The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 12, 1906, Page 6

man.) ENTION has been made of fact m the plague 4 N brain and ght preserve Bolker. excited, ds I lent more Saffron Hill Like eno e renaissanc What was she like, & fine isome girl,” replied Bolker, leering a n about town style; “black hair and eyes the same— 4 v rs, . ‘omly T ausls e t : Here—don't box my ears” shouted the imp, Egling out of Hagar's grip. “or 1 shan't te what I found out!" asked Hagar, cifix; it's a dag- ng fool! What ways Look lieve me.” umed crucifix in and with deft concealed spring arms of the cross a longer attached the eross and s lo! slender pointed pc he handie of which was formed b upper arms and the, so to speak of the cross. The symbol of Ciarist. of peace, of faith, had dangerous weapoa was startled overer, grinned he said, gloating It would stick | I dare say it's been eye, what larks! ¢ boy was so grim and Hag! Enatched the the poniard, as It grasp, and pushed the sharp t put up the Whes he’ had done so and was safe for the night he went | away to enjoy himself with his half crown. while Hagar carried the newly | pawned article into the back parlor to examine it anew as she ate her frugal supper. The crucifix, which was at once a symbol of peace and war, at- tracted her strangely. Why did it possess these dual char- | ecteristics? To what end had its| maker placed in the hands of priests | this deadly and concealed weapon? The | nds of the Christ were mot attached | the cross bars, and the sheath—as it | ight be—of the poniard slipped easily the blade figure and all. Hagar | wondered in her imaginative fashion if | it had glimmered,-a symbol of Christi- | anity, over the dying, or had flashed | cruelly into the heart of some heipless humen being. From the old book- seller in Carby's Crescent she had| | Santa Trinita of the Arho. | silversmith in Florence, what time t | Barai | thought that some day she might be The. Fourth Customer ‘And the Crueifix/ heard some trange stories of the| Renalssance—that wild and adictory ti Religion had then hand hand with paganism; i grown up bes had decreed D ole natipns in a friend had oftentimes ¢ to the death blow. many sided, sinful epoch the dagger was a symbol. It rep- at once its art, its religion, st of blood. Hagar evoked sions in her dingy parlor t strange plece of silver. ard. in th® imperative 'de mands of busines forgot her reams about x and looked ipen it as an article of value merely pawned by ite owner, and which would be redeemed in due tiwe. A month e ticket made out in the name a Bard} was br. t to her the same nationality. 'This der, supple Italian, with oval e and flerce eves, had come to he cifix out of pawn. Al- ough he ed the ticket and of- fered the m Hagar hesitated at the article to him. s pawned by Gem taking down the cr hung In the obscurity 'e,”” replled the man. briefly. he sent you to redeem it?” Gran Dio! Why not?” he broke out. “I am Carlino Bardl, her She pawned the crucifix my will, while I was absent in country with my organ ow that have retur with ticket and money to redeem it. I do not wish to lose the Crucifix of Fiesole.’ of Fiesole,” repeated what it is called?” norina; and it is ed, 1 come T am sure ng, as she picked 1 said Ha-, ) the note on the counter by Car- have no right to refuse you the eruclfix. You give me the ticket, principal and interest, so all is| shipshape. Take up vour cross.” “A cross!” echoed Carll - flash from his big e “Gemima cross.” Your wife! is a strange way to speak of one dear to vou ‘Dear to me, signori That eri tetro Ni seize him! has he done? with Gemma,” sald Bardi, Oh, she went cheerfully To get the money for my dis- e pawned the crucifix So she did not send you to re- replied Carlino, with tranquil lence. “That was a lie I told to get ck my property without trouble. But w it Is mine"—he clasped the silver wrist convulsively to his breast. “I make Gemma and Pietro pay for r evil deed You speak foreigner I ought to,” answered the man in- differently, “I have been ten yvears in England and 1 ave almost forgotten my Tuscan tongue. But ] remember sti t Tuscan husbands do to faith- less women and their paramours. We kill them!"