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very people most likely to know something of 
my papa, compels me to accept your kind and 
sympathetic aid, as this is an opportunity I 
dare not let slip. Hear my story.” 
“T am a Sicilian by birth. At an early age, 
I was left motherless, and papa was my sole 
companion. He as a devoted naturalist, so I 
spent much of my time in his company, ramb- 
ling about our beautiful estate searching for 
the creatures of Nature to study. When about 
twelve years of age I was stolen from my papa 
and my happy home by a band of brigands 
which occasionally passed through our terri- 
tory. I was taken to the mountain home of 
the brigands and presented to the stern old 
chief. He at once became attached to me and 
issued a decree that I should be the future 
queen of the tribe. For two long weary years 
I remained with the band, till at last the chief 
issued still another decree, declaring that in 
two short weeks I would be wedded to his only 
son, and thus became the literal queen of the 
tribe. Great preparations for an extensive gala 
time followed this edict. But a week previous 
to the merry occasion I was abducted by a 
jealous suitor, aided by several faithful associ- 
ates and we embarked from Messina for some 
continental point from whence we took steamer 
for New York City. 
When a mere child I had read of the great 
metropolis of the western continent, and fre- 
quently papa had told to me interesting facts 
