The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-08-16

the obiIque little portals opened cdu-
tiously, even the reticent women gazed
D.; out from various landings. The fourth
floor was closed and deserted, however
In vain Mr. Culworthy rang and knocked
His countenance fell as the vision Of
ivory crucifixes, antique glass and lace
faded. For an hour he wandered about
the vast pile of building, like an uneasy
spirit, bewildered By dark corridors,
knocked at unresponsive portals, climb
ing and decending interminabIe stairs.
Once he found himself unexpectedly in
large open space, which might have
been a chapel or an audience hall on top
OF the house; at another he opened a
little door and emerged ON balcony at
a giddy height, from which he retreated
hastily, in dread Of vertigo. He sue
ceeded in rousing several residents, who
stared blanNy, and stated that the priest
had gone away. Where? They did not
know.
Mr. Culworthy reappeared in the
street, flushed, fitigued and somewhat
dusty.
There sat the old woman beneath the
arch, knitting busily, and watching him.
Oh yes, she had known the priest. He
had gone to Florence, where he gave
lessons. What would you havel One
must live
Mr. Culworthy moved away. The old
woman followed him. Did the gentle
man wish to buy anything? Her son had
very rare and curious article for sale.
He found 1t himself Oh no, the gentle
man did not desire TO make purchases;
but what had her son found all the same.
All, the neighbors must not learn about
it; Giovanni had his own secret. If the
gentleman would only look at the article
nowl
"What is it, ther"" demanded Mr. Cul-
worthy, with sui %" indifference.
"A bottle-a jar, said the old woman
eagerly. "Hiotl he found it buried in
the earth near tie Etruscan tombs."
Mr. Culworthy opened his eyes as
this bottle of glass or metal?"
"Ahno, signore; it is of ware-porce
lain"
Mr. CuIworthy picked up his ears.
"What is the color?"
"Blue, signore. Blue, with a picture
yellow and white, and letters one cannot
Oh, if the signore could but soc itI'
Giovanni had gone to Poggibonzi; he
alone knew where the treasure was
hidden. Mr. Culworthy decided to wait;
the old woman went back to her brazier
radiant with satisfaction.
Giovanni did not return that evening
nor the next day. Mr. Culworthy waited
without complaint. His meditations,h his
fancies, the tantilizing hopes and fears
which beset him, can only be realized by
the amateur collector. A blue jar, with
pictures and letters on it undecipherable
to the ignorant contadini-this was the
fabric of his reveries Who knows?
Then the suspicious of Giovanni, who
told no one of his discovery, awaiting a
purchaser in some rich Forestierol All
these dazzling and alluring possibilities
gave him sufficient food for reflection.
The second day found him restless,
however. The old woman cajoled and
llattered HIM. One must have lille
patience.
81 leave Volterra to morrow" he said,
pettishly, and with a sudden reaction of
doubt.
In the evening the shuttle of heavy
feet was audible outside his door at the
hotel, and the waiter ushered in the old
woman, beaming with smiles accompan-
led by a shock headed and swarthy youth.
This person was the returned Giovanni,
who eyed Mr. Culworthy suspiciously.
No he had not brought the jar; it was
still ut his house. The signore could see
it in the morning.
"Show it TO me nowl" Grid Mr. Cul-
worthy, and seized his hat.
There ensued walk along one dlmly
lighted street after another, Il groping
among low doorways, a stumbling over
unseen steps. At any other time Mr.
Culworthy would have feared murder
and robbery in the darkness Of night
which now rendered the old city most
somber and uncanny; now he thought
only Of GIovannI's treasure, unearthed
over the Etruscan tombs. Finally they
paused beside table in a cold, bare
chamber, where the oil lamp threw fan
tastic reflections on wall and ceiling.
Giovanni unrolled first an outer wrap
ping of newspaper, then an inner one of
rags, and gave the jar to Mr. Culworthy
in silence.
The latter adjusted his cyeglass with
tremulous haste Yes, it was jlr of
ware, blue in color. On one side was 4
vived picture ofgreen mountains against
dappled sky, and an azure harbor, with
a fleet of fishing smacks in the fore
ground. On the other side Mr. Culwor-
thy read:
POITED YARMOUTH HERRiNGS-
So celebrated for Sandwiches, ,Toasts BiscCifs
etc., and most wholesome relish for
Breakfast, Lunch, etc.
Prepared only by
CROSSE d BLACKWELL,
Purveyors 10 Her Maje-ty,
SOHO SQUARE, LONDON.
A party of English tourists had
Iupched at the Etruscan tombs of VOL
terra, and discarded the bottle discovered
later by the poor Giovanni as an anti
guilty. Mr. Culworthy INDUCED in
peal of mirthless laughter,gave Giovanni
franc for his trouble, and departed.
He did not write home a description
of this trip either TO the Misses Cul-
worthy or the county newspaper 1t
would be snperfluous to add that the jar
from Volterra has not crowned the COL
lection of Italian majolica in the museum
to which Mr. Culworthy devotes so much
of his wealth and leisure.
Now if the greenbackers want good
greenback in place ola poor one--if they
want one that will do the most toward
supplying their wants-they should in
dorse the Republican policy and act
with that party. For under that policy
the greenback has advanced from less
than forty cents in value to be on par
with gold.-Albany (NY) Journal.