Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-10-25
THE GENTLEMAN OF The CATS.

to continue my musical studies after con-
pIeting . long course of lessons ct Paris.
Having engaged my mastero and made ar
rangements for furthenng my professional
interests. I installed myself in lodgings
in a part of Naples little frequented BY
foreigners.
Nv abode was on the top aOOr Of large
old palace, very much gone to decay snd
filed With that strange quality OF human
ity which, in Italy, hangs about buildings
longer in their prime, like living mould.
This palace stood on . narrow dark street
on a hillside from which slsntiDg stone
staircase of about one hundred grass.groWn
stsps led down into the Via Toledo.
/ occupied three rooms out OF the SIX
Of which the apartment consisted. One
vas 3 bedroom, furnished with 9 singu'
lar ningiing of the splendOr of the ltal'
ian past and the miserable domestic ar
rangemeuis Of the Italian present. The
second was large hall, freseOed with d.
lapidated eupids and goddssses. This was
nv music room and salon. The third room,
smaller than the others occupied the cor
ner Of the house toward the Via Toledo.
fitted it up to serve Is boudoir and din
ing room, and here / endeavored to sur
round myself with as many harmOninns
Influences as possible in tbs way OF OirdR
flowers and She vavioas small tangible
amenities Of life which, even today, must
be brought from seross the Alps by the In
dividusl traveller.
This room possessed apparently only two
windows. Both were 90 The front OF the
palazzo, looking down into the narrow hill
street. I felt that my domestic happiness
would not be complete until my room had
another window. IPsr icalArly wished for
one on the side of the Yis Toledo, that
might enjoy the view over Ibe town. Once
as sat turning the matter over IN my
mind, ths thovgat cane TO ms that the
room might have Owned Other windows
which had been walled Up.
At that moment my psdrons d case,
ons Gigis Lampsrti, entered bringing my
noon breakfast. / earelesaly inquired #
abe we're sure that the little dining room
had never possessed another window. 1t
must De said that the room was hung on
three sides with faded tspestry, tightly nail
ed 70 the walls. =,
Nv padroaR was 81 astute woman. she
also epioyed the advantage OF an acquired
shrswdness, obtained by q long residence
in the capacity Of chsmbermsid IN one Ct
the hotels on the CaiajS There was some
thing realistically OYbias about her. Her
blaek syes had Tatchfulnes', probably
the result Of prolonged keybals inyesngA-
tion, which was dramatically eh=e her
ready smile expressed profound eonsPic-
uousness of large experience Of Life and a
philosophic acceptance OF al human coz
conditions.
"Are you sure there hsS never been any
other Eindoz in this roony' / asked seVe'
raj times So ate ny b aStRst
Never, s2ao-iGa mIa, was tue reiter-
ated reply. Each tine the words were at
tered with lees ssSlrnNss and P'o1Ptnsss,
and finally 9 tinge Of I'D sppsased on my
padrona's cheek. hsi caught her N the
act Of telling bugiA-
She saw by my lonss tsst had found
her out. She suddenly became confused,
and at last she remarked usiSely: After
All siVnorira / nav AS Sell tell you the
truth. Yoa are young lady Of 80 much
iudgment thst yo1 all rot 5larn7 me- on
are not like mcsF Uf the fJ's'gorrs They
are afraid OF everything, iro to- malaria
TO the beggars E1banR. sIgCOrius, when
/ took this apartment .ogcd IN this room
q window on the aide Of the VA Toledo,
but had it boarded up, because l knew
that if allowed it to remain / could never
let the room to any foreigner, and the for.
eigusrs, lei sa, psy the beat.
"And Why could you not let itY' | asked.
because, signorina," was the reply, &C.
companied BY the expressive gesture down
below, there in the next palazzo, hives the
Gentleman of the Cats.
"Who is the Gentleman Of the CstsT l
inquired.
aHe 4 q rich man, 9 noble, 3 grand sig-
core, but, 8 pazzo he Is mad" Gigis
tapped her forehead Significantly. "He lives
ali alone with his cats. If hsd let the
window remain, not foreigner in al Ma
ples would have occupied this room, be-
cause they would have thought that the
nAlazzo wonder was Al asylum tor the mad.
Bat YOU, signorina, who have so much
ssnaa II Won wish the window open-and
are not afraid
IF there were forty luratc ssylums in
ths ualazzo would still have the window
open," maintained stoutly.