Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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UTH, BARNWELL PEOPLE-SENTINEL, BARNWELL, PA< A - with a By RAFAEL SABATINI W.N.U. Scnrlc* Co^rrltKt, THE STORY 4. hit vanity would suffer in the admis sion of fall are. Seeing him silent, and conceiving that he hesitated, Madonna renewed her prayer. “What harm can It do to grant me this?" she asked. •‘Have on not said yourself that the place is hummed about by your men? Are you not therefore master of the situation ?” He bo#ed stiffly. * ' “I will concede It you,” he said. “I shall await your pleasure In the ante chamber.” And upon that he went CHAPTER -L—His task of putting down Insubordination among tha cap* tahts of bis marcanarlas, and tha crashing of powerful rivals, being fin ished with the ruthlessnesa which oharacterlsed him, Cesare Borgia, duke of Valentlnols, la uneasy over the escape ef one of hla enemies. Mattes OrplnL It la believed Matteo la la btd- tag with hla recluse kinsman, Almerleo, at Ptevano. Cesare dispatches one of hla followers, Pantaleqne degll Ubertl. with a small troop, to Ptevano to spy out the situation, and. If' Orslat la found, to capture him. CHAPTER EL—In the character of~a wounded enemy j of Valentlnols, fleeing from his vengeapce. Pantaleone, hla followers concealed, gains entrance into Plevaao and la made welcome by Almerleo and bis daughter, Madonna Pulvla. Matters affianced wife. They live practically alone Pantaleone Is Convinced at once that Matteo la la the vicinity If not la the castle Marta, Italian of Ptevano, gives Pantaleone Meal .attention, and the spy la car- led to bed. CHAPTER m.—Prom a garrulous young page Raffaele Pantaleone learns enough to make him sure he la on the right track. The kindness of his aged host and the beautiful Ma- ,donna have no effect in turning him from hla -errand of treachery. The girl becomes his companion, and from her the «py learns of the existence of a laxsr-house <place of Isolation for smallpox victims) In the castle grounda There are no .vtctltns of the pest, so dreaded In the Middle ages. In It now, she Informs him, but he Is cer* tain tbs building Is Matteo’s hiding place. They Were Like People Stupefied. out, bis spurs jingling musically. Left alone, father and daughter looked long-fit each other. - J “Why did you .hinder him?” asked the lord of Plevano at-length* "Surev. ly you were not moved by any thought of pity for such a man?" Her lip curled In a scornful smile. "You cannot think that—not In your heart,” she said. —l-* , She leaned toward b4nt-'.”To whal purpose do you study so deeply the lore of human nature If In practice you cannot probe the shallow, murky depth Of such a nature as this dog’s?" He shrank back, staring at her, feel ing that his philosophy had taught him nothing, indeed, if in an extrem ity such as the present one, this child blind. He nay have 1 reaftnrti that her chaste, frail beauty held a subtler appeal than the grosser femi ninity to which his senses more usu ally responded. “Desirable os paradise,” said he at last, dropping bis voice. “And to render me'so, there Is not merely this perishable beauty that Ut mine. I am well {dowered. - A mat ter of ten thousinds ducats goes, with me to the man I wed,” she in formed him, and turned him giddy by the mention of so vast a Sum. ‘"I'en thousand ducats?” he repeat ed slowly, awestricken. Choice for 1 fru 9{ation^ j* - •E CHAPTER IV.—Datarmlnaa 10 wait until ba la sura of Mattao’a whera- abouta, Pantalaona conttnuaa hla work of spying. Prom a hiding placo bo oaaa Mario tak# food to tbo laser- bouaa, and all doubt la andad. Panta laona datarmlnaa to collact bla follow- •ra naxt day and damand Matteo. CHAPTER V m The manner adopted by Messey Pan- tnleone In which-to« do the thing he had been sent to do was.startling and yet precisely such as was to have been looked for In a man of hla temper. He had been that day—the day fol lowing upon the affair of the loaf am ulet—down Into the horgo of Plevaao for the first time since his coming to the castle. As a pretext for this he had urged the need to mend the 'teg of one of Us hoots which had l>eoome torn during his search last night. (Himself he had ripped It with his dagger.) He had made his way in the first place to a cobbler, with whom per force he remained until the required repairs had been effecte<l. From the cobbler’s he went to the Osterla del Orso, ostensibly to refresh himself, actually to issue his orders to his knaves through the one he had posted here: It resulted-frrrrn these move- ^Bients of his.that as dusk was falling his ten sblrrl wandered singly and un challenged over the drawbridge Into the empty courtyard of the castle.’ No guards were kept at Plevano, as we know, and so this furtive and piece meal jnvaslon was neither hindered nor yet so much as observed. When he had assured himself that these knaves of his were at hand, Messer Pantaleone, armed, booted, spurred, cap in hand, and wrapped In bis ample red cldak—obviously ready to take the road forthwith—strode Into the hall of the rocca, that noble chamber where a week ago he had been so charitably received. Now, as then, he found the Lord Almerleo en grossed In a volume of manuscript, and Madonna Fulvla with him. They looked up sharply, Inexpli cably startled by the manner of his advent He did not .long IntHgue them. ~ ( V “My lord,” he announced bluntly, “I have a duty, to perform and ten stout fellows below to help-me against the need of help. Will you summou your nephew -Matteo Orslnl, who Is hiding here?” They were like people stupefied. Then at last the girl spoke, her brows contracted, her eyes flashing like som ber Jewels In her white face. ‘ “What is your purpose with Hat- teof* ’ > ' ‘The Lord Cesare Borgia’s pur pose,” he ' answered brutally. The mask of guile having served its turn was now discarded, and there was no tinge of shame upon the uncovered face, of his real self which he now showed them. “I was sent hither to arrest Her Matteo by order of the duke.” Again there fell a pause, what time those four eyes searched his bold countenance. The Lord Almerleo closed his book upon his forefinger, and a faint yet intensely scornful smile broke upon the gray old face. “Then,” said Madonna Fulvla, “all this time- we—we have been your dopes. You lied to us. Your faint ness, the persecution “of which you were the victim, was all so much pre tense?” There was a -note of incre dulity In her voice. “Necessity.” he reminded her, "knows no law. Come,” ha added roughly. “Yon have had your fill of looking at me. Let us go to buMlnesa. Send for this traitor you are Imrbor- Ing" could show him how It should be Han dled. k .Madonna Fulvla drew herself stiffly up. "My God!" she exclaimed. “A base Judas, a dirty spy! And I have sat at table with you. We have housed you here as an equal.” Her voice soared upward, from the low note of horror and disgust upon which she had spoken. “O vile, O pitiful dog!" she cried. “Was this your er rand? Waj this—” Her father's hand fell gently upon her arm. and silenced her by its mute command. The stole In him was equal even to so bitter an occasion. “Hush, child, self-respect forbids that you should address so base a creature even to upbraid It” His voice was calm and level. “What Is It to you that he-4*~vtte and treach erous, a shameless thing of shame? Does that hurt you? Does It hurt any but himself?” She swung upon her father In a blaze of pgsslon. “Aye, does It hurt me," she cried. Tt hurts me and It hurts Matteo." “Can It really hurt a man to die?" wondered Almerleo. "Matteo being dead, shall yet live. But that poor thing being living is yet dead.” “Shall we come to business?" quoth Pantaleone, breaking In upon what promised to develop Into an eloquent discourse upon life and death, chiefly derived from Seneca. "Will you send for Matteo Orslnl. or shall I bid my .men drag,blm from the lazar-bouse where he skulk£ It Is Idle to resist, futile to delay. My knaves have hemmed the placed about, and none goes In or out save at my pleasure." He saw a change of expression sweep across both faces. The girl’s eyes dilated—with fear, as he sup posed; the old man uttered a sharp, short laugh—of stoicism, he opined. “Why, sir,” said Almerleo, "since you are so well Informed, you had best yourself complete-your task of Infamy." Pantaleone looked at him a mo ment, and then shrugged. ‘Be It so,” hp said shortly, and swung upon his hpel to go about it. "No, no!” It was Madonna Fulvla who arrested him with that cry, sharp with a new anxiety. “Wait, sir! Wait I” He paused obediently; and half- turnf(kr He beheld her standing tense and^ straight, ons hand pressed upon her bosom gs If to quell Its tumult, the other held out to him In a gesture of supplication. “Give me leave to speak with my father alone, ere—ere we decide,” she insurance, FIRE WINDSTORM PUBLIC LIABILITY CC1DENT - HEALTH SURETY BONDS AUTOMOBILE THEFT Calhoun and Co. ' P. A. PRICE, BUufer. , panted. Pimti ntaleone sniffed, and raised his eyebrows.