Evening star., 1921-10-02

, legs; he was standing in q red pool.
It began again. the splitting Of pam
els, the cracking Of hinges. The door
was giving; now only the pike-snafts
held Il. Then came . pause. From
, Ear down the staircase q murmur OF
amusement swept upward: q babble Of
talk ensued. Silence fell Cercamorte
let ont . harsh laugh.
what new device 10 this? Does 1t
need so much chicanery to nnish one
man?
Time passed and there was no sound
except a long Gathering from the
courtyard. OF a sudden q new voice
called through the broken door:
open. Cercamorte. l am one man
alone"
am. waiting to embrace you"
II am Ercole Azxanera. the Marquis
Azzo's cousin and your true friend. 1
! swear on my honor that l stand mere
, alone with sheathed sword.
I.apo kicked the pike-shafts away:
and, as the door fell inward. jumped
j back on guard. Al the threshold. un-
helmeted. stood the knight whose ions
surcoat was covered with the wnl
eagles OF Este He spoke as Ioio"s
"Cercamorte. this array came up
against YOU because II was Dubiished
that you had killed and mayed Eai-
fae,e Mutt. and, out OF jealous mahg-
nancy, were wearing his skh as
vest But Just now at the foot OF .ne
hill Raffaele Mutt has been found.
freshly slain by a wandered arrow SO
the whole tale was false and th,s war
against you outrageous. All the gem
, tIemen who came here nave soue
awav in great amaZement ana shanS.
| leaving me to ASK paro1h h r'' csrna.
mor,e. FOR they believed themselves
/ to be performing proper deed.
And Erco,e Azzanera. with a hunoIe
how. descended from the high tower
and followed the others away.
T APO cERCAMORTE sat down on
l. stool. "An my good men," he muir
! INJURED. land my dear gossip. Bsido'
Nv castle rushed by so shabby a ruse;
my name a laughinG-stock! And the
! MARQUIS Azzo gave them my house as
| one gives a child a leaden gimcrack
TO stamp on. All because OF fhis
damned vest. this silly talisman when
was to gain me her love. ii l I'VE
! Will go away to the heather: tor tnere
+, is no more pleasure In Christenoom.
So he stood up and made for the
door He reeIed He sank down with
J a clash Madonna Ge-nma. steaInG out
! from the easement niche, knelt beside
; him, peered into his face. and ran Ike
J the wind 0OWn tne
| In the hall. with lifted robe she spec
over the corpses of Ceremonies SOL
diers. seeking wine and water. These
! obtained, she few back to Lapo. There
! the crone found her. Between them
those two dragged him down to Ma
donna Commas chamber. stripped him.
! tended his wounds and hoisted him
into the bed.
+; Flat on his back, Cercamorte fought
over all his battles. He Quarre'ed win
/ Baldo Again he pondered anxfousiy
! outside Madonna Gemma's door He
! instructed the Arabian to fashion MIN
! a charm that would change his un-
/ couthness into gentiiity. He insisted
| on wearing the vest. the under side or
+, which was scribbled with magical
signs.
| Madonna Gemma sat by the bed all
day. and lay beside him at night On
| rising she attired herself in YER
! million gown over which she drew
white jacket Of eastern silk embroid-
cred with nightingales. Into her gold
| en- tresses she braided the necklaces
! that he had offered her. Her taper
! ing, milky fingers sparkled with rings.
Her former beauty had not returned
another, greater beauty had taken its
! place.
| a day came when he recognized her
/ face Leaning down like a flower of
paradise. she kissed his lips.
/ Copyright. 1871