Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-15


 variety of errand- Antonio was tireless, respectful and cheerful, and the Mild mays agreed that he was an ideal serv- ant. Of course they responded to his suggestion that he needed livery, and he was soon furnished at their expense with q handsome suit of heavy blue cloth, picturesque hat, . silk sash and an overcoat. He looked very handsome in his new dress, and the difference be- tween what he paid the tailor and what he charged his master provided his wife and his little boy with their entire wardrobe for the coming winter.
 Venice is q cold city after the winter fogs begin, and when Antonio advised the Mildmays to lay in their entire stock of firewood in September instead of waiting until the price should be higher they said to one another what a comfort it was to have servant who really looked after their interests. So Antonio was commissioned to buy the wood, and he bought it. He made n hand some commission on the transaction, and in addition he had about one- fifth of the whole amount of wood de- livered at his own residence. It is true that this was not quite enough to pro- vide him fuel for the entire winter, but the deficiency could easily be remedied by simply carrying home three or four sticks under his coat every night, and Antonio was not q man who shrank from any honest labor when the good of his family was in view.
 About 10 days after tho arrival of his Englishman Antonio informed him that the gondola needed to go to the squero to have its bottom cleaned, at a cost of 10 francs. This, however, he insisted upon paying out of his own pocket, be- cause the foulncss of the bottom had been incurred before he entered Mir. Mildmay's service. This scrupulous dis play of honesty still further convinced the Englishman that he had the pearl of gondoliCrs, and when the next day Antonio asked him to give him as . loan, to be deducted from his future wages, 50 francs, whercwith to make certain essential but wholly unintelligi- blc repairs to the gondola, Mir. Mild may was of his wife's opinion that it would be shame to require the poor ! man ever to repay it.
 The first thing that shook tho Mild mays confidence in Antonio was lit tie incident i'll connection with a chick | en. They had had pair of roast fowls for dinner and had eaten only one, in | tending to have the other served cold for luncheon the next day. When latc | in the evening Mrs. Mildmay acciden- | tally discovered Antonio ill the act of going out of the house with the cold fowl stuffed undcr his coat, she demand | ed an explanation. Ut is true, parona, |" said Antonio, that took the fowl. And why? Because all the evening 1 had seen you and the paron sitting to- gether iE such love and happiness that | my heart blcd for poor Antonio, who has no happy fireside at which to sit. And so I said to myself: Antonio, sure | ly you deserve a little happiness as well ] as these good and noble peoplel Take the cold fowl and cat it with love and gratitude in your heart!
 Mrs. Mildmay could not scold him aft CT this defense, and she simply contented herself with telling him that he might l keep the fowl for this time, but that such n method of equalizing the benefits of fortune must not occur again. An tonic promised both her and himself that it should not, and though he con tinucd to keep his wife's table fully supplied from that of the Mildmays the latter never again found him in posses sion of surreptitious chickens.
 One day Antonio found goldpiece ] 20 francs, in fact-on the floor of his gondola. He knew it must have been dropped by the paron, and he promptly brought it to him. How wrong was - said Mrs. Aiildmay. ito doubt the poor fellow because of that affair of the | chicken! No one would ever have been the wiser if he had kept that 20 franc l piece, but he brought it to us like an honest man." For once she was right in believing Antonio to be honest. Nothing could have induced him to sul- ly his soul and hands by unlawfully de taining his masters money. He was determined to make all the money out of his providcntial EnGlishman that he could make in ways that every gondo- Tier knows to be perfectly legitimate, but he was no thief. and Mir. Mildmay could fearlessly have trusted him with all the money in his purse.
 Antonio was now one of the happiest men in Venice, but one morning he came to MT. Mildmay with face of pathetic sadness and asked for n day $ holiday. "It is not for pleasure that ask it." he said. My only pleasure is to serve the best of masters. But my little boy is dead and is to be buried to. day I should like to go with the coffin to San Michele"
 Mir. Mildmay was unspcakably touch ed by the mans sorrow and the quie heroism with which he bore it. He gav' him the days holiday and 50 francs to ward the funeral expenses of his child When Antonio appeared in the morn ing. quiet, sad. but scrupulously anX j ious to do his whole duty. the Mildmay felt that they really loved the silent ant stricken man.
 Misfortune seemed suddenly to hay
 run amuck at Antonio. A week afte
 the death of his child he announced il
 his usual quiet way that his wife wa
 dead. It was very sudden, so he said
 He did not know exactly what was tn
 disease. but he thought it was rheuma
 tism. The Mildmays thought it strang
 that rheumatism should have carrie
 of woman only 22 years old, bu
 strange things happen in Venice, an
 the climate is unquestionably damp
 Antonio asked for Q half holiday to al
 tend the funeral, and he added that un
 less the paron could advance him 20
 francs of his wages he should be unabl
 to save his wife from being buried i
 the common ditch. Of course this coul
 never be permitted, and Antonio rt
 ceived the 200 francs, and Mrs. Mild
 may told her husband that if he shoul
 think of deducting it from the unhapp mans wages she could never respec
 him again.
 For a time the darts of death spare Y the household Antonio The Rondol