—his voice leaped an octave to a shill scream of wrath—"we kill the man he woman Thrilled by the terrible hatred of this passionate Li nature, Hagar started back. The man was leaning across the counter, and showed no disposition to depart; nor did she want him to leave her, for there had come upon her a de- sire to learn the history of the Fiesole nglish very well for a crucifix. Bending forward, she tougched t y with the tips of her fi came this into your he asked it from a painter in Flor- ence. You stole it!" achoed Hagar, con- founded by the frankness of this ad- mission “Yee. I was the mode! of an artist— one Signor Anclilotti, who had a studio in Piazza San Spirito, hard by the Ponte This cruci- fix hung in his rooms, and once, when | I was posing as his model, he told me the legend which gave it the name of the crucifix of Flesole. It was the story which made me steal it.’ | “But why? What is the story?" “A commep one,” said Bardi bitter- | {ly—"man’s love and a woman's faith- lessness to her husband. There was a he | Magnificent ruled, who was called Guido. He had one fair wife whom he | loved very dearly. She did not care| for his love, however, and fled with a voung Count of good family, on€ Lulgl da Francia—from France, you under- stand, for from that country the race had come to Florence in the days of | the republic. Luigi was handsome and | rich; Guido, ugly and rather poor, al- | though a clever craftsman, s0 you can- | not wonder that the wife—Bianca was her name—fied from the one's arms to the other's palace. Guido determined upon revenge and manufactured t crucifix.” But I don’t understand how—" “No more did any one else” sald cutting her short. “When Guido finished the erucifix he disguized him- self as a priest and went up to see Count Luigi in his palace at Fiesole, Afterward the nobleman and Blanca | were found dead with dagger thrusts| in their hearts, and Guido was missing: | Between the corpses lay this silver cru- | cifix, but ne one ever knew how they | died.” | “Why not? Guido killed them with | his dagger.” " sald Bardl, shaking his head. 1ido had no dagger with him at the Count Luigi was always afraid of assassination, for he had many ene- mies, and every visitor was searched by his retainers to see that they carried no concealed weapons. Guido, the sup- posed priest, was searched also and had nothing on him but the silver crueifix. So the legend grew that who- soever had a faithless wife the pos- session of the crucifix of Fiesole would give him power to slay her and her. lover as Guido had slain his two de- ceivers. Therefore,” added Bard! grim- I had then married Gemma and faithless I stole Signor Ancillotti. to do so0.” “A strange story,” said Hagar medf- tatively, nd stranger still that the means by which Guido slew were not discovered long ago." g Do you know haow he killed them?” = Certainly; by means of that ecruci- Bardi looked at the cross' eagerly, and & lurid light came into his eyes as he gazed. “How he _questioned loudly. “Tell me, signoring.” | But Hagar refused to impart knowledg: the ecruelfix from It seems I was right’| |1t will be! that | papers, yo THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. 4 W) The story of the man deserted by his wife was so similar to that bf the faithless Bianca and the forsaken Guido that Hggar dreaded- lest Bardi should learn 'the secret of the con- cealed dagger and repeat the Cinque de Cento tragedy of Fiesole. “With this idea in her mind, she wished the Italian to depart, ignorant of the devil- ish ingenuity of the cross. But fate willed that in her despite -Bardi should gain the evil knowledge. He learned it forthwith from the lips of Bolker. “Hullo!” cried that imp, as he en- tered the shop, to see Carlino holding the crueifix. “You have got that dag- ger?”’ Dagger!” said Bardi, with a start. Bolk vou Wretched child, hold your tongue!” said Hagar, vehemently. “Why should 1?° My tongue's my own, and if that cove wants to kKnow how this crucifix ean be changed into a dagger, it's only fair. See here!” and before Hagar could interfere Bol- ker had the cross in his hands, and a finger on the spring. “You touch this, and the lower part of—" “Ah!” cried - Bardi, -snatching back the cross and examining the deadly mechanism. “I see now how Guido killed his enemies. Gemma does mnot know of*this; Pietro is ignorant; but they. shall “learn—both. I—I, the be- trayed husband, shall teach it to them.” “Bardi!” said Hagar, spatching him by the arm, “do not take——" “It-is -mine—mine!” he interrupted, furiopely. “I go to search for the evii oneg! I'go to put the crucifix of Flesole to the use for which it wes created by Gufdo! Look in the papers, signorina, ang sooner or later you will see again the tale of Luigi, of Bianca, of the de- cived Guido!” * He tore