Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-26

Eternal City, to introduce them, they
soon found themselves in the swim
there.
Henrietta Tracy was much sought
after by Italians, who would have
been glad to marry beautiful Amer
lean with a fortune. Her only object
in accepting their attentions was a
natural desire to see the world in
Rome. One young man she fancied.
but he was supposed to be perfectly
independent financially and did not
seem inclined to join the throng Of
her suitors.
But the lady was not sure that indif-
ference was the cause of his standing
aloof, though she did not know. There
are young men who are either too
proud 60 enter into competition for
the hand of a girl pursued by fortune
hunters or too sensitive to pay atten-
ton to such. But this young man, Lui-
81 Brandini, was not pauper and no
such motive could be attributed to him,
though his estate was said to be in
| volved in law suit of many years
, standing.
Nevertheless Brandini showed Miss
Tracy every attention he could with
out indicating that he was likely to be-
come sutton. The last time she saw
| him at a social function was ball Civ
en- at the Quirinal palace, where he
was her partner more than once dur
| ing the evening. He seemed gloomy,
and Miss Tracy could not help wonder
| ing IL her departure, which was to take
place the next day, had anything to do
with his depression. When she was
leaving the palace the young man bid
her goodnight and goodby with a far
away look in his eye that BODIED some
impending calamity.
That was the last the Tracys saw of
Rome for some time. From there they
went to Berlin, thence to London and
finally sailed from England to Amer
ica.
Two years passed. One day Miss
Tracy entered restaurant in an Amer
lean city with party of friends for
luncheon. When they were seated a
waiter advanced with a napkin on his
arm to serve them. Looking up at him
Miss Tracy met his eye. The hot blood
rushed to his cheeks and an expression
Of mingled pain and modification
showed itself in every feature of his
face. The man recognized her as she
recognized him. He was Luigi Bran
DIM
He turned and went away, and she
saw him no more. Presently another
| nd
ders. 1t is needless to say that the
luncheon had been spoiled for Miss
Tracy. The face of one she had last
met as a guest in the Quirinal palace
in Rome changed to a waiter in an
American restaurant was appalling.
Being ignorant Of what had caused
this downward course in the social
scale on the part of Brandini. she
wrote a friend who made Rome her
residence and who had recently come
to America for visit. In reply she
was informed that soon after her de-
parture from Italy an important suit
of many years standing between Lui-
81 Brandini and a cousin had been de
cided in the court Of last appeal against
Brandini and made him pauper. he
had disappeared from Rome, and no
one knew where he had gone. Rumor
had It that he had enlisted in the
French foreign legion; that he had
committed suicide; that bandit who
was terrorizing province in Sicily IN.
der the name of Catana was Brandini
For awhile these wild rumors went
from mouth 10 mouth; then the pool
man was forgotten 81 t5a social -crIe
as completely as if an ocean had CLOSED
over him.
Miss Tracy read the information i'm
parted. and her sympathies went on
all the more to her former acquaint
ance. especially at learning that bis
fall was not attended With. disgrace