The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-01-23

dark arch OF THE hlaIUu was pusseu tnu
the lovely palaces on the upper stretch
brought no sign from her mute face,
Zeirino was little angry. He stopped
rowing, leaned forward, and inquired
Commando"
No. that did not work, either The
head in perfect bonnet bent gracious
ly, and one gloved hand was raised with
as much ease as Queen Margherita her
self might have displayed. Zefirino
| seized his oars and set to wondering how
he could make her say even a word.
Perhaps she knew as little Italian as he
did English. What was his surprise,
then, to hear her call out to stop as they
! neared broad boat full of vegetables
and fruit which was being slowly poled
along, and in very slowly spoken but
not impossible Italian negotiate for
some oranges and pomegranates. 1t was
out Of all order so to do. Bread and wa
ter for a week would have been the por-
ton of signOrina Of one of the real old
families who dared to do such thing.
And then the sweet lips uttered "Zefri.
no, " and the little hand held out of the
felse window couple Of oranges to the
gondolier
He ran forward few steps and knelt
on one knee to receive them, muttering
TO himself blessings by all the saints,
but was too agitated to say much. Such
a glance as she gave him-such a mis-
chievous, bewildering glance AS if she
Eaw right through his body and knew
that his heart was humping. The rest
of the giro, through canals great and
small, back to the hotel was as much a
dream as that ON which his hopes were
built. He, hardly came to himself until
he was lying ON his back ON the quay,
trying to think it all over,
The signorina, bless her little gIa-
cious head, with the prettiest bad ac-
cent in the world, had ordered Zefirino
to wait her pleasure that evening Just
before mounrise, so that she might be
taken on to the lagoon opposite the
Piazza, near San Giorgio, and see the
double effect Of the light ON the square
and the moon ON the wave. True to the
instant, as the boat touched the steps
the white lady appeared. Would she
have gone had she known what madness
was boiling in the young gondolierf As
the first hint of the moon tipped the
horizon her voice came quietly, but not
to be gainsaid, Sing ZetirinoW The
poor boy was very nightingale that
night, with his breast against the thorn
of love. As he continued it seemed al
absurd and hopeless as possible that ht
should ever win the woman before him.
Therefore il was that his melancholy
became wonderfully mingled with tri
umph, and that when he could sing nC
more, the lady was interested enough il
the singer to ask him something about
himself.
She did not understand all he said
but the dream, the way she mixed up in
it, struck her fancy immensely, and
perhaps alarmed her little to boot.
Feeling thus, she wrote down, with
out thinking, numbers on the edge of the
boat and gazed at them in the brilliant
moonlight Strangel She was Just 1s,
and two Of the other numbers were just
the ages Of the two persons who stood
nearest to her in life 1t was a shock.
Perhaps there was something in it.
"Zefirino, buy 2 and IS and 49,"
The white lady was reused from the
delicious reverie in which moonlight in
Venice sleeps one. Boats came down
the canal in a knot, from which rose
the twanging of guitars and formed q
background for two cries. One wai
"Zefrino," the other LA donna
blanca. That was what Zefrino haG
called her, and she had been amused
thereat. But the boats stopped at the
hotel, and before the porters could hold
them in parley, the jewellers had pick
ed Zefrino up and carried him bodily
on to the terrace 10 render thanks to the
white lady, who had counseled him SC
well. For poor Zefrino, when the strain
gave way, must needs blab of her &c
whom he firmly believed his fortune
was due. As the excited men rushed up
a tall figure rose in leisurely way from
chair. and taking the white lady'l
arm IN his faced the group with no very
amiable countenance
who are those insolent beggars, my
dearf"
"1--i y said tha white ladv. Duttins