Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-31

moment compared with the within or
the interest of prince Of Italy"
N have expressed my sincere re-
grets-"
"Your regrets win not wipe out the
stain put upon an American girl any
more than regrets would restore a
slight done you had one OF your coun-
trymen robbed you of a wife. You
know how that injury would be aveng-
ed"
IL do"
eat the point OF the sword. And it
Is at the point Of the sword that your
slight to the ranch girl must be atoned
for. A girls heart Is as sacred as a
princes honor. She is not to be robbed
OF IL any more than the prince is TO
be robbed Of bis wife. Were we In my
country, instead of yours, you and i
could fan the hammer in each others
face, we could throw the lariat, the
one who won to have the privilege of
knitting the other. Those are barba-
rous ways, not fit for a prince of the
blood Your European ways are far
more attractive. There 10 romance in
the air in Italy. When the Italian
comes to our wild western country his
sentiment lies dormant and he consid-
ers only his interest. Then a heart is
nothing to him. A cowboys shooting
match is abhorrent- But here in his
land of art, poetry. music, where he
IS reminded by works that have endur-
ed for centuries of the loneliness OF a
Marcus Aurelius and the shame of
Nero, 1t is well that-h should pay the
penalty of his heartiessness at the
point of Damascus blade and within
the walls Of an emperors baths"
With the last words she threw back
the wrap that thus far had covered
her and displayed a woman's fencing
costume. In her left hand she held
two rapiers. Taking one of them by
the blade, she held the hilt toward the
prince.
"Do not shrink from 1t, my prince.
It Is Of gold And did a Fabian ever
shrink from handling sword? Gould
there be anything more BETTING a
prince than settling his affairs with
golden hilted blade, the moonlight
pouring in through breaches in the
walls Of the baths Of 'Caracalla?"
AS the prince shrank away Margaret
advanced.
"I viii not fight you-a woman--a
woman have loved, love today.
cannot. Is there nothing that will ap-
pease you? = viii sign a paper admit
ting my error. ! will
"You will fight"
By this time she had forced the han
die Of the sword into his hand. Then
she put herself in the attitude Of
fencer.
"Hold! he cried. "a sword is not
yonr weapon. Desist and / will go to
your home and If I must defend my
self will do so at the point of the
weapon you know so well how to use
the revolver. In Gods name, do not
force me here now to die or take your
life"
"On guardr'
"I will break my engagement. viii
marry you"
IT will not break my engagement"
what do you mean?"
81 am to marry a rancher of New
Mexico, but not till have wiped out
the stain put upon me by prince of
Italy"
There was something in the last
words as merciless as a wave rolling
in on a stormy beach. The prince had
no choice but to die or defend himself.
Two of those gentlemen called car
binieri, the national italian police, who
90 always in pairs dressed in swallow
tailed coats, cooked hats and swords
hanging by their sides. happened to be
walking along the road that led past
the ruin when they heard sounds of
the clash of steel. They stopped and
listened. Fancying the noise came
from within the walls. they hurried
there to find two fencers. the one at
lacking, the other defending himself
The carbinieri stepped between the
two and demanded their swords.
"What-princei" exclaimed one of
them. "You here fighting at this time
of night, and without attendants!'
cit was not premeditated."
"And you." asked the officer Of Mar
garet-"who are your
IAN American woman"
Gentlemen" said the prince, "this
affair must go no further. You know
that his majesty would not wish II
known that a man Of my rank was
found fighting with q woman under
such singular circumstances. Besides,
the lady's name should not be connect
ed with such an affair"
''I> have nothing to conceal" said
Margaret.
Then all left the ruin. Margaret was
put into her carriage and the coach
man told to drive her home. The
prince. after a long conversation with
the carbinieri. entered his own car
riage and returned to the city.
The next morning early Margaret
left Rome, having received a polite
message from the kings chamberlain
that his majesty considered her too
dangerous person to be permitted to
go free among the noblemen Of Italy.
A month after her departure she was
married at her home in the far west.
settled down to the raising of sheep
and babies and became not only a do