Mezzoni the Brigand — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. 67 the position of the bag had there been changed, or that the person carrying it had sunk into the ground. This was so plain and manifest a ‘“‘trail’’ that the Knglish detective, who was the first one to discover this clew, dwelt constantly upon it. This was to be followed up again and again, until it should suggest the true solution of the problem. It was argued from this piece of evidence that it was not Mezzoni’s band who committed the burg- lary, for had they been the parties they would natu- rally have turned, it was thought, in the opposite di- rection to escape with their booty. In this instance the robbers had evidently gone into the very heart of the city with the goods stolen from Woolf & Co. This phase being established, as relating to the case, new efforts were instituted, and new theories suggested, but still there was nothing reliable dis- covered as to the thieves. | One day there appeared at the door of the Corrello palace an old and decrepit woman, bent half double with age, and to whose summons Beppo responded. ‘“‘T have lost my parrot,’’ said the old woman, in a shivering voice. “What is that to me?’’ said Beppo. ‘He has flown into your back garden,’’ whimpered the woman. “There is no garden to this palace.”’ ‘Then he’s gone into your back yard. I saw him fi meee There is no parrot there—go your way,”’ said Beppo, trying to shut the door. ‘“ T would give gold to get my parrot,”’ said the old woman, in broken Italian, while at the same time she held out toward the servant a golden louis. Beppo’s eyes sparkled with the natural avarice of ? GComicbooks (ef o)