The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-02-27
A WOMAN
BRIGAND
By SAMUEL E. BRANT

There lived in medieval times in
Florence, Italy, a nobleman, n Of the
Conda family, who fell under the dis
pleasure of Lorenzo de- Medici and was
obliged to fly for his life. He found
his way to the island Of Sicily and
took up his abode on the foothills be-
by his wife and children.
Those were troublous times, and the
dividing line between making a living
honestly and by plumber vas not so
we'll marked as now. Giuseppe Con
da, having been a man of action, nat
urally fell to levying tribute from
travellers for a living. He passed years
supporting his family in this way and
was at last shot by the police and
killed. leaving a daughter twenty years
old to care for several younger chill
dren.
Blanca Conda, having been brought
up without q knowledge of any way
of making a livelihood than that adopt
ed by her father, saw no other way to
support the little ones intrusted to
her care than by turning brigand.
Adopting mans attire. she would go
out to some spot favorable for ambus-
cade ON a thoroughfare and, lie in
wait for some luckless traveller, order
him to leave his valuables IN. a rock,
and when he had done 80 she would
permit him to pass on. ..,sE
But Blanca. had, a very sweet, wo-
manly voice which she could. not dis
guise. Indeed, she did not, attempt
to do so. She would say in her W
natural tones: 'Signor. ] have YOU COW
cred with my carbine. Place. what
%valuables you have with you. on that
rock beside the. road and proceed Oh
your way. If you refuse l shall kill
you"
Some submitted through fear, but n
number were Influenced rather by be
ing commanded by a woman with a
sweet voice. Perhaps there were per
sens robbed who We're well armed and
would have resisted had it not been
for this consideration. At any rate.
Blanca did not have to hurt any one.
1DuJ 81 I'll vac 9l W lCl .
that whenever she took in yaluables
from a traveller she new robbed an
other till the plumber was all gone.
Blanca was pitied by the people who
dwelt in her section Of the island, and
the story of her method Of supporting
her brothers and sister spread abroad.
The young Count Tarantola, a Floren-
tine who was visiting Sicily, heard OF
her while sojourning at Palermo. BE
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. He resolved to
make the ascent Of Mount Etna and
on the way attempt to secure an inter
view with the woman bandit.
He purposely Travelled alone on Il
road on which he was told that Blanca
levied tribute. He heard that the night
before she had levied upon two differ
ent travellers, from neither Of whom
she had secured more than a pittance.
Therefore he calculated she would try
it again the next night.
At the point where he expected to be
lODUCU liz uCAl 11lSllVCA uCU1u uuI1IS ~
tribute in her accustomed voice.
"Signorina,'' he replied. II have moth
ing to give you except the signet ring
Of my family. l leave it for you on
the rock, begging that you will lot
turn it into money, but wear it for the
sake of II who knows Of your fathers
treatment at the hands Of the Medici
f..roi Vvv nv, si%;no won esnno,,o1yD
Blanca heard this request given in Il
voice no less attractive for q man than
hers was for a woman. She readily
made the promise. The count then beg
ged that she would permit him to see
her. but she refused his request. So
there was nothing for him to do but
pass on.
Count Tarantola ascended Mount Eft
na, but lie was oblivious to what he
saw. for the voice Of Blanca Conda
was ever sounding in his ears. Re
turning to Florence he went to court,
where he had great influence. became
an advocate for Blanca COnda and her
young charges and succeeded in re-
moving the ban against them and Sc
curing q restoration Of their estates.
But before they were recalled he ex-
acted from the government a promise
to keep secret the fact that he had
been instrumental in their change of
fortunes.
One night after Bianca's arrival in
Florence she was attending q ball.
Suddenly she started. a voice behind
her was saying: "Good evening. signo-
"a. When did you return from Rome?'
The words were spoken in the voice
she had heard the night she had rob-
bed Count TarantOla Of his signet ring.
She had 1t on her finger at that very
moment. She turned and saw the
young count, whose eyes met hers.
The lady to whom he had spoken
moved on. and. approaching Blanca,
he said:
II have heard Of your restoration to
your estates, s%ignorina. Permit me to
y ks,lo IN ~,o,, - i s. Il