Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-05
t h e Daily
Short Story
w0MaS VERSUS WOMAN.
Bv Sadie Olcott

the De Medlcl family fourished. was
in many respects sinkhole of infant.
ty. 1t was a common practice to 90,
rid of an enemy by means of poison
The De Medicis derived their mama
from the fact that the founder of tho
family was what today would bs
called patent medicine exploiter
This man who established q family
lived many years before that family
became the most prominent in Italv
giving soyereigns to Europe as well as
popes. This story pertains to one &C.
celia Del Carpo, whose mother was
De Medici
/ One evening young artist named
| Ricardo Cenei was strolilng on the
street in Florence that leads from the
cathedral to the Ponte Feechio. an
ancient bridge that crosses the River
Avno AS he entered upon the bridge
he met Cecilia face TO face. Ricardo
was as handsome as Cecilia was
| beautiful
Ricardo was betrothed to LucrecIa
| Marini, as lovely a girl as there was
in Florence. He did not notice Cecelt
as he passed her, for he was going al
! the time to visit Lucrecia and was
thinking OF her alone Cecilia in
CURED of friend who was with her
who Ricardo was and learned not only
that he was promising artist but
also where his studio was.
The next day Cecilia appeared At
| Rfcardos studio and offered him a
large price to paint her portrait Ri
eardo declined because ne was ex
pecting an order 10 do some mural
painting in ST Peters at Rome. But
! Cecilia begged so hard. saying he
could do her work at such times as
he chose. that he yielded.
Cecilia. who had great influence at
Rome, wrote to relative there to de-
lay the order for the mural painting
and her object was accomplished. She
came every day to Rieardo's studio
and applied all her arts to win him.
Sometimes she would appear gentle
and innocent as a dove. Sometimes
she would appeal to him through his
art. Sometimes she would attempt to
master him by dominating his will.
and he resolved to foil her by marry
: ing someone else.
1t was not long before Ricardo be-
gan to dread her power over him and,
: fearing that he might wrong his be-
, trothed. proposed to Lucrecia that they
should be married Lucrecia, who had
, learned Of the situation. assented and
. they went to a priest and were united
without the banns being published and
q without witnesses.
) The day Cecelia's portrait was I'm
q ished Ricardo announced to her tina;
he had been married She flew into
a rage that caused the artist to feaT
her more than ever, but in a different
: way. She left the studio in this mood
= but presently returned in a different
. one She said that it was only selfish
: of her to beraie him for loving an
other, and since she could not pos
+ sess him she would claim him for heE
? friend she hoped also to make 3
n friend of his wife.
: Ricardo was partly convinced By
q these professions and asked her %
6 call on the woman who had van
i pushed her. He did not think it worth
n while to put Lucrecia on her g1ar6
: for he did not see any wrong thar
g Cecilia could injure her and he did
not wish to further incur the latters
enmity. The two women net and
-. len the surface at least, were so friend
- ~ that Ricardo believed there was ne
:. rancor between them.
y Cecilia invited them to sup with
- her in her palaZzio, as they call fine
3 dwellings in Italy Lucrecia did not
q wish to accept the invitation. but her
- husband desired to avoid offending
Z their would-be hostess and persuaded
y, ~ her to do so.
- At the appointed time Ricardo and
=, u his wife repaired to Cecelia's palaz2io
~ and we're received by the hostess in
=, the most friendly manner. Ricardo
-, was deceived. The only sensible thing
. he did after meeting the woman whd
was bent on bewitching him was Il
acknowledge to himself that she
would succeed But now he vas Ret
Id ing very stupidity.
-, LucreCia. being woman matched
~ against woman, was on her guard
~ She pretended to have taken a des
40 perate fancy to Cecilia and hoped thai
= they might always be friends. but al
~ the while during the dinner, if Ceee
- liza forced upon her any dainty sbf
~. declined it on the ground that It wouit
~ not agree with her She would drini
no wine because there was govt il
- her family.
!, Finally Cecilia offered her littli
20 dish Of CONNECTIONS, saying "Surs!i
g one of these win not hurt your LII
7 crecia took one Of the sweets. sayinl
that she loved something Of the kin'
before going to bed. She would Cd
III it at that time.
~ Cecilia turned pale but she did no
aw oppose her guest. Soon after this al
al arose from the table and, after oFie
a. sitting together at a window Overlook
y ing the Avno, whose banks we're bean
d., tifullv lighted, Ricardo and his VII
he went to their home.
.a,, The next morning Cecelia's 2ala5zs
~ was closed and Cecilia was not !
- Florence. She had fed. Lucreei
Nd gave the houbon she was to have ea'
nv en- before going to bed to a cat an
, 10y, in a few minutes the animal vas deai
~. In this war OF wits between "
' women Lucrecia had won, by securin
the evidence that her enemy vas tr!
.ho ing to poison her Cecilia never II
- turned to Florence.
IS =====-===-=-= -===---
ing years; George J. FrymIre, Monmouth