The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-07-12
A Woman S
Vengeance
By BLANCA CARROLL

TIE VI Iuc SlAICSAlh SCAtuAJ
the Mancini family were prominent
and rich at Venice. A brother and
sister in the family were devoted to
each other. the brother being a deli
cate young man given to study rather
than to arms. Blanca. his sister. was.
unlike him. fond of manly sports and
constantly regretted that she had not
been born man that she might in
dulge in them without restraint. Pos
sibly this dissimilarity is what united
gentle. refined. intellectual. the other
naturally aggressive and without much
mental cultivation.
Nevertheless Blanca possessed fair
face and figure and had number OF
suitors. Among them was Leonardo
Donadio, a man with bad reputation
and therefore undesirable Blanca told
him, as she had told all the others, that
she would not marry because she did
not wish to be separated from her
brother.
One afternoon. when she was loung-
ing with the social magnates. as was
the custom on St. Marks square. look
ing down the Grand canal she saw
gondola approaching, and when it
came nearer she recognized her family
colors. The gondola was pulled up
near the pillar bearing the winged
lions of St. Marks. and Blanca. under
a presentiment that something had
gone wrong, went to meet 1t. As the
boat came up. there. lying in the gon-
dola. bis cloak red with blood. was the
dead body Of her brother. She stood
gazing at it for some moments, para
lyzed. She did not faint: she did not
cry out. Her first words were:
''Who has done this murder"
Leonardo Donadio. signorina," re-
piled the gondolier. HE met your
brother on the Rialto and said to him.
You will not stand long between me
and your sister, They fought and
your brother fell pierced to the heart
He was no match for that ruffian. who
is the best swordsman in Venice"
Those were queer times. and Donadio
had faint hope that even after what
he had done he might still win Blanca
She was not seen abroad after her
brothers death. and finally it was
learned that she had left Venice
Where she had gone or what she had
gone for was not known.
Six months passed. during which
time nothing was seen or heard of
Blanca Donadio. who was wildly in
love with her. seemed crazed by her
Venice and dashed him with torrent
of invective he could have borne up
under it, but this vacancy she had left.
this nothingless. was agoniZing. He
shut himself up in his house and
would not 60 out Of It
One day while a gondola was pass
ing under his window be heard two
men in it speaking of young man
who had recently arrived from Naples
and had opened fencing academy
AS they were passing out OF bearing
he heard one Of them say. mot even
the skill of Donadio could prevail
against him."
This was the only thing that could
have aroused the recluse from bis de-
spondency He would 60 and see this
fencer. and If he appeared to be wor
thy of his steel he would insult him
and. by killing him. would show that
Donadios match had not yet appeared
The next day he left his bOuse for
the first time. not by water, but by
taking one of the narrow interior pas
sages He had scarcely closed the
door behind him when the narrow way
was blocked by young man, whose
black beard covered his whole face
The beard contrasted with the mans
complexion. which was soft and clear
more like wax than flesh and blood
How now. Signor Donadio?" said
/ the man. Where are you going after
. your long stay shut up in your homer"
Donadio. thinking the man some one
he had met. but forgotten. told him
that he was going to a new fencing
school he had heard had been opened
You do not need to go there to meet
the new fencing master He stands
before you"
Putting off the beard. the stranger
! displayed the features of Blanca Man
cini Donadio recoiled. for with the
other hand Blanca drew her rapier.
you got rid of what you considered
the only barrier between you and me-
my brother You now see another bar
rier. myself. which you are to dispose
Of in the same way. | have been edu
Gated under the best masters of the art
Of fencing in Rome and Naples Draw
l returned to meet you. but since you
never left your home ! have been
obliged to draw you out by stratagem
Donadio could not 60 aside nor
straight ahead. the passage being
blocked Thinking to dominate the wo
man, he drew his sword. resolving to
disarm her first and talk with her aft
erward. He was soon astonished at
the skill with which she parted his
thrusts She did not at once assume
the offensive. evidently feeling vim
dictive relish in playing with him
Then suddenly she began to press him
with rapid and well executed thrusts-