, 1875-03-06
The Painters Mantle.


only one trunk, the innkeeper thought
he could not be very rich. and gave him
for this reason a room in the top of the
house, Ne. 40 At that time it was no,
necessary 10 give ones name at an inn,
and those who wished to preserve their
incognitO gave 10 their friends the num-
Der of their loom and the name of the
inn where they lodged. This gentleman
did So
AT the end of the first week the land
lord presented his bill; but great WAS
his astOnishment when the unknown told
him that he had no money, that he eN
pected some every day from home, beg
ging him TO rest easy, and assuring him
that as soon as the money arrived be
should be paid.
The innSeeper went away not very
well satisfied, because this stranger or
dered the most exquisite dinners, the
most recherche vIandS, the most eXVen-
sive wines Of France and Germany-and
the landlord, being very miserly and
suspicious, feared for his money.
AT the end OF the second week he
made his guest another visit, and, pre-
senting his bill, met with the same re-
| SpOnSe; then ne looked around the room
and saw a magnificent mantle hanging
Oh the wall, all lined with rich iur-a
; 222R02}e 02iC0 nigh 81 21011& 2G3 oi}YCT
) 8aEl0s X6e i00keeQeC, d0lig61Sd nth
; his discovery. salUte4 he gentleman,
and descended the stairs, saying To him
! self: . If he does not pay NE ut the
! end Of another week ! will make him
leave me this mantle in pledge for what
| he owes me-"
! Some days passed, when there arrived
an express with letter for the gentle
man in No 30
The landlord, sure that ii contained
remittance, ran TO give il himself to the
stranger, who took the letter and, seeing
the seal, exclaimed: OH the imperial
armsn then opened the letter and, hay
ing read il. said: 1t is All order 10 90 Al
once 10 Bologna, where the Emperor Of
Germany Is staying at present who
wishes 10 see me. \ carriage will come
for me in i little. while, because the jour
ney will be at the Emperor'S expense
q But, sir, before you 90 pay me my
bill, which amounts to $50 ilorinS"
"You know very well, caro- MIC, that
since | came to your inn | have received
no letter but this enc; therefore | have
not etreceiyed my money, and not hav-
ing received it | cannot pay You. AM
an honest man; do not wish 10 defraud
YOU, and will send you the money from
Bologna"
Sir, if You have no money, aS you say,
| TO pay me- il does not matter; leave me
| in pledge this mantle (puiDiing to the one
hanging on the waiD and as soon as YOU
have paid your bill | will take care to
have it sent 10 Bologna, or 10 whatever
other city your lordship may happen 10
/ be in"
Howl have you The heart 10 let me 90
away in this cold weather without my
cloak"
All, sir, | DO not know you-and l
! give credit t0 no one"
IDAunlan wretch, without pity
! Here he was interrupted by She porter
Of the inn, who entered, telling the gen
/ tleman that a carriage had come for hlm-
! Very well" he replied, take nay
/ trunk, and will GO
( The landlord accompanied him 10 The
gate, saying: d" \ pleasant journey, sir;
/ we understand each other, and viii re-
/ member my promise"
/ Eager to examine more closely the
/ rich coax, he mounted at once 10 the
| chamber Of the unknown, and vent up
/ tO the wall TO take down the cloak, when,
| oh, horror, he discovered that Il was
( painted,
All, the thief, the villain. a man who
I deserves hangingr' he began to shout,
and made such an uproar that all the
strangers in the inn came out OF their
rooms 10 see what had caused such Il
( noise.
Al. gentlemen, sea painted man
tlel The man who had thi, room, and
! who has Just gone, not having money
enough 10 pay his hill, was 10 leave me
/ in pledge his magnificent cloak, worth
more than 500 forms Instead the VII
( lain has put ii in his trunk, and left mc
/ this; and more than this, be had the ci-
/ froniefy to mock ne, IcprodchIng NE
/ with being without human feeling, with
out a heart"
! one OF the strangers, who was an anna
teur painter, said 10 the landlord lou
are an migrate. an ignorant fool You
Dossess 4 treasure in this most beautiful
picture. You were born lucky. Tins
mantle will make your fortune. Charge
aprice of admission tor each person VII"
/ wishes 70 see it, and in Il short time you
will have IN your strong box many tiii.es
the value of our reckoning
The innkeeper, surprised at ms praise
! of the picture from his guest and reject
/ ing that il was possible that he might IN
/ that way gain some profit, followed the
advice
The next dav the report Of this strange
adventure had spread through All Flor
ence, and the curiosity was SO great not
only in the city, bat in all the country
around. that our landlord in very little
time had pocketed 800 silver forms.
I But when, few days after, II be
came known that tins WOnderI1. painted
mantle was IA pleasantly of IItanr VINO
had painted il as n trick on hIs Inn
keeper. not only the Florentines came 10
I see it. but people came from al parts 10
! admire a work of this DISTINGUISHED
nainter. whom Charles Y. had that year
Summoned 10 Bologna TO paint his por-
trait and undertake other important
works
Oar fortunate InnkeepeT found hIii-
self in a short time pOssessOr OF con.
siderable sum, and wrote letter 0i
apoloey 10 the great artist.
Titan replied that he was I1Uch sur
missed that any painting of his had pro
auccd so fabulous sum, but KNOW inS
thar his landlord had not deserved It by
his cuDidity and araTlce, he Ieii II 10
him oniy on one condition, tnat II s"Ile
moor artist should come 10 ms lhh nc
would not present hIS bill at the eha '' oi
everv week.-FT0m tie Italian, 6y -il'c'
D. Wade.
70 Not lat Raw Eggs!
OyF Of the most common preludlces OF
,,,,ssVy;yes and mothers Is that hard