Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-04

taking their first sight OF Venice, having ar
rived but an hour before from Padua Having
mutual friends they had made acquaintance
with each other in a boarding house in Flor
ence. had come to Venice with party of tour
lists and had taken rooms in the same house on
the Riva deSli Schiavoni.
Mr. John Dennys was painter by profession,
and at twenty-eight years of age had already
budding reputation. Miss Frances Andrews
declared that she only painted to please her
self and should never dare to ask any one to
pay money for one of her pictures. Neverthe-
less, she studied as assiduously as though her
bread depended on her work. She was twenty
five years of age. and brighter man than Mr..
! Sparkler might have said that there was no nom
| sense about her.
| One might have observed that the woman's
| gaze was almost always directed upward. She
| looked at the outlines of the church and palace
| against the sky, at airy balconies which re-
| minded her OF those out OF which angels leaned
| IN some painted dome, at topmost windows as
| lovely and secluded as nests in a tree top. The
| man occupied himself rather with what was on
| his own level; carved door a dim. slantiuy
stair, leading between high walls to a piazza
bridge, lined under its dark arch with dancing
reflections.
Suddenly he called to the gondolier to stop.
| what is that on the water?" he asked, pointing
| 70 DIT OF FURNISHED color floating near them.
The gondoiier, by dexterous turn of the
oar, brought them alongside the object. bent
| quickly and snatched 1t out of the water in
passing. 1t was one Of the doves of st. Marks,
fuil grown. but not yet sure on the wing. 1t
| had probably attempted too long a fight, and,
falling, could only lie, with wings outspread on
the water, and wait for rescue. The gondolier
| gave it,, drenched and trembling into the
| painters hands.
| Dennys dried it, with his companions help,
and warmed 1t in his hands. The creature-its
| first fright over-crept beneath his coat and
| tried to hide itself urla ho
| it for moment on the little shelf made by the
boat frame 1t crept into the darkest corner
and hid its head. 1t seemed to be ashamed.
Poor little Colornbo.' said Dennys, taking
1t In his hands again and wrapping his coat
about it. You mustn't be SO easily cast down.
You have got to fail before you can succeed
That is the way with us poor bipeds without
feathers. Persevere your namesake and
countryman did, and you may yet fly around
the world" He bent, and laid his cheek for
an instant caressingly against the purple neck
and wings
II imagine" he said, speaking to his COM
panion. That winged creature which fails in
attempting to fly may consider itself disgraced.
Who knows but his companions hout him?
Who knows but they have told this little fellow
that he was Matched out of a hens egg, and so
dared him to flight beyond his powers.
Never you mind. my beauty" he added, bend
ing MS cheek to the dove again, Il will take
care of You"
The young man had forgotten sight seeing
Tor his pOetlcal treasure troye, and the yolng
woman had forgotten it, too, IN watching
him. The slender, supple form, the colorless,
hnely nodded face, the golden, tapering beard,
seen in that soft twilight of water and sculp-
tured stone made an attractive picture. The
PROV of the gondola rose behind him like the
neck Of violin. and-she thought-made him
seem set to music. "t hat a good heart he
has. she said to herself.
The thought uttered itself quite frankly in
Der mind; but just behind it some nebulous
creature of Consciousness that had not vet
taken form. trembled ant fed like q shadow,
leaving no trace-uuless faint deepening of
the rose color in the smooth cheeks might be
its imprint. The flying thing might later take
some such shape as: What fascinating lover
he would make,'
They came out into the Giudecca and sunset.
grea. steamship from Cairo doomed up before
them; a little omnibus steamer darted past them
IKE trimming bird; there were boats every
where, and gay splnshes of color where fish
ing vessel sailed by. or lay anchored. Sparkle,
iight, grace and meitlnSiy soft sounds made up
the world about them.
Miss Andrews sat with her hands casped in
her lap. glanciHg mutely now and then NJ her
companion for sympathy. Her temperament
fitted her TO live in an atmosphere OF exalted
feeling. Dennys effervesced occasionally
when he first came out of the bottle, as he
said-but had n way of settling into GOODNESS
someN hat unexpectedly.
ut isn't half bad for a wet place. he said in
answer to glance. And when she silently
pointed to vessel that sat motionless upon the
water. its dark hulk doubled and the rude red
and-yellow picture on its reflected sail strain
ing tremuiously downward toward neither
heaven, he said "Now. if we could only intro
duce sail painting among the American fishers,
we could just settle on the banks of Newfound-
land and paint pictures for the rest of our
lives
"Suppose we go home now," she said, as
they slid down past the custom house. Your
Saint Marks dove seems to have dampened
your enthusiasm as well as your coat. Besides,
we dine before Ave Maria-to cave lights prob
ably. ! cannot imagine any but hideous
reason for calling people in and setting them
down to eat just at that hoar when Dante
watched and sang the dying day.
Besides, must take care of my pet" Dem
nys said, after calling out "Casa" to the gon-
dolier. You don't seem to appreciate my
prize. Don't you know that no one is permit
ted either to catch or to kill one of these doves?
Do you imagine, madam, that it is one of those
profane creatures whose necks they wiring YOU
for a pigeon pie? Just wait till you see Us fly
ing! We will have a cage with the door forever
OPEN"
Happy cat!'' remarked the lady. dryly.
As they passed under the bridge to the water
door Of their boarding house a face appeared
In the drawing room window and looked down
at them, catching and fixing the painters
glance: 1t was small face. infantile. yet ripe,
with vivid crimson in the cheeks and pouilng
lips, large dark eyes of wonderful brilliancy
and q weight of loose black hair twisted into a
crown about the head.
ut is Catina, the naid.' Miss Andrews said.
II have already talked with her. She is niece
or our landlady. the Sor Rosa. Her mother is
Dead and her father is drunkard who
squanders all his money in drink and gambling
SO her aunt gives her home, and makes her
useful She is very pretty