Show 1 HAG R OF THE P A T E Mention ha been made ot of Bolk Bolker r the mIsshapen Imp who was lao fao and the plague ot of her Ute life With ce clear r braIn and strong will Zhe e manage most people but not this deformed street arab whose hose nature seemed to be compounded ot of all that as worst in human beings He lied 1100 freely he absented from the shop when he had no business to do sn 5 he even stole little things s when he thought ought it was safe to run the Fisk wIth so vigilant a s but not ing all these vic Hagar kept him as Her reason was that he po three in vir virtues tues tUf S he was an excellent he was admirable at clinching bargains and he was cunning enough not to lose his Clever Cleyer servants have b en n retained by bv mistrustful mistresses fw 1 les r nible qualities When HA Hagar r went ent out of business she frequently stayed to look after the shop and to receive such customers as might pre preSEnt present SEnt themselves eles To these he gave as little as he possibly could on the arti arta IcS they wished to pawn and when Hagar returned he had usually some tales to tell of excellent business hay hav haying ing ng been transacted for the good of the hE shop ThEn Hagar Har would reward him with ith a little mone money and Bolker Boker would take tak unauthorized lo leave ve to mis generally on the pro proceeds proceeds The n never Ver varied One day Hagar returned late In the haYing having been in the country on onn n e connected with a copper j k Thi Th adventure will be related another time for the pr present nt story j with the strange episode of the crucifix It was this article V Ii 11 ith ich Bolker had read ready to show shoy Hagar liEs hEn she entered the pawnshop at S 8 Sf f jock See hEre missus said Bolker pointing to the all at the back ck of the Shop theres a line Ane thing I got for Tt It may be here remarked that Bolker had been to tn Chool and having a re clever cleyer brain as a setoff J against his deformed body he had bad sue eded In A certain amount of earning and also a mode of speaking a regards both and acce accent t above the ordin ordinary conversation f hlf c class Proud of this superiority the he cJ clever ver imp spoke always hay 1 and 00 the int so that he be might preserve hi his speech Dirt cheap missus added Bolker I ho words when hen excited and hf he was as S so now Ten poud I lent lentI I 1 It j the Iver i itself lf is worth more than that o Oi I Nn can always alays trust your jud Judg In tb these matters matten laughed Hagar B and nd took down the n to examine tt it m mere n particularly It was as over a foot long made of re sHyer now somewhat tarnished from ne neglect And exposure to the air leI th the workmanship was peculiarly fine and delicate The ft re of d the thet t brist crowned with wilh a thorn wreath reath r as f and the arms of the cress cros itsElf encased with patterns it re beyond aU all praise from an artistic pOint of view lew Altogether this silver sHYer obtained by the craft crafty Bolker for ten sum greatly below beloy its r real J a remarkable fine of workmanship in thE of Cf Learned In hi such 1 n flagar H r even fn in tIM the yellow glow w f the badly H lighted ted lamp sa saw Us its mag 1 if cence and worth orth at a glance Jancer She red head bead of hair with witha a 1 1 r Good 00 little man she said in inTra a Tra tone You do well ell h hn n T am out of th the shon There is 1 I G Go and enjoy f nut hut d nt make yourself sick with J mo bJ Il a pipe e as YOU did laSt th time fl hey boy B Bt t one moment she add added c he thi thir this r mma Bardi Saffron Hill A An n Italian lan Like enU enough h ss ls tJ ie Is tf of th the said Id H lagar r mu musingly n lr What was u ahe he Uke ilk ilkI I Rn Bolker r Oh h a ft fine handsome girl replied T ner lerin lenn in a maj ma about town q bir and aDd eyes y the m 11 1 like yours missus only I guess I Inu nu U re th finer woman oman 1 ii bex lilY my mrs shouted the imp ri int out l Haars rp or i I ha hant n t tell tel YOU whit I found Ol orV e et bout t this cra aed H Hagar r roup bi hands nd Vee a Its a da dag gr g r da dagger r you oU young GOI What V at are ii H Laiking fn e J I aJ vs do o Look U i n r If you dont bell believe e mt me 14 r took the tle presumed tl Iii i Ls is lean ft uIl and with deft fi f h touched ao a concealed t f the foUl arms of the c cross At on once tM the lower and longer fr fra I a with the Christ I ski do down n and in 10 the eros IO IOa V a 5 chan changed ed into nto a slender sh shap j I tb the hadle ef cf C II formed by tM the upper arms nl th thc Sn n to speak peak hart batt of the cross The sym tym nl 1 of Chr Christ lt of peace of faith had h lIme me It a Madly and weapon or nC Ha Hagar r was a So s that th the grinned Its line fine aint It he said Id gloating nver the shining blade it would stick slick 1 man like fun I dare sa say Its been through lots lob X My eye what hat larks The joy of the boy was so grim m and unnatural that Hagar snatched the I rather the poniard AS It was as his and pushed him eat MIt ot of tM the shop with the sharp that he was to put up the shutters hutters When he had bad done dOlle so an ann and ill n was as safe fe for the night he went ent away to enjoy himself with his half crown aown while Ha r carried the newly pawned artIcle Into the back