The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-10-25

| Naples. A steamer was just going u
| of the harbor for America. He went
| abroad. took his place In the steerage
with the emigrants and came to New
York. Here he repaired directly to
| those In authority over the phantom
| kingdom OF Italy and laid the entire
matter before them. In this new king
dom, as in the old one, he was the
| Marquis Mazaccra and a person OF Pc
| cufiar distinction. Moreover. here his
| story was believed.
The new kingdom OF Italy decided
| for the marquis and went into secret
counsel on his case. The young man
had q plan Of his own. He knew the
face OF the American who had come
to buy the Virgin Of the Mountain,
and he had. also, the finest voice in
the military school at Milan. Why
not. then. get a place in grand opera.
II It could be managed. There could
be no better station for q sentinel
posted to fnd a millionaire than that.
| Sooner or later the man would come
In with such audiences II he were liv-
ing.
The matter was easily managed
through Filippo Marchesi. himself an
Italian born In Amalf.
In the Marquis M~azaccra's throat
was a voice descended from the stars.
He gained swiftly everything to be had
over a footlight. Within Ave years
he was richer than any other marquis
born In the villa at Sorrento.
More northern and colder blood
would doubtless. after these years.
have given up the Virgin Of the
Mountain, and gone about enjoyment
OF its much goods, like that certain
rich man. But not SO this blood.
brewed in its sun-vat by the Mediter-
ranean.
All this was related In minutest de-
tail by the servant Pietro to Ran
dolph Mason. The occasion for It was
the finding Of the Virgin Of the Noun
tain. Not by the Marquis Mazaccra
nor the host OF Italian servants In
New York, all commissioned by the
authority OF the East side to search.
but by accident. An Italian paper
hanger, sent to help with the interior
decoration OF q house on East Forty.
eighth street. had discovered the
painting rolled up In q closet OF a
room on the second floor whose door
he had opened to find a place for his
paste pots. The house belonged to
Tolman Perkins, a retired iron manu-
facturer. This man. like all those
who. having got a fortune by middle
life and having come to New York
to enjoy II, had found inactivity un-
bearable. and had gone wandering
over the earth. He was about to re-
turn from a three years sauntering
through the Japanese east, and the
caretakers were getting the house in
order for him.
The fame OF Randolph Mason had
been carried by Pietro into the king
dom of New Italy. The authority
there wished to know how the pic
ture might be recovered and adequate
vengeance visited on Tolman Perkins.
Pietro laid the matter before Ran
dolph Mason one night after dinner.
Randolph Mason babe Pietro sit
down in a chair before him. and he
explained with great patience the
avenues Of redress. A suit could be
instituted in the circuit court OF the
United States by this Mazaccra, a
subject Of King Victor Emanuel the
Third Of Italy. against Tolman Per-
kins, to secure the painting and ade-
quate damages. The picture could be
taken, meanwhile into the custody Of
the court by a proper writ. This was
the direct legal plan available in such
a case. and to be advised. II this
authority on the East side preferred
not to 60 with such q matter into the
courts, then he would give 1t a plan
by which the matter could be adjust.
ed without the running Of any risk.
But first. Pietpo should. 60 back to
New Italy. state exactly what Ran
dolph Mason had said. and learn
which Of the two plans the authority
there preferred to follow.
But, In the meantime. the Marquis
Mazaccra had elected to follow his
own plan. Taking the place Of the
Italian paper hanger who had found
the picture OF the Virgin of the
Mountain, and disguised as that
workman, he went on the day follow
ing the discovery to the house on
Forty-eighth street and brought the
painting away with him inclosed in
a roll Of burlap.
Pietro reported to Randolph Mason
that the stolen picture had been thus
recovered and that the authority Of
New Italy now considered the matter
ended.
The Marquis Mazaccra. however,
did not consider Il thus ended The
score with Tolman Perkins remained
yet to be settled. The Latin nina
was not accustomed to the idea Of
punitive damages at law for an in
Jury.
On a certain Sunday morning, a
few days after the recovery Of the
picture Of the Virgin Of the Noun
tain. New York vas astonished by q
homicide belonging, in its deliberate,
cruel and theatric details. to some
inquisitorial era Mr.. Tolman Per-