Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-09-19
DAILY SHORT STORIES


who. thus meeting centuries bsssre.
seized the hits Of their swords.
One morning each received a note
from Jeanneste Loutcn inviting him
TO call ut 8 o'clock In the afternoon
OF n certain day. At the appointed
hour visconti appeared. and Str6szi
was admitted n few minutes later
They were received In tho cabinet OF
arms. Each started as he saw the
other. glared and awaited develop.
mcnts. e..
I''you have both done me the honor to
propose FOR my hand Erom both I
have listened TO accounts OF the prov
ess OF your ancestors. You have trans
ported me to those romantic times and
kept me there silii almost feel that
Iaan part OF thcm. As t4uudcr-
stHfid II. tho fnmiiies you rcprcsent
| took an equally important artfinsltal.
ian history. You are both finc, repre-.
sentatives Of splendid race. Few
women have been honorcd by choice
between two such offers. Can you
blame me FOR not being able to choose
between the two? I must nsl yot, 10
decide which shuA defer 10 the other.
l Will leave you IN this room andp ttsk
| you. when you have decided. TO let me
know" ~~t ,..s,
She went cut OF the cabinet ana shut
| the door.
For few minutes there were low
voices, gradually rising tin they rang
out I'm trumpet tones.
Meanwhile Ned Sackett. a young st.
Louisnn. who had been counting Jean.
nette Jouton for several years. fearing
thnt among the princes and dukes
abroad she might slip away from him.
4 had decided to follow her. arriving in
Florence on the very day the young
Indy bad suggested to the two princes
to settle between themselves which
should give way TO the other
The same afternoon he sauntered up
to the Palnzzio V. He was admitted
| to n surprise. The door TO the cabinet
OF arms was open, and two men were
lighting with swords as long ms the
antagonists themselves, while Jean
nette was making frantic efforts to In
duce them to desist. The two princes
had come from words 10 blows, and
each had caught up weapon Prince
| Visconti. having been hurt I'm the head,
seized helmet and put It on. Prince
Strozzi. seeing a piece OF armor OF the
thirteenth century. I'm order to get
even with his enemy caught 1t UP and
| got Ii partly on his thorax. Visconti
picked up shield used I'm the cru.
sades, Strozxi defending himself with
an andiron 100 years old, but ns Sack
cit entered he dropped II and replaced
1t with an immense iron punch bowl
that had belonged to n Visconu.
To add to the terror OF the scene.
Viscontfs face was bloody and Strozzi
limped from wound I'm the leg. yIs-
CONT holding the longer sword. his en-
envy dropped his own and grabbed n
pike. This gave him such nm ndvan-
tage That It enabled him to drive his
enemy into corner. But near Wis
! cont In rack was gun with n barrel
hearly as long ns the pike Selling It
! md deriving an advantage owing 10
! his own superior length. he began 10
poke his adversary with IL on some
thing like equal terms. In this way
he cornered man gradually forced his
adversary 10 the middle OF the room.
These changes In The situation re-
luired but very little time. It required
more time by far for Sackett TO re-
over from his nstonisbment nj this
mcdiaeval struggle in the opening Of
he twentieth century. He didn't know
| whether 10 be the more amused or
IStonishcd The scene may hive been
| ibSnrd. but there was no time for
inughter. Jeanette gave Snckett an
| 'mploring look. Selling battleax. he
ran mp TO the combatants and began to
beat down their weapons. lie was
not so furious rs they, and this ab-
scnce OF anger gave him decided nd
vnntage. Finally he secured n position
between the two.
Gentlemen" hc said. whit means
this unsecmIy row I'm the home OF n
lady"
They don't understand English"
said Jeannettc. In word she OK
planned the situation
Sackett understood no Italian. but
| he was capital at pantomime Putting
his left arm about Jennnette. ne waved
his right in the mir, while sublime
look rested on his fnce. as much as 20
gay: Il am the victor in this case.
| Tho lady falls TO me"
Jcnnncttc. fearful tInt II she denied
big right to her the two princes would
rchcw the fray aud Kill each other.
dcGicd nothing Indeed she clunE TO
the party Of the third part ms her only
refuge
"Scnorina." said Yisconu. do we
! understand that this gentleman is your
betrothcdf"
This being I'm Italian. SncSclt Did
not understand n word OF Il. aud tho
lady was free TO say wbnt she liked.
II have loved him since I was y IT.
tie girl she declared
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