his sleeve from her grip, and rushed furiously from the shop, racing out of the crescent into the crowded streets, wherein he was soon lost. Ha- gAr ran to the door, but could not stop his mad careér: so all she could do was ‘to rage at Bolker, the mischief-maker, who, comprehending nothing of the Italian's excitement, was standing open mouthed in the shop. “You imp! You goblin!” raged Ha- gar, boxing his large ears. “You have put murder into that man's head!” “Murder!” repeated Bolker, dodging her slaps, “what do you mean?” “The man's wife has deceived him. He'll kill her with that dagger!” “Jiminy!” said. the imp, a light breaking in on his brain. “Kill her with a crucifix! What a rum murder 1l keep my eves on the u bet!” After which speech he ran out of the shop to escape further punishment, while Hagar was left to bewail the perverse fate which had sent the talkative lad to Bardi at so critical a moment. However, it was not her fault that he had gained the fatal knowledge; nor could it ba lald to her charge if he did use the crycifix- dagger to kill Gemma and fetro. Salving her consclence thus Hagar waited. for the consummation of the tragedy and daily, as advised by'the Italian, she read the papers to see If it occurred. . In the meanwhile .Bardi, his heart filled with vengeful hatred, was track- ing his runaway wife and her lover with dogmed persistence. The cost of his travels jvas little, as his profession was that of an organ grinder, and with his box of music he could earn his livellhood on the road. Whither they had gone he did not learn for a long time: but at lepgth he ascertaineq defi- nitely that the pair were in the south- ern counties of England. Pletro was an organ man also, and with Gemma was now, no doubt, tramping from village to village, earning a pittance. It was at Daleminster that he found them and revenged himseif on the in- fidelity of the one, the treason of the other. Daleminster is a quiet, desolate cathedral town, very quaint, very beau- tiful, set in the very heart of Midland cornfields and made up of anclent red roofed houses, which cluster round the great minster of Saint Wulf's. There it rises, a poem in stone, with its grea central tower soaring into the misty blue of English skies and its magnifi- cent facade carved with saints and an- gels and grotesque fac of peering devils—a strange medley of heaven and hell. Before it extends a little square, in the center of which rises an ancient cross sculptured with religious imag- ery. Tt was near this relic of medieval piety that Carlino saw his wife. The day was dull and ralny—April weather, of storm, with occasional bursts of sunshine. In that desolate and forsaken square, where the grass sprang greenly betwixt worn ston Gemma, in the gay colors of her Nea. politan garb, stood grinding Itallan melodies out of the organ. Pietro was not with her, and Carlino wondered for 8 moment if he had deserted her, now that the moneys obtained for the silver crucifix were expended. The woman appeared sad and lamentable enough as she looked to right and left in the hope of gaining stray coppers. The melan- choly musie of “Ah, che 1a morte,” was sighing forth in the damp air when her wandering gagze alighted suddenly on the man she had betrayed. With folded Bolicer, Yyou ws*eech/c& child, hold your tongue 17 said Hagar {arms Bardi looked at her as the music faltered and stopped, but for the time being he said nothing. Nor did the wo- man; she was as petrified as any of the grim and saintly statues which looked down upon them both. ‘“Where is your lover?” demanded Bardi, in silky tones. “Has he left vou?” “No,” she replied, hearsely, finding her voice at last. “He Is {ll.” “Here—in this town?" “Yes. He caught col his lungs; he is very il Gemma uttered these staccato sen- tences, in a mechanical manner, as though compelled to do so against her will, under the mesmeric gaze of the man. The unexpected appearance of Bardl stunned and appalled her; she cduld not think what to do; her braln refused to act, At length a request made by Carlino released her from the mesmeric spell which enchanted and froze her. “Lead me to him,” said h way. “I wish to see him." Gemma felt the blood rush from her heart to her face and sprang back with a loud cry, which echoed through the lonely square and down the desolate streets. “No, no, no!"” she cried, vehemently. “You will kill him!" “Why? I have not killed you, and you are the guiltier of the two. Pietro was my very good friend until you tempted him with your beauty. Kill Pietro!”