's family
on his hands. especially her brother
the king viii never waive his rights.
Aud. remember. we have but ter
days"
We shall not find time heavy.
know few rich butchers aud erocers
who call themselves the aristocraey
And some OF them piay bridge and
scarte'
The diplomat smiled IN anticipation
II have followed her step by step 70
the boat at Naples. She Is here. She
will not be hard to find. She has
wealthy friends.
You say she Is beantffulT
yes, and a beautiful woman eanno,
hide Think Of IL, Chateaux and VII
las and splendid rents. all waiting TO
be gormanized by the statel Let US
get out into the air before ! become
excited and forget where | am"
The waiter stepped forward with
the coats and hats
CHAPTER III.
NNE. Ax0or.