Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-10-23

The vision intoxicated him as he passed
by the ancient Via Latina through the
Campagna Felice, and thence onward to
Naples. He pressed forward eagerly to
the goal. Modern competition did not
dismay, but OIL he must learn if ancient
art had traced on marble and fresco of
temple and bath the image he sought.
He gained the museum, oblivious to out
ward event, going and co ming in the cool
halls, enriched with Pompeiian urn, can
delabra, bronze, the light cleaning on
crystal and gem, Roman expresses gazing
down cynically on Eneid and Venus The
artist found stick of chocolate in his
pocket, and ate it while studying the fig
ures of sarcophagus. He would have
worked on had the custodians dropped
about him, for the town was already
plague stricken. Artists have wrought
thus in siege and famine. Naples, spent
with fierce summer heat, stung by sudden
storms, charged with hail, enervated by
tropical showers arousing sickly emana-
lions from the soul, must keep the fiesta
of the Riedegrotta with jingle Of tam
bazza, swapping of castagnettes, and the
partaking of red peppers, fried in oil, mac
aroni, RIGA, salad and fruit. How to live
without the red tomato sauce? How to
Danish the Zig, rlpening in luscious album
dance for the good of man, punishment
of the Roman athlete? The city. pouting
at municipal authority, had stretched
forth her hand and plucked the fruit.
When Roger Hale gained the. town and
fastened to the museum, a cry had arisen
In the crowded streets, where the idler
paused, staggered, fell, while his comrades
fled.
Roger Hale emerged on thoroughfares
rapidly thinning of frequenters. and
closing shops. He had come hither to seek
a siren, basking on golden sands, and
found the charnel house. The doom of
fear was written on all faces. Death met
him On every side. wrapped in scanty rags
in the howell and scaling the palace alike.
Old age shriveled before it; the warm cur
rent of the youth was stilled. The popu-
lation surged, like restless tide, dazed,
frantic, or fleeing before the thunderboJ
falling in their midst, as the citizens OF
Pompeii once fled from the lava torrent.
After revelry came repentance.
Roger Hale decided to return to Rome
by the next train. He went out in to the
streets. A procession hemmed him against
a wall; girls, old men, children swept past
with startled rush of feet and rags. A
boy fell forward on his knees, the old wa
ter vender at the corner threw up her
arms, as if stricken by an invisible missile.
Beyond crowd of gamblers fell into an
ecstacy because the lucky numbers had
/ turned up for Naples in the lottery. A
band of youths begged aims of the ar fist,
who waved them off and returned to his
hotel. How Wretched and somber was the
scene. Rain fell heavily, and the wind.
cold as November. agitated the sea, hurl-
ing back noxious vapors at the town.
Neapolitan malice circumvented Roger
Hale. The boys prepared the crowd for
him.
''See! The foreigner comes this way He
is the wizard, the poisoner. who brought
the pest to Naples. He scatters powder
from his pocket on the air, in the salt; on
our food. He helps the accursed doctols
with his spells.''
The idle listened, the turbulent paused
and scowled. AS the artist passed the
altar improvised before a concealed
shrine of San Gennaro, and the door of
the adjacent pork butcher, the latter
sprang out and seized him by the collar.
II will teach you, wretch, to tamper
with my wares SO that nobody will buy
believed his hour had come, and the In
furiated man was about to kill him for
some imaginary wrong. To expostulate
would be to add fuel to the flames. More
than once complete limpness of de-
meanor had saved him from serious disas-
ter. Suddenly the butcher snatched up
the sausage cake on the bench, brushed
by the strangers sleeve, thrust the deli
cacy into his hand, and Kissed, Eat it or
I will strangle you ~
"Willingly,'' said Roger Hale. ''Y our
sausage is excellent" The butcher growl-
ed; the crowd watched to see the foreigner
drop dead girl laughed; an old WON an
croaked, "He can eat it, but another
would die.''
The mirth changed to groans and cries {.
A chorus of female voices expressed de-
sire to have the skin of Roger Hale. Two
guards attempted to force their way to his
rescue. The artist flung tho sausage into
the butchers face, and with an agile
bound cleared the space behind the altar,
gained the corner and vaulted into car
riage. He was saved. The occupants of
the vehicle made way for him too much
astonished for words.
'sLord! That butcher nearly did for
me-"
"You speak English ?" demanded the
new conner. ''Have you met Roger Hale
at Naples ~
Rapid explanation ensued. John Leggat
has just arrived. The artist learned of
| his brothers. death. With contrition, he
confessed that he did not always read his
sisters letters quite through and seldom
responded. The two men actually forgot
their surroundings for the moment.
The king. accompanied by his brother,
was annroachinp the rovaJ n alaca the car