Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THUB8DAY, APRIL fCTH. m? ► of a f • *>■ ft with a MAN •' • V ■ ' " . •' ' ' , 'vJ» . •. * By RAFAEL SABATIN1 .N.U. SaortM; THE STORY wltk Mi _ V* tot0 9*m two homrt J bf " C9nm oo* «f hb cap* taint—th«j m; it Mentr da Go- frtli—with toldlerj, and thar down Iptw-th. mSi ttay hat# fail« open tbt tMopa^f tha lord tf Fermo, and tha lord of wnno la In tha paltoa. too, and It la Naw Tear*, day tomorrow. By tha Madonna,^an agly baglnnlnf to tha naw year thta. wbatarar may ba hap* Penlngl Tbaaa ba diwad tlmaa, air. Thay do “ •I art—courtier or "Bot my (Maoda or pot it ho- yood their power to eootteod my toe- mloo. 1 couldrnot again tnmt thorn pa aoo that Thera- RafarI takatlal. CHAPTBR L^—Hla teak at pattlaa dew* leanbordtaetloa among the cap- telea of hla maroanarlaa, and tha ereaklag ot pawarfal mala, being An- lakad with tha rnthlaaraaaa which eheimetaiiaeo him, Caaara Borgia, daka el TaUntliiola, la enaeay over the eeoepa el cna at hla aaamlaa, Hattae OrainL It la baUaTad Matteo la In hld- lag with hla racloaa ktnaman, Almarloo, et Plavene. Caaara dlapatchaa oaa of hla followera. Pan U1 eon a dagll Dbertl. with e amell troop, to PlaTano to apy ont the attention, end. If Oralel la fonnd, to eeptera him. Whether Ceaere Borgia waa really naleble et heert. one of the wisest men of hla tlma end tha one per fect ruler, ea Meo* e b I a v e 111 pro claimed him, or waa e Terlteble e rah-fiend la- flamed by ambition and blood luat, la a matter for hla- t or la aa to dlaputa about; and they bare been disput ing (ba question for several hun dred years. That he had wonderful ability no one de nies. No other Ca reer so abort—ha dlad at tha aga of twanty-nlna — haa eeo mora thrilling or oolorfuL Evan ha graat Napolaon did not crowd ep luch action Into any equal number of la years ea did the Borgle. Hla enalgn. tha Banner of tha Bull, ttraeted advanturoua aplrlta from taly and afl tributary countries. Ha «ldom ahowed any leniency to a re- •eotant aoamy; and woe to any fol- jwer who yielded anything but per- ect obedience and loyalty! Hla waa a -erlod of art. opulence, romance end ntrlgue. No ether prince wee more nagalfloent then be end none more klllful et playing the gems of In- rtgue. Hie ability to read the hearts nd minds of men end frustrate tbelr leelgna waa nothing leas thaa un- ancy. But on see occaeloa at leant tha lorgta wlta met tbelr match la a voman. The singular clrcumatance ta hat whlla aha waa of noble breeding nd high polltlon ahe wea not a part •f tha active Ufa ef tha tlma; rather ■■ore of a recluae. a gentle. Inexpert- ’need girl leading a secluded aalatanca vlth a wealthy, old. scholarly parent That Indefatigable ditrger Into history »nd builder of romances on It Saba- lot. has dlacovared tha Incident and alia the atory of It In hla character- stlcally charming way. CHAPTER I f The secretary of state of the slgnory if Florence urged hla mule acroea the )ridge that apana the Mlga, pud draw ing rein upon the threshold of the :own of Slnlgaglla. atood there at gnnai On hla right to westward the sun was (inking to the distant baxy line of the Apennlnee, canting acroaa tha heaven aa Incendiary glow to Mend with that sfjfcf flamea that roae above the city, secretary hesitated. Scanning before him with the wlde- it eyes that moved so de liberately In hla astute, olive-tinted face, be wondered uneasily how things might bars fared with Ceaare Borgia. The uneasy guards at the gate who. bad watched him doeely, mistrusting hla hesitation, hailed him at test, de- dInclosed himself, whereupon they re spectfully bade him to peas on and enjoy an ambaaflador‘s immanlty. Thus bidden, he conquered hit hesi tation, touched hla mule with the spur and pushed on through the slush and snow toward the palace. The darner, be observed, came all from the eastern quarter of the town, which he knew—for he was a surpris ingly well-informed gentleman, this Florentine—to be Inhabited by the Ve netian traders and the prosperous Jews. Hence be argued logically—for he was ever logical—that the main Issue wag dedded and that the uproar was that of looting soldiery; and knowing as ha did the rigor with which looting was forbidden to the fol lowers of the duke of Valentlnolg, the only anno conduslon seemed to him to . h* that,'notwithstanding all tho gulls aqd draft at his command, tho duke hfld been worsted In the encounter with hit mutinous condottleri. And jot In Ms wisdom and hi hfs knowl edge of men Messer Msec hi a veil! hesi tated to accept such a conduslon. however much the facta mlgbf seem to fhrasMt upon him. Ho gtMhaed aome- of Com re Borgia’s design In .oMng to Slnlgaglla to make peace wh the rebels tad settle terms tor Be 'know that the duke prepared tor treachery—that ao more thaa praland to a trap, havtog taka* care Abruptly bo checked hla loquadeua- oeM under the discompbelngly fixed gase of those somber, Observant apa^ and bethought him that he ware per haps wiser not to make himself fur ther the mouthpiece of popular rumor. "But then." ho ended abruptly, therefore, “they My ae much that I know not what they say.