The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-17
ANTONIO.

Antonio was young, handsome and a
gondolier. He lacked but two things
q gondola Of his own and an English
man. He was too poor to buy q gon-
dola, and though he occasionally hired
am old and extremely dilapidated one
and trusted to his handsome face to en-
able him to capture a party of foreign
ladies his profits had to be divided with
the owner of the gondola, and thus were
painfully small. The traghetto brought
htm in a few francs per month, and he
picked up other small sums by serving
az second oar whenever tourists could
bs convinced that q second oar was nec-
essary. 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 il il were
only for a single year, Antonio could
easily save enough money to buy him
self o beautiful gondola, besides living
in the lap of luxury. His brother Spiro
had owned an Englishman for only ~
months, and already he was q capital
list, with his W gondola, and-dgure
it to yourself-with 400 francs In the
savings bankl And Spiro had done
nothing to deserve this blessing, for he
was VIGOROUSLY an unbeliever and new
or went inside q 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 bnona
mano, whereas Antonio was deeply
religious and at least once o year gave
q var candle to the blessed Virgin Of
Santa Maria Zobenigo. But p~atience!'
said Antonio daily to himself. ssSome
day the Madonna will grow weary and
will say, Give that Antonio an Eng
lishman, so that ! can have d little
peace and quiet And then the Eng
lishman will appear, and Antonio's for
tune will be made"
OF course Antonio knew of every for
eigner who came to Venice with the In
tention Of making a long stay. There
is no detective police in the world that
can be compared with the Venetian gon-
dolier i'm learning the ways and purposes
Of tourists. To know all about the for
eigner is at once his business and his
capital The Englishman who comes e
Venice and determines to spend SIX
months or o year in that enchanted city
may reach this decision on q 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 be
will probably hire. How they arrive al
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
ten and of the three.
Now, it fell ont that one day Antonio
learned that an Englishman and his
wife, a young couple, who had every
appearance of sweet temper and scant
knowledge of the world, had arrived 81
the Albergo Luna and had told the por.
ter that they intended to take a house
and live forever in Venice. The portel
was an intimate friend Of Antonio and
had been promised a handsome commis'
sion to amy foreigner whom he might
place i'm Antonio's hands. Within an
hour after receiving the precious infor-
nation Antonio had put on his besl
shirt, had said 10 aves at lightning
speed, had promised the blessed Virgin
two half pound wax candles i'm Ease ht
should land this desirable Eng1ishmar
and was back again at the Luna and
waiting to waylay his prey.
The porter presented Antonio and as
serted that, as q combination OF profes
sional skill and moral beauty, Antonio
was simply unique. Mr.. Mildmay, thu
Englishman in question, was pleased
with Antonio's clean shirt, and Mrs
Mildmay was captivated by his chest
nut curls and the frank, innocent ex
preston Of the young fellows face. III
was hired ON the spot, with the new
gondola which he professed to own, f0l
$50 francs per month, including hi
board. He was to bring his gondola and
his recommendations to the hotel to b
inspected that afternoon and was to be
gin his duties on the following day, Chi
Mildmays having already secured ii
apartment in advance of their arriva
in Venice.
The long hoped for fortune had ar
rived at last He is q man Of excellen
heart, the paron, said Antonio to til
porter. HE will be as wax In my hands
Already I love him and the sweet pa
roma You shall have your share Of him
my Zuane. No N d say that ] an
not a just man..
Antonio hurried at once from Iii
hotel with d note from the porter TO
dealer In gondolas, certifying that thl
bearer had secured q most eligible Eng
lishman. He had to pay . heavy pric
for the hire by the month Of a nearl,
new gondcla. but the payments were d
form part Of the purchase money. IN.
Antonio did not grudgs the price. The,