The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-05-13

brought me left. one of them first say
ing 10 me:
"Senore Dottori. we are very glad to
hear you say that the patient has so
good a chance for his life. When you
leave here be discreet and all will be
well with you. but If you talk-well.
all have to say is you will not talk
very long"
/ remained u week at the palace, the
name of which l did not know. In
deed. I was not permitted to leave the
room Of the patient. my meals all be-
ing served there. My mail was
brought me-. and it was amusing for
the first day or two to read the mes
sages Of my patients with reference to
my sudden disappearance. Then l ask
ed those who had kidnapped me to
leave word at my apartments that
had been called to Sienna on a very
important case. This had the effect to
quiet those who sought me.
My patient turned out to be as en-
gaging a man as l had deemed him to
be when he passed me in the Pitt
palace.
"Your effort" l said to him one day.
Ito keep your drama-it came very
neal being a tragedy-from me would
possibly have been successful had it
not been that l was at the ball at the
Petit palace the night you were stab
bed. / saw you pass me with the man
who stabbed you and the lady for
whom you were stabbed. So you see
it would be safer for you to tell me
the whole story. since l have a part
Of It. l pledging myself to secrecy.
rather than to permit me to go away
with what l already have unpledged."
He was not only very much aston
ished, but saw the reasonableness Of
what I said.
II did not notice you he replied,
"at the ball and supposed that you had
NJ position in court society. An Ital-
ian surgeon would have been unavail-
able for us. We are all SO interlaced
socially. those below constantly watch
ing those above and all watching one
another. that we dare not trust any
one Of our own number. You. as an
American. are not mixed in our jeal-
ousies. our disputes. our
demonstrations"
"You are wrong there. There are
no assassinations in modern Italy. l
fought with the Duke But l will
tell you the story and have every con-
fdence that you will not reveal it.
II am Count Baradini. and my an
cestors have lived in this palace since
the twelfth century. The man you
saw OF the other side of the senorina
at the ball was the Duke of Abolino.
a relative Of the king. The senorina
herself is the daughter Of the Countess
Francoccio, an old family that sprang
up under the influence of Lorenzo de
Medici. commonly called Lorenzo the
Magnificent. Senorina Blanca Fran
coccio and myself have been lovers
vel since l was sixteen and she four
teen years old. Upon her entrance into
society lately Oh her eighteenth birth
day the duke saw her and became de
sirous Of possessing her. He is 8
widower, very rich and has great in
fuence with the king. Soon after see
ing Senorina Blanca he made a formal
application for her hand. Her mother
her father is ~dead-urged her to &C.
cept what is I o be considered in a
worldly point of view a better position
than l could give her. To be II duchess
and rich is higher in the worldly scale
than to be a countess and with no pos
sessions except this old palace. AS for
Blanca. her heart is all mine. as mine
is hers. and If left to her W will
she would refuse the duke to marry
me. Indeed. rather than wed with
him she declares she will go into a
convent.
"The duke was expecting to have
his w way In the matter when at
the recent ball at the Pitt he discov-
cred that l was his rival. l was with
| Senorina Blanca Il few minutes before
we passed you. when the duke Joined
her and by a look babe me give way
to him. l asked the lady to go with
me into another apartment. She as
scented. %whereupon the duke went with
US. On reaching the other room Bian-
ca showed the duke SO plainly that bis
presence was not desirable that he left
us. giving me a malignant look US he
did 30 that plainly meant I am a
man Of too much Importance to be In
terfered with 10y such ~ you
ION leaving the palace the duke. who
took OCCASION to g0 out at the same
time rs I. jostled me. Seeing that ]
must have 1t out with him. l sent him
a challenge.
"Just at present the king would be
furious n he knew that members Of
the nobility to whom he looks for sup
port. especially his relative. had fought
a duel If I were known to have sent
a challenge to the Duke Of AbOlino ]
should In some way he made to suffer.
met him within an hour after we
left the T,etti: but. rea!izing my posi-
ton. II did not dare even pink him.
He anne very near killing me. as you
see. and I Doubt o will be d%isapp0int.
ed II I recover.
The duke and my second Joined In
conference az to how to Keep the mat.
ter Il secret, and decided to call upon
you to attend me.