Nogales international., 1929-03-05
Sixth Installment
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
Palermo is the scene There an exile,
Leonardo di Marioni, has come for love
of Adriennc Cartuccio, who spurns him.
He meets an Engli shman, Lord St. Man
rice, who falls in love with Adrienne on
sight. Leonardo sees his sister Margharita.
Who tells him his love for Adrienne is hope
less. But he pleads with her to arrange an
accidental meeting, to say farewell, be-
tween Adrienne and him.
She consents. That night the Englishman
is informed of an attempt being made to
carry off Signorina Cartuccio and Mar
ghaTta who S are ecd waking, by oneS
road He rushes to the scene, and proves
able to rescue the ladies.
.In1amed by the failure of his scheme.
Leonardo sees Margharita who shows him
she knows that he was instigator of the
attempted attack. The Englishman now
ring in the hotel, finds dagger at his feet.
Looking up, he sees the Siciian, and scents
trouble. 1--WE sat here week ago.. re-
calls Leonardo. Lord St. Maurice nods
Leonardo and the Englishman quarrel.
The Englishman at first refused to accept
4 challenge to duel then when the Italian
laps him consents. The two men face
each other ready to fight to the death
Margharita stops the duel by coming Just
in The nick of time to save the Englsh1nan
rom his tate, with two officers who arrest
he exile Leonardo. Leonardo vows ven
seance After 25 years in Jail he is again
;tt his hotel, an old, broken man with only
memories left to him.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
For through all his apathy he was
conscious of a great sickening disap-
.ointment, something gone out OF his
life which had helped him, day by
lay, through all that weary imprlson-
nent. Dear to his heart had grown
hat hope OF standing one day before
he masters of his Order, and claim
nq, as his rightful due, vengeance
,pon those whose word had sent him
-.lto captivity. Dear to his memory
md treasured among his thoughts had
erown that hope. In his prison house
le had grown narrower; other
houghts and purposes had faded
away. That one only remained,
growing stronger and stronger day by
day, until it had seized hold of his
whole being. FTe lived only through
! and with it. Now he had gone to
tignor Bartlezzi, only to find that the
Order had given up its old purpose:
and principles-llad become a mere
social club.
Given some soul-absorbing purpose
some cherished end, however dlmly
seen through the mists of futurity, and
a man may preserve his reason
through the longest captivity; while
day by day, his narrowing life con-
tracts till all conscience, all hope, all
sentiment, become the slaves of thai
one passionate desire. Day by day, il
looms larger before him; day by day
all doubts concerning it grow weaker
and the justice of it becomes clearer
and more unquestioned. Right anc
wrong, justice and injustice, according
to other mems standards, have nc
power over it in his own thoughts
His moral sense slunlbers. So deeply
has it become grated into his life, thai
he no more questions its right to exist
than he does the presence of the limbs
upon his body. AS surely as the night
follows day, so surely does his whole
being gravitate toward the accom-
plishment Of his desire 1t is part
Of what is left of his life, and if it is
smitten, his life is smitten. They are
at once sympathetic and identical, SC
closely entwiued that to sever them Is
death to both.
Thus it was with Count Marioni
and thus it was that, day by day, he
sat in his sitting-room slowly pining
to death. Rude feet had tramplec
upon the desire of his life, and the
wound was open and bleeding. Only
little while longer and he would have
turned upon his side with sigh, and
yielded up his last breath; and, so far
as his numbed faculties could have
conceived a thought, death would have
seemed very pleasant to him. He was
dying of loneliness, of disappointment
and despair.
The people at the hotel had made
several attempts to rouse him, but in
vain. He answered no questions, and
in his quiet way resented intrusion
He paid whatever was demanded, and
he gave no trouble. The manager
who knew his history from short
cutting in newspaper which had
chronicled his arrival in London, was
at his wits end to know how to save
him. He had once endeavored to
reason gently with his eccentric Wis
itor, and he had been bidden quietly to
leave the room. On his endeavoring
to make one more appeal, the Count
had risen quietly and pointed to the
door. .
Il wish only to be left in peace" he
said with touch of dignity in his
sad, calm manner. "If you cannot do
that l will 90 away to another hotel,
ChooseW
The manager had bowed and with
drawn in silence. But he was kind
hearted man, and he was still troubled
about the matter Day by day the
Count was growing weaker; before
long he would doubtless die from
sheer distaste of living as much as
from any actual disease. Something
ought to be done toward communicat-
inp with his friends. if he had anv.