** ▲ sadden surge of the crowd drove the Florentine orator and tho rustic apart A roar arose from tho throat of the multitude. "Ducal Ducal" Standing In his atlrropa, Macchla- vdll beheld In the distance before the palace a glitter of arau and tha flut tering of bannerols bearing tha foil device of the House of Borgia. On came the glittering riders. Jin gling and danking, and at their bead on a powerful black charger rode a splendid fignr* all steel from heed to toot His vlsdr was open, and the pale young face within was set and stern. The beautiful hazel eyas looked nei ther to right nor left taking no heed of the acdamatlons thundering all about him. Tet those eyes saw every thing whilst seeming to see nothing. They mw the Florentine orator, and seeing him. Ums^kladled suddenly. MacchlaveJm^swept off his bonnet and bow*# to the very withers of his mule to Mlute the conqueror. The pale young face smiled almost with a certain consdons pride, for the duke was well pleased to have, as It were, the very eyes of Florence upon him In such a moment He drew rein on s level with the envoy. “Ola. Ser Nlccolol" be called. The lances cleared a path speedily, flinging the crowd still farther back, and Messer Macchlavdll walked his mole forward In answer to that anm- mooa. “It Is done," the duke announced. “1 have fulfilled no less than I prom ised. What It was I promised yon will now understand. I made my op portunity, and having made It em ployed It so well that I hold them fast Vltellt Ollverotto, Oravlna and Otanglordano's bastard. The other OrainL, Glanpaolo Bagllont and Pe- truccl, will follow. My net ta wide- flung, and to the last man they shall pay the price of treachery." He paused, waiting for words that should tell him not what opinion might he Messer Macchlavelira own, but what reception sweh- news was likely to receive In Florence. The secretary, however, had all the caution of the astute. Hla face remained Inscrutable. He bowed In silence, as one who ac cepts a statement without conscious ness of the right to comment A frown flicked between the splen did eyes that were considering him. “Much haa been done," the duke re sumed. “But much ta yet to do, and who shall tell me whatr He looked at Maccblavelll, and hla eyes Invited counsel. “Does your potency ask me?" “Indeed," said the duke. “For theory?" “The duke stared; then laughed. “For theory." be said. "The practice you can leave to me" Macchlevellt’s eyes narrowed. He leaned ■ tittle nearer. "When a prince mj friends. loo will tors . . . ” H« broke eff. “Bit we will talk of thla again., whan 1 ra- tura. Ten will find entertainment to the palace. Await me there." Ha made a alga to hla lancaa, wheeled, and rode on briskly, whlla Macchlavelll made hla way to the pal ace a* he bad been bidden, and thanes he Indited hla famous latter to tha slgnory of Floranoo, ln which ha an nounced these happenings to hla ton. He Informed them ef tha ner adopted by Ceaare Borgia to tom the tablM upon those who had hot kept faith with him. ho told than how hla master-stroke had resulted to toe seizure of too three Oralnl, of Vltal- lozxo VItel H. and Ollkerotto, lord of Fermo. and he concluded with the opinion: “I greatly doubt If any ef them will be alive by morning." Anon he was to realize that for all hla penetration he had ' failed to plumb to Its* 1 fall depth tha craft and guile of Ceaare Borgia. So astute in observer should have perceived that to have wrung the necks of the Oralnl out of hand would have been to spread consternation and alarm In the lair of tha bear in Rome, and that being alarmed, the powerful Cardinal Oralnl, idation. “You* have leave to tan Meaner da Ooratia to Attend me." Tha man bowed again, stepped soft ly to too door and vanished. As tot heavy curtain quivered to rest Oaaare abruptly turned to Fra fleraflno, Who waa now tasting tha quill he had cut “What la to ha dona to taka thta fel low?" he asked. It waa hla way to seek advice ef all men, yet never following any but such aa jumped with hla own wishes. And where no man’s advice consorted with hla own notions, he acted upon hla own notions none the leas Tho gaunt-faced monk looked up, al most startled by the auddeanoM of the question. Knowing the duke’s way, and knowing that Corolla had been shnt for, Fra Serafino pnt two and two together, and presented the daks with what he conceived