Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-02-28

good chance for his life. When you
leave here be discreet and all will be
well with you, but II you talk-well,
all have to say is you will not talk
very long"
remained a week at the palace, the
name of which | did not know. In
Iced, | was not permitted to leave the
room of the patient. my meals all
being served there. /. My mail was
brought me, and 1t was amusing for
the first day or two to read the mes
saees Of my patients with reference to
l.. Sudden disappearance Then ask
cd these who had kidnapped me to
le.ve word at ne apartments that l
had been called to Sienna on a very
important case. This had the effect Of
qc.eting those who sought me.
ny patient turned out to be as en-
,sa ying man as l had deemed him to
be when he passed me in the Pitt
2s'1se.
"Yoar c.ic.s." sa.l to him one day.
80 keep Your eraasa-it cane very
reGr icing = i'e-e l.s--sroIn re would
possibly have been successful had 1t
not been that was at the ball at the
Pitt palace the night you were stab
bed. l saw you pass me with the man
who stabbed you and tie lady for
whom you were stabbed. So you see
1t would be safer for you to tell me
the whole story. since l have a part
Of 1t, I pledging myself to secrecy,
, rather than to permit me to 60 away
with what | already have unpledged."
/ He was not only very much aston
ished. but saw the reasonableness Of
what said.
! Il did not notice you" he replied,
''at the bali and supposed that you had
no position In court society. An Ital-
Ian surgeon would have been unavail-
| able for us. We are all SO interlaced
socially, those below constantly watch
ing those above and all watching one
another, that we dare not trust any
| one of our own number. You, as an
American, are not mixed in our jeal-
nusies, our disputes, our
".Assassinations."
| You are wrong there. There are
no assassinations In modern Italy.
fought with the Duke But will
tell you the story and have every con-
fdence that you win not reveal It.
| II am Count Baradlni, and my ances-
tors have lived In this palace since the
twelfth century. The man you saw on
the other side OF the signorina at the
hall was the Duke Of AboIino, q rela
tive of the king. The signorina herself
Is the daughter Of the Countess Fran.
coccio. an old family that sprang up
under the influence OF Lorenzo de- Me.
dici, COMMONLY called Lorenzo the Mag
nificent. ct~rasua Bianca rraucocclc
and myself have been lovers ever since
was sixteen and she fourteen years
old. Cpcn her enhance into society
lately On her eighteenth birthday the
duke saw her and became DESTROYS o,
possessing her. He Is a widower, very
rich and has great influence with the
king. Soon after seeing Signorina Bi
anca he made a formal application fol
her hand. Her mothe--her father b
dead-wgcd her to accept what Is tt
be considered In worldly point o.
view q better position than could give
her. To be a duchess and ri n Ia high
err In the worldly scale than to be 4
countess and with no possessions ex
cert this oI palace. As To- Blanca
her heart Is nil mine. as nllae IL hers
and II left tS her own will she wvu1d
refuse the drike 10 rat rs. Indeed
rather thu, zrel wit, him she declares
she VIII - II pa convcat.
..Tac .l-i,sa v,'''s r.,ncctsp- 10 s,Eve hi.
own way in H., matter whcs at tht
! ,ccat la:l III The i',ti h. d'scoverel
thar WINS hts rival. was with Signo
rins Blanca a few rlinutas before W.
rassed you when the duke ised hel
| and by LOOK babe me giro way II
him l asked The lady TO 81 With me
into another apartment. She as 'ented
whereupon the duke went with rs. Or
reaching the other room Blanca show
ed the duke so plainly that his pres
encc was not desirable that he left us
giving me malignant look as he die
so that plainly meant I am man OF
too murh importance to be interfered
\ with by such as you.
ION leaving the palace the duke, who
took occasion to go out at the same
time as I, jostled me. Seeing that
must have 1t out with him, sent him
| challenge.
"Just at present the king would be
furious II he knew that members OF
the nobility to whom he looks for sup
port. especially his relative, had fought
a duel II were known to have sent
challenge TO the Duke Of Abolino
should In some way be made to suffer
met him within an hour after we
left the Pitt; but, realizing my posi-
ton, did not dare even pink him.
I.e came very near killing me, us you
zee, ard doubt not win be disappoint-
Ell Il / recover.
The duke and my second joiued In
| conference as to how to keep the mat
ter Il secret and decided to call upon