The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-08-29
SELECTED STORY,
A Story Of Venice.

q gondola of his own and an English
man. He was too poor to buy gon-
dola, and though he occasionally hired
m old and extremely dilapidated one
and trusted to his handsome face to en-
able him to capture party of foreign
ladies his profits had to be divided with
the owner of the gondola, and thus were
painfully small. The traghetto brought
him in few francs per month, and b
picked up other small sums by serving
as second oar whenever tourists could
be convinced that second oar was nee
sssary. Still, Antonio was desperately
poor, and he and his young wife were
often uncomfortably hungry.
Now, if the Madonna would only send
him an Englishman, even if it were
only for a single year, Antonio could
easily save enough money to buy him
self a beautiful gondola, besides living
In the lap of luxury. His brother Spiro
had owned an Englishman for only Z d
months, and already he was capital
3st, with his own gondola, and-fgure
u to yourself--with 400 francs in the
savings bank And Spiro had done
nothing to deserve this blessing, for he
was VIGOROUSLY an unbeliever and new
u went inside church except when he
was escorting English ladies, when, of
course he prayed with fervor at the
most conspicuous shrine, which was
worth at least 10 extra soldi of buona
mano, whereas Antonio was deeply
xsligious and at least once year gave
. wax candle to the blessed Virgin of
Santa Maria Zobenigo but patienceP
Ssaid Antonio daily to himself. "Some
day the Madonna will grow weary aQd
will say, Give that Antonio an EnA-
Gshman, so that 1 can have little
peace and quiet. And then the Eng
Ashman will appear, and Antonio's for
tune will be made. "
OF course Antonio knew Of every for
signer who came to Venice with the in
tention Of making a long stay. There
Il no detective police in the world that
oan be compared with the Venetian gon-
aolier in learning the ways and purposes
Of tourists To know all about the for
edgner is at once his business and his
capital The Englishman who comes to
Venice and determines to spend six
months or year in that enchanted city
may reach this decision ON Saturday
night and mention it to no living soul
Yet by the following Monday morning
all the gondoliers in Venice know that
there is an Englishman to be striven
for. and they have even settled in their
own minds precisely what apartment he
will probably hire. How they arrive at
this knowledge it is not for me to say.
There are mysteries in the Venice Of to-
day, as there were in the Venice of the
tsn and of the three.
Now, it fell out that one day Antonio
learned that an Englishman and his
wife, young couple, who had every
appearance Of sweet temper and scant
knowledge Of the world, had arrived at
the Albergo Luna and had told the por
tsr that they intended to take house
and live forever in Venice. The porter
was an intimate friend of Antonio and
had been promised handsome commits
don to any foreigner whom he might
place in Antonio's hands. Within an
hour after receiving the precious infor
nation Antonio had put on his best
shirt, had said 10 ayes at lightning
speed, had promised the blessed Virgin
Two half pound wax candles in case he
should land this desirable Englishman
and was back again at the Luna and
waiting to waylay his prey.
The porter presented Antonio and as
sorted that, as a combination Of profess
donal skill and moral beauty, Anton;
was simply unique. Mr.. Mildmay. the
Englishman in question, was pleased
With Antonio's clean shirt, and Mrs
Aildmay was captivated by his chest
nut ourls and the frank, innocent ex-
pression Of the young fellows face. He
was hired on the spot, with the new
gondola which he professed to own, for
400 francs per month, including his
board He was to bring his gondola and
bis recommendations to the hotel to be
inspected that afternoon and was to be-
gin his duties on the following day, the
kildmays having already secured an
APARTMENT In advance of their arrival
IN Venice.
The long hoped for fortune had ar.
Owed at last. He is man of excellent
heart the paron, said Antonio to the
porter. He will be as wax in my hands.
Already love him and the sweet pa
roma You shall have your share Of him,
my Zuane. No one can say that all
bot q just man."
Antonio hurried at once from the
hotel with note from the porter to {
iAealer in gondolas, certifying that tn,
bearer had secured most eligible Eng
tshman. He had to pay heavy pric,
bur the hire by the month Of nearly
Iasw gondola. but the payments were t.
form part Of the purchase money, ant
Antonio did not grudge the price Ther
10 stopped at his house to show the new
gondola to his wife and tell her the
blessed news, and then, armed with his
baptismal certificate and an old letter
from notary informing him that the
funeral expenses of his father must be
paid or serious consequences would fol
low, he returned to the hotel.
The Mildmays were satisfied with tn,
gondola and with Antonio's recommen
ARtions, for they could not read Italian
handwriting, and when Antonio in
Formed them that the notary's lettel
Suaa 81 certi fcata that ha was the mos