Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1918-03-27
Woman Versus
Woman
By SADIE OLCOT
copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union. :,

the De Medlci family f1OuriShed, wa:
IN many respects a sinkhole Of iniuui
". 1t was common practice to get
rld OF an enemy by means of poison
The De MediciS derived their name
from the fact that the founder of the
family was what today would be
called a patent medicine exploiter
Ihls man who established a family
hved many years before that family
became the most prominent in Italy
giving sovereigns to Europe as we'll as
popes. This story pertains to one &c.
ceila Del CarpO, whose mother was q
De Medici.
one evening young artist named
ricardo Cenci was strolling on the
street in Florence that leads from the
cathedral to the Ponte Vecchio, an an.
Gent bridge that crosses the River
Avno. AS he entered upon the bridsa
ne met Cecilia face to face. Ricardo
was as handsome as Cecilia was beau
tiful.
Ricardo was betrothed to Lucrecia
Marini, as lovely a girl as there was
IN Florence. He did not notice Cecilia
as he passed her, for he was going at
the time to visit L1crecia and was
thinking Of her alone Cecilia in
CURED of friend who was with her
VINO Ricardo was and learned not only
that he was promising artist but also
where his studio was.
The next day Cecilia appeared at Ri
cardo's studio and offered him large
price to paint her portrait. Ricardo
declined because he was expecting an
order to do some mural painting in
st. Peters at Rome. But Cecilia beg
geo so hard, saying he could do her
work at such times as he chose. that
he yielded.
Cecilia, who han great influence at
Rome. wrote to a relative there to de-
lay the order for the mural painting
ana her object was accomplished. She
came every day to RicardOs studio
and applied all her arts to win him.
sometimes she would appear gentle
and innocent us a dove. Sometimes
she would appeal to him through his
Snrr. Sometimes she would attempt to
master him by dominating his will,
and he resolved to foil her by MARRYING
someone else
1t was not long before Ricardo be-
gan to dread her power over him and,
Tearing that he might wrong his be-
trothed, proposed to Lucrecia that thew
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
without witnesses.
The day Cecelia's portrait was fin
1shed Ricardo announced to her that
he had been married. She flew into
rage that caused the artist to fear
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 berate him for loving an
other, and since she could not possess
him she would claim him for her
friend. She hoped also to make
friend of his wife.
Ricardo was partly convinced by
these professions and asked her to call
on the woman who had vanquished
her. He did not think it worth while
to put Lucrecia on her guard, for he
dld not see any wrong that Cecilia
could injure her and he did not wish
to further incur the latter's enmity.
The two women met and, on the sur
face at least, were so friendly that
Ricardo believed there was no rancor
between them.
Cecilia invited them to sup with
her IN her palazzio, as they call fine
dwellings in Italy. Lucrecia did not
wish to accept the invitation, but her
husband desired to avoid offending
their wOuld-be hostess and persuaded
her to do so.
At the appointed time Ricardo and
his wife repaired to Cecelia's palazzio
and were received by the hostess in
the most friendly manner. Ricardo
was deceived. The only sensible thing
he did after meeting the woman who
was bent on bewitching him was to
acknowledge to himself that she would
succeed. But now he was acting very
stupidity.
Lucrecia, being woman matched
against a woman, was on her guard
She pretended to have taken a des-
perate fancy to Cecilia and hoped that
they might always be friends, but all
the while during the dinner, if Cecilia
forced upon her any dainty she de-
clined it on the ground that it would
not agree with her. She would drink
no wine because there was govt in
her family.
Finally Cecilia offered her a little
dish Of confections, saying: "Surely
one Of these will not hurt you?'' Luz
crecia took one Of the sweets, saying
that she loved something Of the kind
before going to bed. She would eat |
1T at that time.
Cecilia turned pale, but she did not
oppose her guest. Soon after this all |
arose from the table and, after brief |
sitting together at window overlook
ing the AvnO, whose banks We're beau
c,,IJ- 1l--l.4