parlor to It anew as she Me ate her fru frugal l supper The crucifix l cb wall wa at once a symbol of peace and war her ely Why did It poes th these dual chai ba To what end had Its malc pr placed m In the hands hand of priests U tI deadly and aDd concealed weapon The I hands of the Christ were ere not atta attached hed to Ic the cro s bars and the s It 4 might ht beof the he slipped easily oft the b blade ft figure ure and aU all Hagar in her imaginative fashion if it had glimmered a symbol of Chris Chrls over the dying or iiii bd flashed 4 Into the heart of some helpless human beIn being Fr From m the old bookseller In Carby Crescent she abe had bad heard d some strange stories of the Italian 1 anc wild and contradictory time Irne t had bad then lOne gone hand in hand with paganism Sa Savonarola had grown up beside the MedIcI popes bad baAt eer tt d peace and had bad plunged whole in war and the laugh of a friend A had l oftentimes been n but a pre pee I 1 w ude to tIM blow Of this many meny sided al sinful epoch the crucifix dagger as a It at onCe I Its t art Jo It religion lt n and D I Its hiat of at blood Hagar evoked s in her Iter from sti strange g pIe of ever r q Afterward In the Imperative demands or of business Hagar forgot her dreams I about the crucifix and I looked upon It as an or of value merely pawned by its owner and which would be r redeem redeemed deem ed ad In dae time A month later the tick ticket et made out In the name of Gemma Bardi was brought to her by a man of the same nationality This taU tall slender nIpple rupple Italian with Ith oval olive race lace and fierce eyes had come to take the cruel cruci crucifix fix out of pawn Although he produced the ticket and offered the money Hagar hesitated at giving the article to hint him It was pawned by Gemma Bardl said she taking down the crucifix from where It hung in the obscurity I My wife replied the man I She sent you to redeem it itI I Gran Dlo DIo Why not he broke out impetuously I am CarlinO Carlin Bardl Bardi her husband She pawned the Ule crucifiX against my will while I was absent in inthe the country with roy my organ Now that I have returned I came with ticket and money to redeem it IL I do not wish to lose lOose the crucifix of Fiesole The Crucifix of repeated Hagaris that what hat it is called 1 ot of a surety signorina and It Is worth much money moneyMore More than ten pounds I am sure said Hagar smiling as she picked up the counter I Iby the note silently placed on by Carlino Well I have no right to refuse you the crucifix You give me the tick ticket t and interest so all is legal and shipshape Take up your cross My cross echoed Carlino with a flash ash from his big eyes Is 15 Ismy 1 my cross I Your wife That is a strange way to sp speak k of one dear to you Dear to me signorina That may maybe maybe be but she is dear to Pietro Nerl Neri May the pains in hell seize him Why What has he done said with Gemma Run a way away Bardi fiercely ercel Oh she went cheer cheerfully cheerfully fully enough To get the money for formy formy my dishonor she pawned the crucifix Oh So she did not send you OU to re redeem r deem it No replied Carlino with tranquil insolence That was as a lie I told to ret get back my property without trouble But now It Is minelle clasped the sil silver silver ver Christ convulsively to his breast breas I shall shaH make Gemma and Pietro py pay for their evil deed You 5 speak k very ery well ell for a foreigner or n 1 ou ought t to answered r the man in indifferently differently r I have been ten years In England and I have almost forgotten my Tuscan tongue But I remember still what Tuscan husbands do to faith faithless faithless less women and their paramours We kill voice leaped an octave to a shrill scream ream of kill th the man and the woman by the terrible hatred of this pass e Latin nature Hagar started back The man was as leaning across the counter and showed no disposition to depart nor did Jid she want him to le leave ve her for there had come upon ler a desire to learn the history of the FIesole crucifix Bending forward she touched it Uy with the tips of her fingers I How did tiki this come into your jour posses possession possession sion 7 she asked I 1 stole it from a painter in Flor Florence Florence II ence You stole It echoed Hagar con confounded confounded founded by the franknesS of this ad admission mission Ys Ye I was the model ot of all artist one S Signor Ancillotti who had a studio In Piazza StiR San Spirito hard by bythe bythe the Santa Trinita of the Arno This Thle crucifix hung in his rooms and once when I was pOSIng poking as his model he tol me the legend which gave It the name of the Crucifix of Fiesole It wa was th the story ory which made me steal it But why What is the story 4 A common one sid said Bardi Bardi bItter love and a womans faith falth to her husband There Ther WAS a anver nver ith In Florence what time the JR ruled who was called Guido He had bad one fair wife whom he be I loved very dearly derly She did not care for forI I his love and fled fied With a young oun count of good family one Luigi da Fr FrancIa lda From France you under understand stand tand for from that country the race had ad come to Florence in the days of Republic Luigi was handsome and andrich andrich rich Guido ugly and rather