Evening star., 1912-09-09
By REX BEACH.

Copyright, 1912. by Rex Beach.)

pleases them" He chuckled. as IL de-
lighted at his own secrecy.
Norvin said, sharply: Come, come!
Don't jest with me. l have travelled a
long way to see them. l wish to know
their whereabouts
Then ask some one who knows. II
ever I was told I have forgotten, si'or.
| My memory goes jumping about like a
kid. 1t is the rheumatism After an in
slant more, he queried: "You are. per-
angel. my padrona?"
With an exclamation Of relief Norvin
laid hand upon the old fellows shoul-
der and shook him gently.
Have your eyes failed you, my good
Aliandro?" he cried. Don't you recog-
nize the American? The Signore Blake.
who came here with the Count of Mar
tinello? ook at me and tell me where
your mistress has gone
Aliandro arose and peered into his WIS.,
itors face, wagging his loose jaws eX-
citedly.
las God is my judge" he declared.
finally. II believe 1T is. Che Dio-. Who
would have expected to see you? Yes,
when you came riding up with that most
illustrious gentleman who now sits in
paradise. 1t is a miracle that you have
crossed the seas so many times in
safety"
80. Now tell me what I want to
know
"They have gone
'Where?''
How do I know? Find Belisario
Cardi-may he live a million years in
hell. Find him and you will find them,
Also
You mean"
Find Belisario Cardi. that most in
famous of assassins. My padrona had
set out to say good morning to him. He
may even now be on his way to purga-
tory.
Blake stared at the speaker. for he
could not credit the words. Once more
he asked:
"But where? Where?''
Where, indeed? If I had known in
time where this Cardi lived 1 would have
knocked at his door some evening with
the hilt of a knife. But he was never
twice in the same place. He has the
ears of a fox. So long as the soldiers
went tramping back and forth. he laugh
ed. Then he must have heard something
perhaps it was Aliandro whetting his
blade-at any rate, he was gone in an
hour. in moment, in second. Now, l
know nothing more"
'She took the Donna Teresa with her?''
Yes squealing like a cat. She is too
old to be of use. but the contessa could
not leave her behind, l suppose"
Norvin felt some relief at this intell-
gence. rejecting that Margherita would
hardly draw her aunt into an enterprise
which promised to be dangerous.
1T is work for young hands. excel
lency," continued Aliandro. 'Old people
grow weary and forget. especially wom-
en-. Now that Lucrezia, she is a. fine child.
she can hate like the devil himself, and
she is as silent as a Mafioso. 1t was
two months ago that they went away,
and that angel of gold. that sweetest of
ladies whom the saints are quarreling
over, she left me sufficient money for the
balance of my days. But / will tell you
something, eXcellency-a scandal to make
your blood boil. She left that money
with the notary. And now. what do you
think? He gives me scarcely enough for
tobacco! Once week, sometimes often
er, | go down to the village and whine
like beggar for what is mine. A fine
man to trust, eh? May he lie unburied !,
Sometimes 1 think I shall have to kill
him. he is SO hard-hearted, butt cannot
see well enough. If you should find him
kicking in the road. however, you will
know that he brought it upon himself.
You are shocked? No wonder. He is a
greater scoundrel than that Judas. Per-
haps you-you are a great friend of the
family-perhaps you might force the wolf
to disgorge. Eth? What do you say? A
word would do it. You will save his life
in all probability"
(To be continued tomorrow