The daily Alaskan., 1911-07-29
A MEDIEVAL
 LOVE AFFAIR By MARGARET L. BLISS Copyright by American Press Asso-
 ciati1r l9u.

One morning some three centuries ago. when Florence. Italy ruled by Duke Coslmo de Medici, wRs divided among a number Of powerful families. the Duchess Eleanora. attended by couriers, was driven from the Pitd palace across the bridge called the Ponte vecchlo. spanning The river Ar no, Into the main part or the city, Be side the duchess sat a young Cirl noted especially for her fair complexion and golden hair From an upper window overlooking the bridge a young man looked down on the cavalc0de About stood a crowd of persons dividing their glances between the young man and the young girl beside the duchess. Ills eyes were riveted on her. while she glanced up at him. They were known to be lovers, an Florence sympathized with them, and the crowd had collect ed to observe tbis lovers look that passed between them
 The girl was Maddalena. the daugh- ter of Bernardo vettoH, surnamed "the light haired" and lt was from hlm that his daughter inherited her locks of gold as well as an immense fortune The mother of Maddalena when wid- owed married Pietro SalviaH and, in order to keep Der fortune in the fam fly. Che stepfather betrothed her when still a child to his son by a former marriage But thls young man was killed In battle
 When Muddalena came to a mar riageable age a love affair came about between her and Lodovjco Capponi, who owned a villa In the country od- joining one Of her own. It was a grand passion on both sides, and the dsmc was tanned by opposition. Mad dalena's stepfather, stlll bent on keep Ing his fortune ID his own family, per suaded Duke Coslmo to forbid the mar rlage. Despite her own, her mothers and her lovers protests and entreades the girl was placed in convent
 Lodovico was a fery young man, and it was hoped by the stepfather that he would commit some act Of violence which would afford sn excuse Go ban- lsh him, lock him up or otherwise dis. pose of him. But the lover displayed more self control than had been ex- pected and refused to give his enemy fY,, coveted nnnorfunitv.
 Maddalena's mother told the story of her daughters love and misfortunes to the duchess and succeeded In interest. ing her. The affair was known Co an Florentlnes. who were a poetic and artistic people easily moved by a story Of love. Moreover, they feared that if the duke was able to prevent this marriage he would prevent others Therefore. though an the power Co keep the lovers apart was on one side, an the sympathy was oD the other.
 The duchess finally succeeded iu per suadlng her husband to permit her to invite Maddalena to visit her for a few days at the palace. Instead of days she remained months. But the struggle to compel her to resign her lover was not given up. Indeed, her invitation came in order to unite her with another suitor By the dukes order Lodovico was never mentioned except In contempt, while Sigismondo di Rossl. a favorite of the duke, was always spoken of with the highest praise
 Lodovico, not being permitted to visit the girl he loved, rented a house over looking the Poute vecchiO, from which he could look down upon her and re- celve bel. return glance whenevvS she crossed the bridge with the duchess,
 It was one of these occasions that has been described at the opening of this story, a scene that would not like ly have happened anywhere except in the city of the medieval Italian poets and painters whose names and works are part even of the present age. The bridge that Maddalena crossed stands today, traversed dnIly by thousands of .FIoreuunes and tourists.
 Perhaps no Incident iu the history of Florence can so well express the difference between that age, that peo- rle and this. Fancy a crowd at the entrance ot a park In an American city, Washington for instance, wait Ing to see an heiresg driven out with the presidents wife. her lover stand ing at the window ot house he has hired for the express purpose of see Ing bis ladylove go by. That age has passed. but romau'e stiil exists and Is as deep seJ In human nature as ever. While the people Of that day were interested lu individual cases, we now 6nd its expression In best sellers" Have we not in this respect degenerated?
 Whether it was that the duke, who was only Interested in SalviaH's plans through friendship for hfm, found that be was playing a losing game for him self, becoming unpopular, or whether he mel an undercurrept Of opnosItiou