Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-12-07

Il is Just half a century since L closed
:hs ewes Of my good father-the best
u comrades, the fo1dest of husbands,
The most honest Venetian of his time.
All, If Won had known my father, You
would have knoWledged him the har-
iiast, boldest fellow in the Republic,
the CIeverest mandohn-player, the best
singer Of Iassu, the slnartest gondolier
whose OATS ever lashed to foam the
waters Of the Canalazzo. All this must
be my excuse for rescuing from the
oblivion Of the feeting years the frag-
nzut Of his life / now relate.
My father felt his end approaching.
With closed eyes he lay on a couch
stuffed with maize-straw, a rosary in
ais wrinkled hands, and his pale lips
moving in silent prayer. A death like
Itillness file the room, broken only
D7 the sobs Of wife and children. The
rays Of the evening sun burst through
lie vine-espalier that grew round our
home; and over the face of the dying
passed now patches of rosy light, and
lOw the shadows Of the broad leaves
Presently he opened the large, black,
le5ply-sunken eyes once more, looked
slowly round asif to make sure that we
we're all there and then began wearily
and with difficulty to speak.
For years, now" he said, "I have
been waiting to make you the co Fl
dauts of a strange, almost incredible
5vent which happened to me III my
youth. Iput 1t off from day to day,
Tor one reason or another-but l put
Il Of too long. Now, | know not
whether the time that is left to me SUI.
does for the telling of this long guarded
secret Listen, however-but first
swear on this dying hand that no word
Of the secret shall pass your lips till
nifty years have gone The heir of q
great and powerful family has been
involved ia the destiny of so humble q
uan as myself-and the Tribunal OF
the luqulsltlon was compelled to inter
vene, An ungu srded word may ex-
pose you to the vengeance of an un-
disciplined and powerful nobility, or
to the severity Of the legal authorities.
Swear therefore, a silence of fifty
yearsP'
We CDeyed the last command of our
father; We laid our hands III his, and
pronounced the binding oath. We
have kept it fslthfully-my mother and
sisters till their death; 1, the last sur
Tiving, till the period assigned has ex.
pired, and the time arrived when
have to fear neither the vengeance OF
the mobiles or the tyranny of the Coun-
Gil of Ten; but to the point.
1T was at three O'Clock on a sultry
summer afternoon"-be began my father
that l sat myself down at the base
Of the grsLite pillar which supports
the sanity Teodoro, and stretched my
lazy limbs on the stons slabs below it
l fell to counting, with sleepy eyes,
the pillars of the Doge's Palace, up and
down, then down and up; miscounted
them, and tried again-feeling my eye
lids becoming heavier with each mum
ber told. The footsteps of the guard
holding watch under the colonnade
fell ever duller and fainter on my ears.
Now and then one of the pigeons from
the Palace of St Mark whirred past
over my head, Fastening to seek refuge
from the glowing heat under the eaves
Of the church. 1t was SO still, that
could hear the little wavelets as they
broke against the bows of the Condo
las. All the world was having its
siests, and l was in q good way to fol
low suit, when the shout, Hill An
tonsllo, up therel A leagues row on
the canal startled me out of my doze,
The shout proceeded from Count
Orazio Memmo-the most smisble
good for nothing IN all Venice. Three
and-twenty years old, tall and slim, q
well-cut pale face, with the black
est and most brilliant eyes in the
world; as clever as daring, as rich as
generous, bold gamester, passion
ate worshipper of women-such was
my patron.
'sMistrustful OF the gondoliers of his
uncle, the Councillor, in whom, not
without ground, he suspected spies on
his goings and comings, the young gal
liant needed on his adventures quick
witted, fearless fellow, a silent, per
fectly reliable assistant-and in mo he
had found his man. All, when L think
of those old wild times, those brilliant
Carnivals, those nightly revelries and
serenades, those mysterious rendeZ-
yous IN the gardens of the Giudeccal
Fathers and lovers cursed Orazio
Memmo worse than the Grand Turk,
and many a handful of silver coin has
poured into my cup when my swift
gondola has distanced the enraged pur'
L
lover, undiscovered, on the marble
steps of the Casa Memmo.
"Quick as thought did L spring to
my legs at the sound of the well-knowr
voice, then loosed the chain from the
stake, and when his Excellency hac
seated himself on the luxurious oush
ions, pushed off vigorously from the
land.
The boat may have been gliding
CoatIy over the water for about half
hour. Inaudibly fell the oar into the
green waves-but there was no hurry
and my patron bad no aim but t(
cream away an hour in dolce taI
Rte1ate. Presently, however, foreign
gondola rushed up with hasty strokei
Of the oars bohind US. and then sho
qnickIy past. The deck was covered
with silver car pct streaked in red
and tho heavy silk tassels that hung
from tho gupwales tra'led along the
surface of the water. The two row.
ers we're clothed III a rich stuff
Of the same design. In front Of
the cabin sat on brocaded cush
ion Moorish boy, with broad golden
neck band, a dagger hanging from
glittering chains by his side, and
balancing on his fist shrill, rainbow
colored psrrot The Venetian blinds were
drawn up on both sides, and the eye
could penetrate into the interior OF the
boat Os she few past.
"On the cushions recliped div1nely
oSS9ttul woman. A cioseiy-htting,
sSSd-sHabroidered over-garment sn'