The Council of Ten

This issue contains a historical adventure narrative titled "The Council of Ten" by Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. Set in fourteenth-century Venice during the reign of Doge Pedro Gradenigo, the story centers on the Council of Ten—a secretive, powerful body tasked with protecting the state from conspiracy and treason, operating outside normal law. The narrative opens with a midnight session where the council receives intelligence from Niccoli, their chief spy, regarding suspicious activities. Niccoli reports on a mysterious bravo named Marco Martelino and the patrician Marino Trivisano, whom he suspects of plotting against the state. The spy then visits Trivisano's palace via secret passage to meet Pascal Modetti, a servant carving duplicate keys, while gathering information about suspected conspirators. The story continues with description of gondola activity on the Grand Canal, establishing an atmosphere of espionage and intrigue typical of adventure serials of the period.