to be the total sum. Send ten lances to fetch him from Plevano," be replied. The duke considered him, smiling faintly. "You prove to mo that you know nothing of Plevano, and still leM of men, Fra Serafino. I wonder do yon know anything of women r* “God forbid!" ejaculated the monk, utterly scandalized. “Then yon are worthies* as a coun selor in this,” was the duke’s conclu sion. “I had hoped you could hava Imagined yourself a woman for a mo- a wonan.’h hamto ha Win he much wasT toa asaok eawttonad. “I am stMTaolng ton with a aaad ducata," said the dote. B*t tha frUr’s^paaflliMain was noth- tm fluid until It rune, Tha duka looked at him a “Ycb knew too touch about Fra Beratao,” he «ald, and under that lubuha the laanMah secretary shud dered and fell silent . (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) TEACHERS’ EXAMINATION. Notice is hereby given that tha regular Spring Teachers,' Examination will be held ah tha Court House in Barnwell on Friday, May flth and Saturday, May 7th, 1927. Both days are required to ootnplete the ewsmina- tion. Questions for Primary, Elemen tary and High School certificates will wit) hi wQI ly at 9:00 cfdoclt a. m. * ’ff HORACE J. CROUCH, county oopt. aa Barnwell, 8. C, John Bates f'jftrii Ehgtoaar ami JACKSON, 8. C. Notary With Seal. }' High-Class Work Asaurad. RMBonable Price*. Your Work SeBdted. ♦♦♦♦♦•♦♦ M Md AM+♦♦♦♦♦♦ hla brother GluHo and hla nephew Matteo (with whom wo are more par ticularly concerned) might seek safety In flight, and In that safety concert re- prtoala The lords of Fermo and Castella were dealt with aa Maccblavelll ex pected. 'They were formally Judged, fonnd guilty of treason against their overlord, and strangled that same night—back to back, with the same rope. It is raid—in the palace of tha prefecture of Slnlgaglla. whereafter their bodies jrere ceremoniously borne to the Mlseiicordls hospital. But ths Oninl did not share Just yet the fate of their fellow traitors. They were accorded another ten days of life, un til, that fa, Ceaare had received ad vices from Rome that the Cardinal Or- slnl and the reat of the Oralnl brood were safely captured. Thereupon at Asalsl—whlthef the dnke had re moved filrnaelf by then—Graving and Paolo Oralnl were delivered over te the strangler. The duke's net had been wide-flung, aa be told Maccblavelll on that evo- hlng In -Slnlgaglla. Yet four there were who had escaped Its meshes: Glanpaolo Bagllonl, prevented from waiting upon the duke In Slnlgaglla by ao Illness which bad proved Ism fatal to him than had their health to hla associates; Pandolfo Petrucd, ty rant of Siena—the ooly one of them all who teems to have had tho wit to mistrust the duke's tntfnttona—who. armed at aTT points, had taken refuge behind the ramparts of his city, there “Imagine myself a woman?" quoth Fra Serafino, hla deep-set eyes star ing. "That you might tell me what man ner of man would be likeliest to de lude you. You see, Plevano is a rab bit warren. You might conceal an army there—bow much more easily a single man! And I>do not Intend to alarm the Chant Almerlco into send ing to earth a guest whom we are-not absolutely surh that be Is harboring. You see the difficulty, I trust? To resolve It I shall need a man of little heart and less conscience; a scoundrel who !s swayed by nothing but his own ambitlqs, w ho cares for nothing but his own advancement; and It la an Inevitable condition that he should be of an exterior that Is pleasing to a woman and likely to command her confidence. Now where shall I find me such a paragon?" But Fra Serafino had no answer. He was lost in an amazed considera tion of the crooked underground ways by which Cesare burrowed to bis ends. And then Corolla clanked In. booted, bearded, stalwart and stiff, the very type of the condotttero. The duka turned, and considered him In silence at long length. In the end he shook hla head. “No," he said, “you are not the man. You are too much the soldier, too little the courtier, too much the swordsman, too little the lute-player, and I think that you are almost ugly. If you were a woman. Fra Serafino, to wait upon events; Fablo Oralnl, I y OU no t consider him an ugly who had gone after Petrucd; and Ho Intfitoci His Famous Lettsr to tha Slgnory of Florence. mlM." be Mid quietly, "be most deal with them In one of two way*: he must either convert them Into friends or put tt beyond tbelr poorer to continue his enemies.” The dnke smiled slowly. “Where learnt yon that?" he asked. , *T have watched with admiration your potency’* rise to greatness." Mid the FtorentlM. • And yon hove melted down my no lions into.maxims to govern my fu ture?" to govern aB to* •■into tons with its Matteo Oralnl, the latter’s cousin and the cardinal’s