- “Decide?” quoth he. “What remains to be decided?” She wrung her hands In a pathetic Intensity of mental stress. “We—we may have a proposal to make to you, sir.” “A proposal?" he said, and scowled. Did they seek to bribe him? “By the Host . . "he began hotly, and there checked. The cupidity of his nature leapt up Instantly, aroused and alert After all, none save himself was aware of Matteo Orslnl’s pres ence at Plevano, and If the price were high enough—who knew?—be might be Induced to keep that knowledge to himself. But the price must needs be high to compensate him, not only for the loss of the thousand ducats of- flared hr tha duke, but for the hurt “Do you not know—does It not say so In any oFThose pages—that who betrays once will betray again and yet again? Do you not. see that a man so vile as to have played - that knave’s part will be vile enough to sell his own master, will be true to naught save hts own-base interests?" “You mean that we should bribe him?” She drew herself up, and ottered a short laugh. "I mean that we should seem to bribe him. Oh!” She pressed her hands to her white brow. ^1 have a vision of something that Ilea before us here. It is as if a door had been opened, a weapon thrust Into my hand by means of which I can smite and at a blow avenge all the wrongs of the Orslnl. < — "Pish, you are fevered, child T Here Is no work for a weak maid—” “Not for a weak maid—no; but for a strong one,” she broke in impetu ously; “work for a woman of the Or- sthl. Listen.” "She leaned towaffl him again, lowering her voice Instinctively because of the secret thing she had to communicate. He listened, hunched In his chair, and the farther she proceeded the more hunched he became, like oue who Instinctively gathers himself to gether against a blow that Is about to fall. “My God I" he gasped when she had done, and his old eyes stared at her between amazement and dismay. "My God! And your pure virgin mind has conceived this horror! In all these years I have not known yon, Fulvla. I have deemed you a child, and yon—" Words eluded him. Limply he waved his old transparent hands. The stoic in him bad succumbed to the parent. . He would have dissuaded her out of his deep concern for her, his only child. But she was not to be dissuad ed. She argued on, gathering enthu siasm as she dwelt upon the means by which she would at a single blow strike down this base betrayer and hla master, the duke of Valentlnols. She urged that there was no safety for her or him or any Orslnl in her refraining from this step upon which she was resolved. She reminded him that as long as Cesare Borgia lived no single Orslnl would he safe, and she concluded by announcing that she believed her mission Inspired by heaven Itself, that she a maid and the weakest of the Orslnl should avenge the wrongs of their house and play Its further ruin. At last hts shocked, bruised mind JoXwiteiL of her ardor v enough^ at least, to wslag from him a grudging, fearful consent to let her have her way. “Leave me,” she said, “to deal wlt!^ Cesare Borgia and his lackey, and do you pray for the souls of os both.” Upon that she kissed him, and swept out to the Impatient Panta leone waiting In the sparsely fur nished antechamber. • He rose as she entered, marking her pallor and obvious agitation. To t)}e stately beauty of her, her slim height and the fine poise of her lovely head, he remained Indifferent She came to lean agalnsf the table, facing him across it, considering him with a glance that was steady despite the tremors agitating all the rest of her. Pantaleone was shrewd and crafty as we know, but his craft was a shal low business when compared with her own; his shrewdness was mere low cunning when contrasted with the agile wits which her frail exterior dis sembled. In the moment Jn which he had re vealed himself for what he was she bad judged him, and she had judged him to the weight of a hair of his vile head. Upon that Judgment she now went to work. “Consider me well, Ser Pantaleone,” she Invited him, her voice level and calm. r—rr - He did so, wondering whither this might lead. , “Tell me now, do yon find me fair to see, and am I not shapely?” He bowed, his face almost sardonic. “Fair as an angel, assuredly. Ma donna. The dnke’s sister, Monna Lu- cresfa, would suffer by comparison. But what has this to do with—T' Tn short, sir, do you account me desirable?” The question robbed him of breath, so