The herald., 1914-04-02
A WOMAN
BRIGAND
By SAMUEL {. BRANT

florence, lia.N. Il L''.'ti"l4' 'it' 'l '.'
Couda family. who fell under IN" lis
pleasure Of Lorenzo de- Medi.i ana WIS
obliged to fly for his life. lie found
his way to the island Of Sicily and
took UP his abode on the foothills Toe
low Mount Etna. where he was joined /
by his wife and children.
Those were troublous times. and thu
dividing line between making living
honestly aud 10y plumber was not So .
wei marked aS now. GiuScpI" Con
da, having been "A man of action, nat .
uraly fell To- i"yyiuC tribute from .
travellers for a living. He passed years .
supporting his family in this way and .
was at last shot 10y the police ana .
killed, leaving a daughter twenty years I.
old to care for several younger chill
drpn.
Blanca Conda. having been brought .
W without a knowledge ~ any way
Of making a livelihood than that adopt
/ ed by her father. saw no other way To
/ support the little ones intru>tcd 10
her care than by turning briGand.
/ Adopting mans attire, she would 20
/ out To some spot favorable for ambuS-
cadc on thoroughfare and lie in
wait for some luckipSS traveller, order
him to leave his valuableS on rock,
and when he had done 50 she would
permit him 10 pass on
But Blanca hal very sweet, wo-
! manly voice which she could not dis
guse Indeed. she did not attempt
10 do so. She would say in her own
natural tones "SiEnOr. ] have You GOV
cred with nv carbine Place what
valuableS YOU have with you on that
rock beside the road and proceed on
your way. If you refuse | shall Kill
you
Some submitted through fear. but
number were Influenced rather by be
Ing commanded 10y woman with a
sweet voice Perhaps there We're per
sens robbed who were well armed and
would have resisted had il not been
for this consideration. At any rate.
Blanca did not have 10 hurt any one.
/ But 80 avcrSo was she to her calling
that whenever she took in valuables
from traveller she never robbed an
other till the plumber WAS all gone.
Blanca was piticd 10y the people who
dwet in her section of the island. ana
the story of her method Of supporting
her brothers and sister spread abroad.
The young Count Tarantola. - Floren-
tine who was visiting Sicily. heard OF
her while sojourninc ut Palermo. He
knew Of her connections in his native
city and had heard of the treatment
her father had received ut the hands
: Of Lorenzo de Medici lie resolved to
, make the ascent of Mount Etna and
! / or the way attempt to secure an inter
view with the woman bandit
E He purposely Travelled alone on a
! road on which he was told that Blanca
levied tribute He heard that the night
T before she had levied upon two differ
: ent travellers. from neither of whom
e she had secured more than pittance
4 Therefore he calculated she would try
L IL again the next night
o At the point where he expected to be
e robbed he heard Blanca demanding the
tribute in her accustomed voice.
d "Signorina' he replied. Il have moth
4 ing TO give you except the signet ring
of my family. | leave it for you or
re the rock. begging that you will not
II turn it into money, but wear it for tht
h sake of one who knows of your father,
II treatment at the hands of the Medic
family and pities you sincerely"
n Blanca heard this request given in {
)r voice no less attractive for man thar
lie hers was for a woman. She readil!
Il made the promise. The count then beg
1t ged that she would permit him to Sc
v her. but she refused his request -
Il there was nothing for him to do bu
pass on.
lg Count Tarantola assembled Mount Fl
ne ma. but he was oblivious to what h
Id saw. for the voice of Blanca COnd
n was ever sounding in his ears. Re-
l turning TO Florence he went TO cOur
ne where he had great influence, becam
an advocate for Blanca COnda and he
s young charges and succeeded in r.
he moving the ban against them and 81
Ne curing a restoration of their estate
~ But before they were recalled he e.
no acted from the government promis
to keep secret the fact that he ha
iu been instrumental in their change {
= fortunes.
u One night after Bianca's arrival
~ Florence she was attending bal
NC Suddenly she started \ voice benin
y" her was saying: Good evening. sign
"e ra. When did you return from Rome
The words were spoken in the vOiC
ca she had heard the night she had 70
bed Count TarantOla of his signet rim
-, She had it on her finger at that vel
moment She turned and saw Il
young count, whose eyes met her
-. The lady to whom he had spoke
oh moved on. and. approaching Blanc
-, he said:
81 have heard of your restoration
-, your estates. signOrina. Permit me
congratulate you"
!, He advanced and offered his han
/, Blanca, whose cheeks were atlame, {
lowed him to take hers.
whats thiS?" said the count.
10 feel ring. the stone of which is tur
ed in"
Blanca knew By his expression tn
70 she was known as the woman who hi