—the man laughed in a jeering manner—“woman, I have let you live.' “Oh, I hate you! I hate you!" said Gemma, drawing her black brows to- gether and sending a flash at him from her somber eyes. “I love Pletro!” “I know you do. So much that you left me for him and pawned the silver Chrl‘-t of Fiesole to pay for the jour- ne; it settied on in a quiet left the pawn ticket behind,” she muttered, sullenly. “T know it. Here is the crucifix!” and ith that Bardi drew it from his bosom to hold it before her eyes. She shrank back before the symbol of faith and uttered a low cry, at which her hus. band jeered. “Dio!” said he, scoffingly. “You have religion still, I yet I thought you would have finished with such things when_you were base enough to leave me. Why did you sell the crucifix and fiy, Gemma? Did I beat you or starve you?" “You would not let me have money!” cried Gemma, dashing the tears from her eyes; “whenever I wanted a ribbon or a silver brooch you refused to give me a single soldo.” “And why?’ was the swift answer. “Because I was saving all, that we could go back to Italy and buy a little vineyard near my own village—near Lastra-a-Signa. There is one I know of at Mosciano, which my father wrote and told me was for sale at a small price. I have the money now, and I in- tended to tell you of it; but I came back to find that you had fled with that in- famous Pietro. Gemma sobbed. Like most women, she had a practical side to her charac- ter, and the vineyard would have been a little heaven to her, setting aside the joy of returning to Signa. She would not have fled had she known of these plans, as she had not loved Pietro over- much. Besides, he beat her. now that the money was gone; and they earned very little by the organ. It was hor- rible to think that she had lost all, for a few months of illicit love. “O Carlino, forgive me!” she moaned, tching out her arm: ead me to Pletro and I shall see,” he replied, and took her organ—or rather Pletro's—on his strong shoul- ders. Without a word Gemma led the way out of the square, down tortuous streets into a poor part of the town. She w afrald of Carlino, and ecould not quite understan@ what he intended to do te Pletro. Probably he would kill him; and then he would be ar- rested and hanged. But then the money would come to her, and she would have all the vineyard to herself. Again, Carlino might forgive Pletro and take | her back. Gemma was a clever woman, | and trusted to extricate herself out of all difficulties by her wil Still, she knew Carlino's violent temper, and she dreaded the worst. At the door of the poor hi where she lived with her lover she stopped and faced Bardi with & resolute air. ‘Piatro is within,” she said. hurried- 1y, “ill in bed; byt I shan't take you to | him unless you swear that you intend | him no harm.” “1 swear by this crucifix!” said Bardi, | thinking of it as a dagger and not as a eross. | “Have you & knife on you? de [ manded Gemma, - still doubtful. “No,"” smiled Bardl, thinking how the | old Fiesole tragedy was repeating it- | self. “I have nothing with me but this | crucifix.” Then, as she still seemed | dublous, he added. “You can see for yourself if you like. Not knowing what to malke of this| smiling complacency, so different to his | | crueifix, and he was | ging her ofr. arms dropped. “I am nothing with cifix. As Rietro is so to lock at it." His look as he sald this was hardly pleasant, and a glimpse of it ‘might have pu: the woman on her gyard; but it was lost on her, as already she had turned her back and was climbing the crazy stairs. Bardi followed her, car- rying the osgan on his broad back, and holding In his two hands the silver cru- cifix, llks some priest bearing the host to the dying. Gemma conducted him into a bare garret on the topmost story. Here Carlino put down the organ and looked around. In a corner near tHe window Pletro, wild looking with his unshaven beard of a week's growth, lay on a plile of straw roughly covered with some pleces of coarse sacking. He was emaciated and haggard about the face, and his skin was flushed red with the burning of the fever which comsumed him. At times a dry, backing oo would echo through the bleak room and the man would fall back on the poor bed in a parexysm of pain. Clearly he was very ill, as Gemma had sald, and not long for this world; but th knowledge that he was dying did net mave Carlino’s determination. He h:d come hither to slay Pletro with the ent