Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-06-17

brought me left. one Of them first say
ing to me:
"Scncre Dottori. we are very glad to
hear you say that the patient has so
good chance for his life. When you
leave here he discreet and all will be
we'll with you. but if you talk-well.
all have to say is you will not talk
very long"
remained Il week ut the palace. the
name of which | did not know. In
deed. was not permitted to leave the
room of the patient. my meals all be-
ing served there. My mail was
brought me. and 1t was amusing for
the first day or two to read the mes
sages Of my patients with reference to
my sudden disappearance. Then ask
ed those who had kidnapped me to
leave word at my apartments that
had been called to Sienna on very
important case. This had the effect to
quiet those who sought me.
My patient turned out to be as en-
gaging man as had deemed him to
be when he passed me in the Pitt
palace
"Your effort" said to him one day.
ito keep your drama--it came very
near being Il tragedy-from me would
| possibly have been successful had II
not been that l was ut the ball at the
Petit palace the night you were stab
bed. l saw you pass me with the man
who stabbed you and the lady for
whom you were stabbed. So you see
1t would he safer for you to tell me
the whole story. since | have a part
of it. pledging myself to secrecy.
rather than to permit me to go away
with what already have unp!cdgcd."
He was no, only very much aston
ishcd. but saw the reasonablcncss of
what said.
Il did not notice YOU" he replied.
lat the ball AMI supposed that you had
no position in court society. An ltal-
ian surgeon would have been unav;iil-
able for us We are all SO intcrlaccd
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-
ousics. our disputes, our
"ASsaSSinationS.'
"You are wrong there. Thee are
no assassinations in modern I:aly.
fought with the Duke But l will
tell You the story and have every con-
tidcnce that you will not reveal it.
81 am Count Haradini, and my an
cestors have lived in this palace since
the twelfth century The man you
saw on the other side of the scnorina
at the ball was the Duke of Abolino
a relative of the king The scnorina
herself is the daughter of the Countess
Francoccio. an old family that sprang
up under the influence of Lorenzo de-
Mcdici. commonly called Lorenzo the
Magnificent. Scnorina Blanca Fran
coccio and myself have been lovers
ever since | WAS sixteen and she four.
teen years old Upon her entrance into
society lately CT 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
. fuencc with the king Soon after see
f ing Scnorina Blanca he made forIla
t application for her hand. Her mother
f her father is dead-urged her to ac-
) cept what is to be considered in q
worldly point of view Il better position
than could give her. To be duchess:
: and rich is higher in the worldly scale
! than to be a countess and with no pos,
: sessions except this old palace. AS fol
r Blanca. her heart is all mine. as mine
Y is hers. and If left to her own will
] she would refuse the duke to marry
!. me. Indeed. rather than wed Will
! him she declares she will go into q
. convent.
"The duke was expecting to have
] his own way in the matter when al
the recent ball at the Pitt he discov
cred that | was his rival. l was Will
: Senorna Blanca a few minutes before
we passed you. when the duke JOINED
). her and 10y IL look bade me give wa!
e to him. asked the lady to go will
G me into another apartment. She as
l scented. whcrcupon the duke went will
J. US. On reaching the other room Bian
+ ca showed the duke so plainly that hi:
d presence was not desirable that he lief
s us, giving me malignant look as HI
6 did so that plainly meant I am :
e man of too much Importance to he in
terfered with by such as you
ION leaving The palace the duke, wh'
= took OCCASION to so out at the same
time as l. jostled me. Seeing that
= must have it out with him. sent hin
G challenge.
r "Just at present the king would b'
furious if he knew that members O
: the nobility to whom he looks for sup
r. port. especially his relative. had tough
It duel. If | were known to have sen