The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-08


lonna frequently at an hour when she
knew her two discarded suitors would
be there. If Prince Colonna on these
occasions felt embarrassed he conceal
ed his embarrassment under that stolid
grandeur of mien which was born in
him.
upon my word" remarked Count
Leo Barbarini to Prince Sforza, 81 be
lieve our scheme will be success
Our waiter will marry the American"
! you see, it required those Siberian
mines to make it so. Though Amer.
leans spend money like water, they
/ value it all the same"
"Who is the other fellow in the car
! riage, l wonder?"
/ "An American. But whether he is a
suitor, too, cannot matter much to us
that is, provided we can keep up the
( sham. 1t is the Colonna name and the
right to write princess after it that
will win"
'In any event we have had the sat
isfaction of passing waiter Off upon
her as a prince. Did you notice how
proud she seemed to be of him as she
passed?'
| "And the smile she gave u.s.
/ And so the comedy went on, much
to the satisfaction of the conspirators
Prince Colonna's capital was nearing
an end, and one day he mentioned be-
fore Miss Henderson that a dividend
from his mines had been delayed. She
promptly asked him how much he re-
quired for his present expenses, and
while he was refusing to be supplied
by lady she sat down at a desk and.
writing a check for 5000 lira, handed
It to him.
"But my remittance will soon be
here" he protested.
'sTake it and pay when your remit
tance comes" she replied
The same afternoon Miss Henderson
telephoned to her bankers to know If
Prince Colonna had drawn the check
and learned that he had done so. Then
she telephoned to the prince asking
him to call during the evening. When
he did so, magnificent in a fresh ac-
cession Of jewelry, she asked him to
be seated and said:
Giovanni
The prince started.
-"you are not Gregorio Colonna.
You are Giovanni Something's other,
and you have this afternoon commit
ted fraud. Some one has been put
ting you up to this playing prince, and
wish to know all about the scheme.
You are welcome to the 5000 Ira, but
hereafter I own. you, for the moment
you refuse to obey my orders or try to
deceive me you go to Jail. Do as l
direct and you are safe from the re-
suits of your crime"
Giovanni confessed that he had been
a waiter at hotel at Frascatti and
that Barbarini and Sforza had hired
him to play the part of Prince Co
lonna and marry Miss Henderson if
possible. He further stated that he
had agreed to pay each of them an
annuity after his marriage.
"Indeedw she said, with much sur
prise. Il did not suppose that Barba-
rini and Sforza had sunk to that How.
ever, since it was murder in the mid
die ages, | suppose it must be swim
ding in the twentieth century. Go and
steal the paper you signed agreeing to
pay this annuity"
ut is not necessary, senorina. There
were duplicates made. l have one in
my pocket. but I do not like to part
with it,"
"Either give it to me Or She
went to n telephone and took down
the receiver The waiter knew the
meaning of this, and Miss Henderson
knew that with the transmitter near
vanni opened pocketbook, drew out
a paper and handed it to her She
took it, r@ad it and said:
"Now go to Frascath and tell the
keeper of the hotel at which you were
employed that l desire dinner for four
persons to be ready at 7 o'clock this
evening. Any failure to do as l direct
will result in your arrest at once"
With 5000 lira in his pocket and a
jail as an alternative there was not
much expectation that he would dis.
obey.
The next morning Count Barbarin
and Prince SfOrza received an invita-
ton to drive with Miss Henderson to
the hills near Rome for dinner. She
said she had an important announce
ment to make to them. They accepted
feeling assured that they would learn
Of her engagement to Prince Colonna
They called at her hotel and were in
troduced to Mr.. Blackwelder. Seeing
that they were surprised at not meet
ing Prince Colonna, she told them that
he would be of the party at dinner
but would go in his own conveyance.
} The four entered a carriage waiting
at the door and, driving across the
Campagna, ascended the hill to Fras
! cath and stopped before the - hotel
Dinner was served, but the prince die
not appear.
"He will be late" Miss Henderson
explained.
, 1t was not till the coffee was brought
: on that he appeared, and then it was
in the dress of a waiter, with a nap
q kin on his arm. The guests stared a