The herald., 1894-09-09

dations, for. they could not read Italian
handwriting, and when Antonio jim
formed them that the notary's letter
was certificate that he was the most
honest man in Venice, and that it had
been given him by q German prince
whom he had served 10 years, they
were not in q position to contradict the
assertion. Moreover, they were already
hSSg in love with the handsome and
happy face of their gondolier and would
have taken him without any recommen-
dation at all sooner than have taken an
old and ulgy gondolier with the recon-
mendation of the British consul and the
resident chaplain. The next day An
tonic entered upon his duties and began
tho joyous task of making hay while
the sun Of the Englishman shone on
him.
The gopdolier in private service in
Venice does many things wholly uncon-
nected with his boat. He usually waits
ON his masters table, he polishes the
concrete floors, and he is sent ON every
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 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 a cold CITY after the winter
fogs begin, and when Antonio advised
the Mildmays to lay in theirentire 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 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. 1t is true
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 a man who shrank
from any honest labor when the good
of his family was in view.
About 10 days after the 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 foulness of the bottom had
been incurred before he entered Mr..
Mildmay 8 service. This scrupulous dis
play of honesty still further convinced
the Englishman that ne had the pearl
of gondoliers, and when the next day
Antonio asked him to give him as
loan, to be deducted from his future
wages, so francs, wherewith to make
certain essential but wholly unintelligi-
BILE repairs to the gondola, Mr.. Mild
may was of his wife's opinion that it
would be a shame to require the poor
man ever to repay it.
The first thing that shook the Mild
mays confidence in Antonio was lit
tie incident in connection with a chick
EN-. They had had q 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 late
in the evening Mrs. Mildmay acciden-
tally discovered Antonio in the act of
going out of the house with the cold
fowl stuffed under his coat, she demand
ed an explanation. 'Tt is true, parona,"
And why? Because all the evening
had seen you and the paron sitting to-
gether in such love and happiness that
my heart bled for poor Antonio, who
has no happy fireside at which to sit.
And SO said to myself: Antonio sure
ly you deserve little happiness as we'll
as these good and noble people! Take
the cold fowl and eat it with love and
gratitude in your hearth J"
Mrs Mildmay could not scold him aft
er this defense, and she simply contented
herself with telling him that he might
keep the fowl for this time, but that
such a 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-
tinued 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
30 francs, in faction the floor of his
gondola. He knew it must have been
| dropped by the paron, and he promptly
brought it to hin. GLOW wrong 1 was, "
said Mrs. MilGlnay, ''to doubt the poor
fellow because OF that affair Of the
chickenl No one would ever have been
the wiser if he had kept that 20 franc
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 sui
IL his soul and hands by unlawfully de-
tanning his masters money. He was
determined to make all the money out
of his providential Englishman that he
could make in ways that every Condo
lier knows to be perfectly legitimate,
but he was no thief, and Mr. Mildmay
could fearlessly have trusted him with
all the money in his purse.
Antonio WINS now one of the manifest