nephew, who had van ished qo man knew whither. "But I swear to God,” Cesare In- J formed Fra Serafino, the mlnorlt* friar : who discharged the functions of sec- j rotary lo ths ihseoce of the moon- faced Agablto—“I swear to God that there la no bole In Italy Into which I shall not pursue him." This was at Assist on the very day that be ordered the strangling of Gra- vlna and Glanglordano’s bastard. On that same evening came one of his spies with Information that Matteo Oralnl waa In hiding at Plevano, the castle of his distant kinsman Almerlco —an Oralnl this last, too aged and too Inactive to be worthy the doke’e at tention. a studious man. living almost In sedusion with his books and hla daughter, untouched by ambition, ask ing but to be left In peace, undis turbed by all the strife and bloodshed that were afflicting Italy. The duke received the messenger In a vast stone-flagged chamber that was very bare and chill. A graat fire roared In the cavernous fireplace, shed ding an orange glow upon the empty spaces and driving the shadows be fore It to seek refuge in the groins of tho celling overhead. Fra Serafino occupied an oaken writing-pulpit near one of the windows,^and sat cutting a quill, apparently lost In his task, yet missing no word of whit was being said. The messenger was Intelligent, and he had been, diligent Not content with learning that Matteo Oralnl was believed to be at Plevano. he had scoured the horgo for scraps of gos sip, antlcip*tlng out of his own knowl edge the very question which the duke Uoy^ASked him—though not directly— and seeing to It that he came equipped with • ready answer. “This, then. Is mere gossip," Cesare sneerotL, ** ‘It la said* that Matteo Or alnl la at Plevano. I am sick to dMtb of Tt la said,' and all hla family. 1 have known him long, and never found him other than a liar." "Bat tha tale, may It please your poteucy, has its probabilities.” said the messenger. The duke halted in his pacing. “Probabilities?" Mid be. "Discover them." The messenger was prepared to do ea" “The Count Almerlco ban a daugh ter,"be said promptly. "It to tha com mon talk of Plevano that this lady— Madonna Fulrla aba Is called—and Bar Matteo are to be married. The kin ship between them Is none ao doss M to forbid It The eld count ap proves, loving Bar Matteo e* a sea. And so. where Hse In Italy should Bar Matteo be safer than with thorn lorafeltor ThflC duke ceoaldafnd the fellow -Jk. ' fellow r “I am not a woman, magnificent—" "That Is all too evident" the duke deplored. “And I do not know whst I should tblak if I were a woman. Probably I should not think at all, for I do not believe that women think.’’ “Misogynist." said the duke. “God be thanked," said Fra 8era- flno devoutly. The duke returned to the considera tion of his captain. "No,” he said again. “The essence of success Is to choose the right tools for the work In hand; and yon are ,001 the tool for this, Michele. I want a handsome, greedy, nnacrupnlous scoundrel, who can both ply a sword and Hap a sonnet Where shall I find one answering Oat description?" “What Is the task, magnificentT ventured Corolla. ‘Til tell that to the man I tend to do it when I have found him. la Ramirez here?” he asked suddenly. “He Is at Urblno, my lord," Corolla answered. “Bat there is Pantaloons degll Ubertl, who seems In soma way such a man aa yon describe.” The duke considered. “Send him hither,” he said shortly, and Corolla bowed stiffly, and departed on that errand. Cesare paced slowly back to the faro, and stood wanning himself nnlll Pantaleone came—a tall, handsome fellow this, with sleek black hair and bold black eyes, martial at once In bearing and In apparel, yet with a certain foppishness not unbecoming to his youth. The interview was short. “From information that I have received,” said Cesare, “I will wager a thousand ducata to a horseshoe that- Matteo Oralnl is with his uncle at Plevano. I offer that thousand ducats for his head. Go and earn it" - Pantaleone was taken aback. He blinked his bold black eyes. “What men shall I take?” be stam mered. “What men you please. But under- the thing ta not to be done by At the first show of It Matteo, If he is there, will go to earth like a mole, and not all your questing shall discover >him. This Is an affair for wlta, not lances. There Is a woman at Plevano who Iovm Matteo, or whom Matteo loves. . . . Bat yon-will see for yourself what opportunities! there afe, and yon will use them. Corolla thlhks you have the wit to accomplish such a task. Afford me proof of It, ud I will make your for tune." He waved bis hand In dtemte- aal, and Pantaleone stifled a / hundred qaeetions that were bubbling in hla ■find, and departed. 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