The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-05-12
The Romance Of an Isle in the Adriatit.
The Yelled Woman Whose Pace no Islander
Had seen-The Stranger with the Red
Gold Beard.

rushing hoarsely over from the African
coast. The sky hung low, gray dome
over a gray sea, and the island which
yesterday had sparkled like some rare
green jewel upon the bosom of the daz
cling Mediterranean, seemed now only
some drowned thing floating pallidly
over its own watery grave.
All around and through the wide,
terraced, white-columned, fat-roofed
houses the sirocco tore and screamed.
It tossed from oriental roofs many d
flower vase that Law brilliant spots OF
color against the dim background of sea
aud sky. 1t dashed open glass doors,
snatched away awnings, and had shrek
ed through many a vaulted room and
flooded many cool mosaic floor before
it dashed into a certain room high up
over the shattered cloisters and under
the crumbling roof Of a picturesque old
monastery, peopled in these latter days
only with ghosts-and artists.
There it found much to do.
1t seized half a dozen unframed
sketches from the black beamed walls.
1t stirred pot-pourri of New England
pine woods and bleak New England sea
coasts with the turquoise fringed shores
and diamond filtered atmospheres of
Italy, upon the earthern floor. 1t
blew up white storm of pencil draw
| ings and artistic memoranda to drift
and futter through dusky space. 1t
| threw a bust of Lincoln into the plas-
ter embrace of the Capuan Psyche.
Then with shrek and a roar it upset
the easel before which a lady sat.
Finally it was driven out only by the
united efforts Of four arms that forced
shut the two arched windows through
| which ii had entered and against which
! it now ragged and beat like some mad
dened creature batfied of expected
prey. 1t roared and howled with thwar
| ted rage Yet in two short moments
it had accomplished what the curious
! islanders had tried for many months and
failed.
As she slipped the bolt of the second
window which the elder woman forced
shut with her shoulder the lady uttered
an exclamation. She was looking over
the campanile opposite whence now
struggled wind-smothered sound of the
Ave Maria, and over the round roofs
that descend the steep side of the island
MhC giants SGdIESy OII upon Tic
sea. There she saw straining, shudder-
ing, rolling, tossed like a feather and
sinking like lead, now seeming gone
forever, now struggling upon its side
like dying thing, an object which she
recognized with mingled astonishment
and terror.
1t was the little steamer that came
to the islanp once week from the main
land, which was not now due for four
days and which it would have been
madness to expect at all even had this
been its regular day.
WHAT can have brought it out of
harbor to-day of all days ?" she exclaim-
ed, straining her eyes in a sort of hor
rible fascination upon the tragedy which
seemed all bat inevitable.
Blessed Marie Mother Of God,
pray for the poor sailors !" cried Elise,
crossing herself so devotedly and so
dexterously that the same pious motion
e caFyaa 70 al52& Gown her displaced dress
skirt
For full halfhour they stood there
watching the almost imperceptible ad
vance of the sturdy little vessel. 1t
seemed almost a sentiment thing strug
Cling frantically in the jaws of some
monster: Many were the pious petit
tions that Elise sent heavenward. As
for the lady, her whole soul grew into
one fervent prayer that God be mercI-
full.
Then, resting her head against the
rust-eaten frame of the window, she
smiled a strangely dreary and unyouth-
L ! l,I bo "a ShG1lH
for life as mercy of God.
Finally, when the steamer had strug-
gled so near the island that a group OF
pomegranate trees shut it from her
sight, the lady covered her face with
veil and donned a waterproof, saying to
Elise:
1--WE have had no news from the
world since Thursdays post. Come let
us go down to the Marina and learn
what has brought the plucky little
Italia over to us to-day"
Some Tarentella dancers, who, with
humping of tamborines and CHATTER Of
castinets, had been shortening the rainy
afternoon for few English tourists at
the cafe of Hiddegeigei, ran shouting
down the islands abrupt sides towards
the Marina They were led by long
dashed, blue-eyed, Hght-footed Patonelh,
queen of Tarentella dancers and most
popular of models for artists, and were
all breathless to know what could have
brought the great world on the main
so near to them ON such a day as this.
Behind Patonelli hirted F'ilomena in
full-gathered petticoat reaching just to
her bare brown ankles, ragged blue
corset hanging loosely around her waist.
a silver dagger in her hair; light-toot-
ed Filomena, who has also been light
fingered, so the gossips say, shaking
their heads at the tress of blonde hair
twisted among her locks, where it has
appeared ever since the fair Ingtese
sailed away with her Madonas all finish
ed, for which Filomena had posed.
Then came the blonde Nicola, also a
popular model, whose shapely head and
Straight nose were reminders that here
once the foulest of Rome's foul Emper-
ors was served by the vanquished
Greeks whose blood lives yet in some OF
these island veins. Then comes old
SPARTA with bare, hairy legs, looking
like toothless and amiable old Pan.
Then was Luigi, the handsome coral
fisher lust home from Africa, in scar
let cap and full white shirt, crimson
sash, and deliciously faded blue trous-
ers, as coquettishly gotten up for the
admiration of lady artists-and as sure
of success in the attempt-as ever was
reigning beauty in a higher sphere
Next the old hermit from the mountain,
with shaver crown, and sad, earth-col-
ored raiments, reminding one of great
tear dropped into this sunny tide OF
laughter.
There was a group of convict soldiers
out on their few hours recess, all with
the black badge of disgrace enclrcling
: their blue caps. Then struggled along
motley crew of wild-haired, sharp
eyed, weather-beaten grandmothers !;
| ha lfclad and fi,lIr ieweled fsher-oirIs