The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-11-26
A QUEER THANKSGIVING.

"It's the loneliest old place in Rom i.
this Palazzo Comparini," said TIL or !.
an American painter, to Giuseppe, the
porter. Giuseppe always lounged at o
door that led from the courtyard into a
darkness and a dampness supposed to be
his apartment. Giuseppe was white
haired and bent, and after the fashion
of the Italian lower orders, felt almost
past work at fifty, but certainly not past
the pleasures of conversation.
"Certo, signore, the palace is lonely
enough nowadays, but the CO aparinis
used to be rich, end kept u, great
state. No grass in the court then, no
mold on those marble steps, no silence,
no foreign painters on the top floor
| without offense to you, signore). Then
the young count-ah, we'll, he was a
rare one here the old porter fell to
| lau ching" and q gay one, and a care
les one. He went to Paris, and, whew
away went the money. The villa was
sold the property ON the Corso was
sold, the palace at Naples was sold, and
| back came the count, as merry as ever,
and got married. Married young wife,
| and then away went her fortune. Paris
aga'n; horses, gambling, betting, and
worse. Five years ago he died died
merry, too. A pleasant man was the
count"
Very pleasant man," said Thorn
grizzly. "Then he squandered every
thing 90
Except this palace; and that would
have gone if he had lived"
elbow about his wife ?"
"Well, her father gave her some
thing more, and then here's the palace
ct. Wait, signore."
Giuseppe shufPed off toward Young
lady who had jus; entered, and who
beckoned him from the staircase. She
was \ittle person, with low brow an
wonderful liquid Southern eyes and a
i ow of small teeth like, as Thorn men
tally remarked, sweet corn. She had a
dimple in one cheek only. You couldn't
ask mate in the other cheek, for such
dimple couldn't possibly be repeated.
She had small straight nose anda full
mouth; she was brown, and she vas
quick, yet langu'l. She talked W
Giuseppe in hve1T fashion, yet leaned
against pedestal ike weery nymph
in a picture. a. this Tho n nosed
Then he caught Giuseppe's rf ne as size
pronounced it, with that gentle seperf
ton of the syllables, as if for lingering
more tenderly on each.
"What lovely name the old wretch
has !" he thought. AS ne little lady
tripped lightly up the sta IS he was very
glad to ask the old wretch, and right
eagerly too, "Wto is the signorina?"
"The Countess Vittoria Comparini."
"Does she live here ?"
"Of course. On the second floor"
"Does she-does anybody-does she
have many visitors ?" stammered Thorn,
adding. TO himself, Soon md this
foreign tongue it won't let fellow say
what he means"
Giuseppe caught the meaning pretty
surely, for he answered: Certainly,
signore, the countess sees her own
friends"
"You mean the foreigners-that is.
the Romans"
ST mean the Romans, not the for
eigners. Ladies like herself, and gen.
tlemen like the count, her late hus-
band"
"Like the fellow that spent her
dowry."
az mean gentlemen-people who
don't work as / do. or as"
cha la ! as do" laughed Thorn.
Well-yes, signore," said Giuseppe,
with polite hesitation.
| "Here's q genuine old wosld crea.
ture," thought Mr.. Thorn, lot little
amused, untouched by republicanism,
communism or nihilism. Pray that his
mistress is uor moderr aud SO, access.
ible."
A vain prayer it seemed. for in pay
ment of a month of cold sentinel duty
on the marble stairs, often an hour at 8
time. Mr.. Thorn had mea the Countess
Oomparini but twice. q O. ce sac passed
him with a slight bow and downcast
eyes as he politely lifted his hat; and
one morning she looked up with 6
"Grazie, signore," as he restored the
prayer-book that she had let fall on re
| turning from early mass. This WASH
the American way of getting on with {
lovely woman, SO Thorn applied to al
italian fellow at the bankers who talked
English.
SPosseeble to know the Counties
Com pa1ini, my dear fellow? No. Thu
ountes 50 is OF an old house. She like
not the foreigners. IMPOSSIBLE, m.
dear boy"