poor al although though a clever cleYer craftsman so you can cannot cannot not that the was washer her from the ones arms to tile the others palace ce Guido determined upOn revenge and manufactured this crucifix I But I dont understand how Xo No more did anyone else said Bar Bardi die di cutting her short When Guido fin lobed the crucifix he disguised himself as a priest rl and went up to see Count L igi In hi his palace at Fiesole After the nobleman and Bianca were found dead dd with da daggers gers thrust In their hearts and Guido was missing Be Between teen tween the corp corpses es lay this silver cruel cruci fix bu hut t no one ever eyer know knew how they died Why Thy not 1 Guido killed them with his da dagger ger uNo No said Bardi shaking his head Guido Guide had bad no da dagger ger with vIlh him at the time Count Luigi was always afraid of assassination for he had many one ene mies and every visitor was searched by his retainers to see that they car carrie rie nod l no concealed weapons Guido the supposed priest was searched also and had nothing on him but the thc silver cru crucifix So the legend grew that whose J Jever ever had a faithless wife the posses possession sion nion of the Crucifix of Fiesole would give him power to slay her and her lover as Guido had slain his two to de deceivers Therefore added Bardl Bardi grim Jy as 8 I had bad then married Gemma and thought ht that some somo day she might be faithless I stole the crud crucifix fIx from Sig Signor Signor nor Ancillotti It seems I was wae rIght to todo do doss so dossA soA A strange story said Hagar mod med and stranger still sUlI that the means by which Guido slew W wore re not long ago agoDo agoDo Do yo yoh know how he killed them 1 Certainly By means of that ruel fix Bardl Bardi looked at the cross eager eagerly and anda a lurid light came Into his eyes as he gazed How dHow he questioned loudly Tell me signorina But Hager refu refused d to impart that knowledge The story of the man deserted by his wife was so 50 similar to that of the faith faithless 1 less Blanca and the forsaken or ken Guido that Ha Hager r dreaded lest Bardi sh should uld le rn the secret of the concealed dag dagger ger gerand nd rep repeat at the Cinque de Cento tragedy of With this Idea in her mind she wished the Italian to do de depart dopart part Ignorant of the devilish Ingenuity of the cross But fate willed med that in her despite Bardi should gain th the evil knowledge He learned it forth forthwith from the Ups lips of Bolker Hullo cried the Imp as he entered the shop to see CarUn CarlinO holding the he cru crucifix crucifix You have got that dagger Dagger saId Bardl Bardi with a start star Bolk you o wretched child your said saki Hagar WhY should 11 I My tongues my own wn ai aiM d If that coV c wants an toRna how this crucifix can be chang d Into a dagger its onlY fair S See e here bore and before Hagar Hager could Interfere Bolk r rhad rhad had the cross in his handa and tl a tn finger r ron on the spring You touch this an anthe and the lower p part rt of Ah cried Bardi snatching back bRck the cross and examining the deadly me mechanism mechanism I see now how Guido killed his enemies Gemma does not know 0 of this Pietro Is but Uy they shall II the betrayed hue hus husband band shall teach it to them Bard Bardi I sakI Ha Hagar r snatching hint b by the arm do not take It Is he be Interrupted furIously I 1 so o to search for the eyll ones I gao to put the crucifix of Pie sole to the ue for which it was cre created created by Guido Look in the p papers per signorina and or later Ilter you will wUl see again the tale of Luigi of Bianca of the deceived GuidO He tore his from her grip an rushed furiously from the shop racing I out Of the into the crowded I streets wherein herein he wa soon lost Ha Hagar Hagar gar ran to the door but could not stop I his mad career S so all she could do was to rage at Bolker the who c in nothing ol of the I It Italians excitement was standing open openmouthed mouthed in the shop You Imp You goblin ra raged ed Ha Hagar Hagar gar boxing hiS large e ears You haY hare put murder Into that mans head Murder repeated ted dodging her slaps what do you moan mean Th The mans wife has him Hell kill br ber With that dagger Jimmy said the Imp a light break Ing In on his brain Kill her with a crucIfIx What a rum murder It will be rn Ill keep my ey eye on the papers paper you ou bet After which speech he ran out of the shop to escape f rth r punishment while H Hagar ar was as left to bewail the per perverse perverse verse fate which h had sent the talkative lad to Bardl Bardi at so critical a 1 Hoer It was wag not her fault that h had gained the fatal knowledge nor I could It be bc laid to h her r charge if he did 1 use the to kilt kill Gemma and Pietro Salving her conscIence thus thu thuHa Ha Hagar r waited fr for the c cOnsummation of the tragedy and dail daily as advised by the lt Italian Uan she read the papers to see it If It occurred But for many weeks nothing came 0 of her reading and Ha Hagar Hagar gar concluded that either the Ulan man had bad hadnot not found h hs 3 wife ICe or hain found her had condoned her offense a against his honor Which lon showed how bow little Hagar knew kne of the fierce and passionate nature In the meanwhile Bard Bardl Ha heart |