The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-03-13

UP INTO seCtious Dy pdritoh Woiio'
Not that there is any regularity In
these partitions; they occur any and
everywhere, and It is not easy to tell
which ones We're part OF the original
palace and which have been built In
since. l was curious about the pile,
for though 1 was then but twenty-five
years old had read much about medi-
eval Italy, and / knew the history of
the house from its building. 1t was
erected by one OF the most villainous
of the Roman family leaders that
fiourished In the fifteenth century. A
number OF times his enemies besieged
his palace, overcame his followers, but
could never capture him. The fox had
means OF escape that enabled him 10
go forth a free man, though every
avenue OF exit was carefully watched.
My room was ON the second story
on corridor with apartments on ell
Their hand and was near one extrem-
ity. On the terminal wall was mural
picture.
Being interested, as / have said, in
the building, one day questioned the
maid who took care of my room
about its construction. The only in
formation i elected was that none of
the rooms between me and the near
end OF the hall was occupied This
may have been because the summer
season was coming on, when travellers
seek more northerly climates.
Nevertheless one morning on leaving
my room was just in time TO see q
lady advance from this unoccupied re-
gion. Perhaps it was the work Of my
imagination, perhaps some arrange
ment OF her costume borrowed from
two or three centuries agone, but 1t
seemed TO me that the lady belonged
to medieval times. There may be an.
other reason why l should have thus
considered her, the fact that had not
expected her TO come, so IL seemed,
out Of the wall. For had not the
maid told me that none OF the rooms
from whence she came was occupied?
However. was so struck with the
vision OF loneliness that swept by me
that whence she came or what's her
name" occupied a comparatively small
part of my thoughts concerning her.
! watched her till she reached the cen
ter Of the corridor and passed down
the staircase. At that moment the
maid came along, with her brooms
and bucket, and i asked her about
the rooms she had told me were va
cant. She assured me that they were.
Slipping couple of Ira into her
hands, / asked her to unlock them,
She opened every door, and there was
nothing but the bare furniture in any
one Of them. Nor was there any open |
ing or stairway leading elsewhere. In
other words. the end Of the corridor
was complete pocket.
From whence had the lady come?
l regretted that / had not followed |
her downstairs to see whittier she |
went. 1t was but o'clock in the |
morning. and Il occurred TO me that |
she might have gone to the cafe on
the first floor for breakfast. went |
down there. but she was nowhere to
be seen. She was in street costume
and had doubtless gone out.
For several days / spent all my time
going about the city. hoping to meet
the mysterious lady. visiting every
gallery, ruin or subterranean excava-
ton in Rome. + did not happen to
meet her. kept an eye for her I'm the
palazzio, both in the cafe and other
parts Of the building where would
be likely TO meet her. My watchful- |
ness availed me nothing. experience
ed n strange sinking about the heart
at thinking she might have left Rome.
Then one evening. ascending the
staircase in the palazzio. l started
down the corridor. No lights had yet
been lit, and objects were very dim
AS I was putting my key into the door
Of my room felt n current of air and,
turning, caught glimpse Of the mys-
ferrous lady going in the same direc-
tion as before.
1 was then young. and superstitions
that have a greater hold think on
youth than experienced age had not
yet worn away. Somehow l was I'm
pressed with the belief that the mys-
FERROUS lady was one Of those who had
Inhabited the palazzio several centu-