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

he stopped ut his house to show the 8
gondola to his wife and tell her the
blessed news. and then, armed with his
baptisrnal certificate and an old letter
from q 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 MiIdmays were satisfied with the
gondola and with Antonio's recommen-
dations, for they could not read Italian
handwriting, and when Antonio in
formed them that the notary's letter
was q certificate that he was the most
honest man in Venice, and that il had
been given him by a German prince
whom he had served 10 years, they
were not i'm q position TO contradict the
assertion. Moreover, they were already
half 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
the Joyous task OF making hay while
the sun OF the Englishman shone on
him.
The gondolier 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 q livery, and
he was soon furnished mt their expense
with q handsome suit OF heavy blue
cloth, q picturesque hat, a 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 il a cold city after the winter
fogs begin, and when Antonio advised
the Mildmays to lay in their entire stock
Of irewood in September instead of
waiting until the price should be higher
they said TO one another what q comfort
it was to have q servant who really
looked after their interests. So Antonio
was commissioned to buy the wood,
and he bought it He made q 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. &c 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 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 10 go to the squero
to have it's bottom cleaned. nc a cost OF
10 francs. This, however, he insisted
upon paying ont Of his own pocket, be-
cause the foulness of the bottom had
been incurred before he entered Mr..
Mildmay' d service. This scrupulous dis
play Of honesty still further convinced
the E~nglishman that he had the pearl
Of gondoliers, and when the next day
Antonio asked him to give him as q
loan, to be deducted from his future
wages, so francs, wherewith 10 make
certain essential but wholly unintelligi-
BILE repairs to the gondola, Mr.. Mild
may was of his wife's opinion that ii
would be . shame to require the poor
man ever TO repay lie.
The first thing that shook the Mild
mays confidence in Antonio was a lit
tie incident in connection with q 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. 1T is true, parona, =
said Antonio, that / took the fowl.
And why? Because all the evening ]
had seen you and the paron sitting TO.
gether in such love and happiness thai
my heart b1ed for poor Antonio, whe
has no happy Preside at which to sit.
And so / said TO myself: Antonio, sure.
" you deserve q little happiness as well
as these good and noble peoplel Take
the cold fowl and eat it with love and
gratitude in your heart
Mrs. Mildmay could not scold him aft.
er this defense, and she simply contente6
herself with telling him that he might
keep the fowl for this time, but that
such q method of equalizing the benefits
OF fortune must not occur again. An
tonic promised both her and himself
that 1t should not, and though he con
tinued 20 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 q goldpiece
30 francs, in fact--on the floor of hi
gondola. He knew it must have beer
dropped by the paron, and he promptly
brought it to him. How wrong / was, :
Gaid Mrs. Mildmay, ito doubt the poo
fellow because of that affair Of th,