The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-09-04
MOUNT HOLLY BURLINGTON COUNTY

best to have his wife's mother die, but
to his surprise Mr.. Mildmay did not
offer to pay the old lady's funeral ex
penses. He drew the line at mothers-in-
law, and Antonio received only his halt
holiday to accompany the corpse to the
cemetery. This miscarriage made An.
tonic think more than ever of that fail
ure to keep his promise to the Madonna
in the matter of the wax candles, and
he sometimes wondered if she were capa-
BILE of carrying her resentment SO far as
to take his Englishman from him.
There is gas in Venice, but the judi
cious householder does not use it, save
when he desires to enshroud his rooms
in twilight gloom. If he wishes a
light strong enough to read by, he burns
petroleum. 1t was, of course, Antonio
who supplied the petroleum to the Mild
may household, and equally, of course,
he bought the poorest quality and
charged for the dearest Now, in spite
of all the care which timid person
may lavish on a lamp burning cheap
petroleum it is nearly certain sooner OF
later to accomplish its mission of set
ting somebody or something on fire, and
Antonio's petroleum, which was rather
more explosive than gunpowder, unac-
countably spared the inmates of the casa
Mildmay until the month of March,
when it suddenly asserted itself.
It happened in this way: One even
ing Mrs Mildmay took lamp in her
hand and started to cross the wide and
slippery floor of her drawing room.
The rug on which she trod moved under
her, and in the effort to save herself she
dropped the lamp. 1t broke, and in an
instant she was in blaze.
Antonio was in the anteroom. TIL
door was open, and he saw the accident
He sprang to Mrs. Mildmay assistance
He did not attempt to avoid the flames,
but rushed directly through the pool of
blazing oil, burning his feet and ankles
horribly. He seized Mrs Mildmay and
tore away her dress with his bare hands
He had nothing to wrap around her, for
he was wearing no coat at the time, but
he clasped her close in his arms and
smothered the flames that had caught
her petticoat by pressing her agains+
his bosom. She escaped with nothing
worse than slightly burned finger, but
Antonio's hands, arms, feet and ankles
were burned to the bone. By this tire
Mr.. Mildmay, who had been in his
study, heard his wife calling for help
and made his appearance.
Antonio asked the parona's permits
sion to sit down for moment and then
tainted away. The cook was called and
sent for the doctor. She met Antonio's
brother in the Gale, close to the house,
and sent him up stairs. With his help
Antonio was carried to Mrs. Mildmay's
bedroom and laid on the bed. and be-
fore the doctor came the wounded man
regained consciousness and thanked the
Mildmays for their care of him.
The doctor, after dressing the wounds,
said that the man might very probably
recover, bat Antonio announced that he
was about to die, on hearing which de-
cision the doctor changed his mind.
"When a Venetian of the lower class
gives up and says he is going to die, "
said the doctor, mo medical science
can save him Your man will die be-
fore morning if he has really lost all
hope. There, he says he wants priest
You might as well order his coffin at
once 1 can do nothing to save him. "
"Paron, said Antonio presently,
''would you, in your great goodness,
peanit my wife to come to see me for
the last timer
"You shall have anything you want,
my brave fellow, replied Mr.. Mild
may, ''but 1 thought your wife was
dead. "
II was mistaken about it, J" said An
tonic. 1T was her twin sister who
died, and they were so much alike that
their own mother could not tell them
apart. No; my poor wife is still alive.
May she bring my little boy with her?''
''Tell her to bring anybody you may
want to see, replied his master, 'but
l certainly thought your little boy was
buried last January.
1.-The paron is mistaken, if he will
pardon me for saying so. 1t was my
little girl who died. Was it not SO,
Spiro?"
Spiro confirmed Antonio's statement,
like loyal brother who is afraid of no
fraternal lie, and Mr.. Mildmay had not
the heart to trouble the sufferer with
any more doubts Of his veracity.
Antonio was duly confessed and re-
ceived absolution. did you tell the
father about the candles?" whispered
Spiro after the priest had gone.
81 thought, - answered Antonio,
"that perhaps the Madonna had not yet
noticed that they were not wax, and
that it would not be wise to tell her of
it just as one is going where she is. "
In the early morning Antonio died
with the smile of an innocent little
child on his face. II have served the
dear paron faithfully, he said just as
he died. 81 know he will take care of
my wife and child, and he will take
Spiro as his gondolier. "
Mr.. Mildmay religiously carried out
Antonio's dying request. He installed
Spiro in the place Of the dead man, and
he settled am annuity ON Zanze, the dis
consulate widow. He gave Antonio a
grave all to himself in San Michele and
beautiful white marble tombstone,
with the epitaph, Brave, Faithful and
Honest. He came to know somewhat
later how Antonio had enriched himself
at his expense, but he said to his wife:
After all, my dear, Antonio was
strictly honest according to his own
code. / think have known some Eng
lishmen of unblemished reputation
whose honesty, according to the English
code, could not be compared with that
of the poor boy who gave his life for
yours. w. L. Alden i'll Strand.