Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-08-29

serviv
the plow. I have always imagined
that the first quarrel-the Cain and
Abel affair-must have occurred
through some difference Of caste as
well as jealousy; for instance; per-
haps Abel was a negro and Cain a
white men, or vice versa; which would
account for the antipathy existing be
tween the races TO this day"
The Duke di Marina coughed a state
" cough, and shrugged his shoulders.
THAT first quarrel" he said, "as re-
lated in the Bible, was exceedingly
vulgar. 1t must have been a kind Of
prize fight &c n'etait pas fin."
Gualdro laughed delighedly.
80 like you, Marina!" he exclaimed,
sfto say that l sympathize with your
sentiments! Fancy the butcher Abel
piling up his reeking ~carcasses and
setting them on fire, while on the 9TH
er side stood Cain the green grocer
frizzlng his cabbages, turnips, carrots
and either vegetable matter! What a
spectacle, The gods of Olympus would
have sickened at it! However. the
Jewish deity, or rather, the we'll fed
priest who represented him, showed
his good taste in the matter; l myself
prefer the smell OF roast meat 70 the
rather disagreeaDie odor Of ~scorching
vegetables"
We laughed. and at that moment the
door was thrown open, and the head
waiter announced in solemn tones be-
fitting his dignity:
lie diner de Monsieur lie Comte est
seryir'
/ at once led the way TO the banquet
ing room. Ny guests followed gaily,
talking and testing among themselves.
They were all in high good humor,
none of them had as yet noticed the
fatal blank caused by the absence of
the brothers Respeti. / had-for the
number Of my guests was now thirteen
instead Of fifteen. Thirteen at table!
I wondered If any of the company
were superstitious. Ferrari was not,
l knew, unless his nerves had been
latterly shaken by witnessing the
death of his uncle. AT any rate / re-
solved to a nothing that should at
tract the attention of my guests to the
ilomened circumstances; IL any one
should notice it, ii would be easy to
make light of 1t and of all similar SUI
perstftions. myself was the one
most affected by II; 1t had for me a
curious and fatal significance. l was
so occupied with the consideration r.
4. that scarcely attended TO the wn.
addressed 10 me by the Duke di a&
rina. who, walking beside me-, seemed
disposed to with more famil-
iarity than was his usual custom. We
reached the door of the dining oom
which at our approach was thrown
wide open, and delicious strains
of music met our ears as we
entered. Low murmur OF astonish-
ment and admiration broke from all
the gentlemen as they viewed the
sumptueus scene before them. / pre-
tended not TO hear their ~eulogies, as l
took my seat at the head of the table.
with Guido Ferrari on my right hand
and the Duke di Marina on my left.
The music sounded louder and more
triumphant. and while all the compa-
nv were seating themselves In the
places assigned to them, a choir of
young. fresh voices broke forth into n
Neapolitan ''madrigale"-which. so far
as l can translate it ran as follows:
Welcome the festal hour.
Pour the red wine into cups of gold!
Health 10 the a;cn who are strong and
bold!
Welcom- the festal hour,
Waken the ecitoes with rlotous mirth-
Case to remember the sorrows of
earth
In the jc,s OF the festal hour.
Wine is the monarch OF laughter and
light.
Death himself shall he merry to-
night!
Hail 10 the festal bourr"
An enthusiastic clapping OF hands
rewarded this effort on the part OF the
unseen vocalists. and, the music hav-
ing ceased, conversation became gen.
eral.
by Heayenr exclaimed Ferrari,