amazing was it His pulses were quickened under her steady glance and her no leas steady Invitation to appraise her. He pondered her now, and discovered s thousand graces In “To.the man whb weds me,” she lh- sisteti, and added quietly—“Will you be that man?” ‘ 4 “Will I . . . r He checked. No, no. The thing was incredible. The shock of that question almost stpnned .hlm. He .leaped at her, and his handsome face turned pale under Its tan. “Upon the condition, of course,” she pursued, “that you abandon this quest for Ser Matteo, and bear word to your master that he Is not to be found." “Of course, of course,” he mumbled foolishly. Then he reassembled his scattered wits and set them to read him this riddle. She was Matteo’s be- »trothed. She loved Matteo. And yet ... Or could tt be that her lore was of that great self-sacrificing kind of »whlch he had beard—but In which he had never believed—that will snr render all for the sake of the beloved? He could not swallow that It was not In his nature to be so credulous. And then he threw np his head, his nostrils quivering. Suddenly he scent ed danger. A trap was being baited for him. Bluntly he said so, laughing abort and scornfully. But her reply disarmed hla last sus picion. * • ‘Take your own measures,” she In vited him serenely. T understand your fears. But we are honorable folk, and If I swear to you that Mat teo Orslnl shall not stir hence until this matter Is done beyond recalling, so shall It be. Yet take your meas ures. You have the men and the power. Let them remain at their post Rurroundlng that garden. Do that to night, and tomorrow I will tide with you to Castel della Pleve to become your wife."- ~ Slowly he licked his lips* and his 4>old eyes narrowed as they surveyed her greedily. Yet still be wait sus picious. Still he could not believe la so much good fortune. "Why st Csstel dells Plever be asked. “Why not here?'’ “Because I must be sure that you aril! keep faith. Castel della Pleve is the nearest place—yet far enough to leave Matteo a clear road of ItlgbL'* T understand,” he Bald slowly. "And you agree?” Hla keen black eyea stabbed Into her calm white face aa thongh they would pierce to her very soul and probe Its secrets. It was Incredible. What greater profit—what profit one- tenth as great could he look for In taking Ser Matteo, in keeping faith with Valentlnols? He made, you see, no attempt to struggle with the temp tation. He did not give so much as a thought to a young woman In the Bolognese—one Leocadla by name— who kept a wine-shop at Laveno, who had borne him a son and whom he had promised to marry. If he hesi tated, It was only because the thing proposed him was beyond belief, -it- bewildered him; a fog settled down upon his wits. By the Host I How she must love this fellow Matteo! Or was It—was It perhaps that be him self . -.v . Now here was a possibility hitherto unregarded; here something that might explain her singular attitude^ toward him. In saving Matteo she* performed a- dttjr MtMiy the verr “ manner of it placed a barrier between herself and a lover of whom she had wearied. Thus his vanity to complete the rout ■R.-HI i -i |»— r" Nominations •aw *VotL/ mmm With a total of more than 362,000 straw votes cast by readers < “ * Autocaster Service 2,000 weekly newspapers served by“ Publishers A of N. Y , President Coolidge is first choice of the Republicans Md ige . Gov. Alfred Smith of N* Y., first choice of the Democrats. The President, polled 87,176 votes to 53,751 by Smith. Lowdeu of Illinois was second choice to Coolidge with 80,066 and'Sen. James Reed of, Missouri, second to Smith with 41,185. f . . TOUTING BONE HADE SWEETMEATS Oriental Prune Paata 1 Pound Prunes -2 Cupfuls Gran ulated Sugar yi Teaspoonful— - ‘ Cream of Tartar 2)4 Tablespoon fuls Gelatine yi Cupful Chopped Nuts Chopi Yr Cupful Chopped Candied Cherries $4 Capful Prune Juice J 1 Tablespoonful _ Lemon Juice H Cupful Water By CAROLINE B RING Culinary rrfirrt and household science. S OAK pftnes 'ihd cook until tender. Allow one-half cup of the juice to get cold and soak gelatine in it. Stone the prunes and rub through a sieve, adding lemon juice and chopped chcrrie#. Cook the sugar, water and cream of tartar as for fondant. Add gelatine that has been softened and when.cool pour into prune mixture,, beat thoroughly and add the chopped nuts. Set in cold place until it begins to thicken, then ^ut tq pans, lined with confectioners sugar. Allow ' to stand until firm, cut in squares and