Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-27
Three Dollars!

| the Butcher, his hands still wet, was
| whining for the blood of the American.
| He heard Martel SavignO call, heard the
young counts voice rise and break in a
! shrek, heard a thunder Of hoofs retreat
| ing into the blackness. Sicilian men were
| peering into his face, talking excitedly;
| through their chatter came that same
voice, imperative, furious, filled with
rage, and it cried:
! "Silenzio!''
There was no mistaking it. The veil
was ripped at last
| Blake recalled the dim outlines of that
| burly. bull-necked figure as it had leaped
! into brief silhouette against the glare of
the blazing match, that night so long
ago, and then he cried out aloud in the
! empty street, as he realized how COM
plete was the Identification. He remem-
bered Donnelly's vague prediction, five
minutes before he was stricken:
IF what suspect is true, it will cause
| a sensation
| A sensation, indeed! The surprise. the
| overpOwering to permit coherent thought.
i This Maruff1, or Cardi. or whoever he
| might prove to be, was tremendous. No
wonder he had been hard to uncover. No
wonder his power was absolute. He had
| the genius Of a great general, a great
politician, and a great criminal, all in
| one, and he was as pitiless as panther,
more deadly than a moccasin. What in
| fuence had perverted such intellect into
| a weapon of iniquity? What evil of the
blood, what lesion Of the brain had dis
| torted his instincts so monstrously?
Caesar Maruffi. rich, respected. hon.
! ored. 1t was unbelievable.
Blake halted after a time and took note
| of the surroundings into which his feet
had led him. He was deep into the for
| eign quarter. and found. with a start
that he had been heading for Vittoria
| Fabrizi's dwelling as if guided by some
extraneous power. By strong exercise
| of will power he Gained himself. What
! he needed above all things was counsel,
some one with whom he could share this
amazing discovery Perhaps his pres
| ence here was sign: at any rate he de-
cided to follow his first impulse, SO has
| tened onward.
Inside the house his brain cleared in a
I measure. as he waited. but his agitation
| must have left plain traces, for no sooner
| had Vittoria appeared than she ex-
claimed:
My friend. Something has happened"
He rose and met her half way. Eyes.
Something tremendous, something ter
rible.'
1T was unwise of you to come here
you may be followed. Tell me quickly
| what has made you so indiscreet?"
Il have found Belisario Cardi'
She paled; her eyes famed.
"Yes-its Incredible" His voice shook.
| II know the man well. that's the marvel
| of it. I've trusted him. I've rubbed
| shoulders with him, I went to him to-
night to enlist his aid" He paused,
realizing for the first time that the mys-
| terry of those letters was now deeper than
ever. If Maruffi had not written them,
who then? Hes the best and the rich
est Italian in the city. God! The thing
| is appalling"
"He must go to Justice said Vittoria.
quietly. His name?"
Caesar Maruffi!"
The girls eager look faded into blank
dismay.
Nor she said. strangely, "no!'
do you know him?"
In a daze she nodded. then cast a hur-
| ried, frightened look over her shoulder.
Madonna mia! Caesar Maruff.'' Dis
belief and horror leaped into her eyes
You are mad! Not Caesar. l do not
| believe It,"
Caesar. Caesar." he cried. why do
you call him that? Why do you doubt?
What is he to. your"
She drew away with a look that
| brought him to his senses.
There is no mistake" he mumbled,
che is Cardi I know. l.
"Wait, wait, don't tell me-" She went
cropping uncertainty to the door. Don't
| tell me yet
moment later he heard her call:
.oliveta! Come quickly. sorella mia. A
friend. Quickly!"
| Oliveta-recognizably the same girl that
he had known in Sicily-entered with her
black brows lifted in anxious inquiry,
her dark eyes wide with apprehension.
Some evil has befallen. tell me!'' she
said. wasting no time in greeting
NO Nothing evil Blake assured her.
Our friend has made a terrible dis
covery.' said Vittoria, in a faint voice.
Il cannot believe-I-want you to hear,