upon exe cuting his purpose. “Carlino!” cried the sick man, himself on one elbow with a look mingled P terror and surprise sald Gemma, moving toward “he has comse to fofgive you and to take me back.” “That is s0,” answered Bardl, rals- {ng the crucifix aloft. “I swear by this cross. Dear Pi he added, moving toward the bed, tempted and——" “Keep off! Keep off!” screamed Neri, shrinking back. “Liar! you have come to kill me. I see it in your .y'c. ma, soothingly; “No, mo,” sald ( “he has no weapon.” None, my wife!” echoed Bardi, touch- ing the spring of the cross—only this dagger!” and Gemma saw the silver Christ fall on the floor, while the cross which had borne him remained, a pon- fard, in the right hand of her deceived husband. With a cry of horror she flung hersel? upon sick man. “Me first! Me first “No! You later!™ cried Bardi, drag- “This fo " #Carlino!” shrieked Neri. as the dag gér flashed downward—“for the love of—* The rest of the cry ended in a gurgle, as a stream of blood burst from his breast and stained the bed- clothes. “Murderer! Assassin!" gasped Gemma, serambling on her hands and knees toward the door. “I shall— “Die!™ snaried Barfli. “Dis When it was all over he stood look- ing at the two dead bodies, and began to think of his own safety. His plan was soon made “I shall wound there was a str hat they tried struck in wound will be evidenc my life.” “I know you wWere mys and sa He placed the B and, setting ! st termination. h pon a slight gash. Then he rent his c as evider tehing of and thrust the st dagger into the grip of the dead woman e because T slewg se.” he said, re- to himself; “so now is this?" A cold feeling as of lced water was creeping through a film of gray mist swam bef: and in his throat, whare he had inflicted that lylng wound, there rose a ball which choked h He staggered and fell on his knees and hands, the sil- | ver image of the Cb across the room. The walls spun round and round, his eves grew dark, and with a sob of agony he pitched forward om the bodies of his victims—dead. One week later Hagar was rewarded for her searching by reading the con- clusion of the tragedy of the Flesole erucifix. The journal explained the findipg of the three dead bodies, and commented upon the deadly ingenuity of the weapon used, which was at once a dagger and a crucifix. It added th one of the men and the woman been struck to the heart, and so ha died; but mentioned that the . third corpse had a siight wound only, in- ficted on the neck. “Quite insufficient to cause death” said the saplent T porter; “therefore, how the other man died—his name has been ascertained to be Carlino Bardi—is a mystery.” It might have been to the press, but Hagar was better Informed. A short time previously Bolker had confessed that when he discovered the secret of the erucifix a thin plece of paper had been wrapped round the blade of the poniard. This he had kept, not that it was of value, or that he had any re: son to withhold it from his mistress, but simply out of a thievish propensity which was Inherent in his natyre. Find- ing it one day in his pocket—for he had forgotten all about it—he gave it te As it was written in Itallan, tgnorant of the language, Hagar took it to the old bookseller, of whom mention has been made, to have it translated. This was done by a cus~ tomer of his and the following transe lation was handed to Hagar the next a Guido of Florence, have manufac= tured this dagger, hidden In this siiver crucifix, to sl Count Louis from France and my faithless wife, Blanca, who, with him. has deceived me. As I may not be able to strike them to th heart I have anointed tnis biade with & deadly poison. so that the sHghtest scratch of the poniard causes death. 1 write this warning and place it with the crucifix. so that he who finds may beware of touching the point; aud that he may use it upon a faithless wife, as it is my intention to do. Signed at Florence in Tuscany. GUID Hagar looked at this paper, reading the report of the traged mused. “So,” said she to herself, “Car- lino killed his wife and her lover: but hew did it come about that he wounded himself and died of the poison?” There was no answer to this ques- tion, for Hagar never learned that l.fl" na usual stern demeanor. Gemma passed | Bardi had inflicted the wound on him- her harids through his clothes to feel if he had ény weapons concealed thare- ia. Her fears were groundle: Bardi | self to save his life, thereby slaying himself as surely as the law weould hav done.