roll each piece in con fectioners sugar. Stuffed Prunes ofl' bis perspicuity, to convince him where cold reason failed. Tee?” Select large, meaty prunes. Steam for a few minutes and remove pits. Then fill the opening with orange flavored fondant, using enough to peep through the edges. Roll the prunes in granulated sugar and set away in a cool place. Tutti-Frutti Prunes Put one cupful of prunes, one- half cupful each of figs, dates and nuts through the food chopper. Mix thoroughly and shape in form of prunes and roll In powdered suger. Grated cocoanut mav be substituted in place of the powdered sugar. Prunemallows Steam large, meaty prunes and remove pits. Fill the centers with chopped marshmallows and candied cherries Roll in powdered sugar. White Mourn.in Cand, _J .tthocoiate ,oo„ harden,, a r r Meft fvvo faWespownfctls of fiat- J^aBout half an 'fftch deep t ter in a saucepan, add one-half cup of vioe.tar and two cups of white sugar. Stir until the sugar , is dis solved and only occasionally after ward duriqe the cooking: Boil un til it is brittle when tried in cold water. Pour on a buttered piste to cool and as soon as it can be handled pull it until it is white. Creamed Peppermint Cook without stirring two cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of water and one teaapoonful of vinegar until it forms a soft ball when tested iir water. Then pour in two buttered tins and when cool enough to handle, add a teaspoonful of pep permint extract and pull until it is white and holds its shape. Pull the candy until it resembles a rope and when hard break in pieces an ioch or two in length and place in air tight dish or jar until it becomes creamy. Hickory Not Brittle Dissolve two pounds of granu lated sugar over a very low fire. Stir frequently until it is melted and x light brown color, being careful not to let it bum. When dissolved add one cupful of hickory nut meats whies have been put through the food chopper. Pour on warm buttered pans to make a very thin brittle. Peanuts jor other nut meats may be substituted for the hickory nuts. —>• Uncooked Fudge Beat one egg very light, and add to it two tablespoonfufs of cream and one pound of Four-X confec tioner!’ sugar. Melt half a cake of unsweetened chocolate over the steam of a kettle with a large table- spoonful of butter: add these to die egg and sugar mixture and flavor with a teaspoonful of vanilla. Stir well, as long as you can. for the teredpan. place* for squares. in a but- Set away In a very cold an hour, then cut ha “Agree?** he cried after that long, pause. “Agree?^By the Eyes of God I Am I a wooden image, on a purblind fool to refuse? I’ll set a seal forth with upon that contract" And with arms flung wide he swooped down upon her like a hawk upon a dove, and canght her . to him. She suffered It, stiff and cold with sudden terror and repressed loathing. He held her close and muttered fool ish fondnesses. Then the awakened passion mounting. It became suffused with tenderness, and he told her of a future In which he should be the slave of her slightest whim, her de vout and worshiping lover always. At length she released herself from those lithe arms, and drew away from him, a hectic spot on either cheek, deep shame In her soul and a sense of defilement pervading all her being. He watebed her, abashed, a little mis- trnstfnl even. .. But when she had gained tbs door she paused, and there for an Instant her iciness melted. Her laugh trilled softly across the chamber to him. ^ “Tomorrow!” she flung at him, and vanished, leaving him distracted. Wedding Invitations (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.) b«d hitherto MONEY TO LOAN Loans made same day application received. No Red Tape HARLEY & BLATT ' Attorneys-at-Law BarnwelL S. C. A bride wants only the most fashionable and correct wedding stationery, and obsolete styles and sizes will not answer. Our con~ nection with a reliable concern of 25 years of service to high-class trade enables us to guarantee these. Only the very best quality of paper is used. The “Mark of Engraving" on all pack- ages guarantees genuine engraving. A Bride does not want an imitation of en graving on her wedding stationery any more than she wants an imitation diamond en- T a gagement ring.. We have ju^t received a folder showing the yery latest and correct styles for 1927. If interested, you are invited to call at our office and see he samples. The People-Sentinel Barnwell, Sooth Carolina. W* him mm # ♦ ■ * k * . * * V