Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-04

, ana ease ana influence, when d uOI
1 was brought to me marked III
| mediate" 1t contained a profuce AM
5 elegantly worded apology from Carlt
) Respetti, who regretted deeply that al
l unforeseen matter of business woul
[ prevent himself and his brother from
d having the inestimable honor and de
light of dining with me that evening
[ thereupon rang my bell as a sig1
that the dinner need no longer be de
layed and, turning to those assembled
[ announced to them the unavoidable
absence of two of the party.
"A pity Francesca could not have
come" said Captain Freccia, twirling
the ends of his long mustachios. He
loves good wine, and better still, good
company"
Caro- Capitano!" broke in the must
cal voice of the Marchese GualdrO
you know that our Francesca goes
nowhere without his beloved Carlo.
will not. Would that all men were
such brothers,"
IF they were," laughed Luciano
Salustri, rising from the piano where
he had been playing softly to him
self, half the world would be thrown
out Of employment. You, for instance, -
turning to the Marquis D'Avencourt
would scarce know what to do with
your time"
The marquis smiled and waved his
hand, which was remarkably small
and delicately formed-it looked
almost fragile. Yet the strength and
isuppleness of D'Avencourt S wrist was
reputed to be prodigious by those who
had seen him handle the sword,
whether in play or grim earnest.
ct is an impossible dream" he said
in reply to the remarks of Gualdro
and Salustri, that idea of all men
fraternizing together in one common
pig-sty of equality. Look at the diff
ferences of caste! Birth, breeding and
education make of man that high
nettled sensitive animal known as
| gentleman, and not all the sOcialistic
theories in the world can force him
down on the same level with the
rough bOOr, whose fiat nose and coarse
features announce him as plebeian
even before one hears the tone of
his voice. We cannot help these
things. I do not think we would help
them even if we could"
you are quite right said Ferrari.
You cannot put race-horses to draw
the plow. l have always imagined
that the first quarrel-the Cain and
Abel affair-must have occurred
through some difference of caste as
we'll as jealousy-for instance, per-
haps Abel was a negro and Cain a
white man, or vice versa; which would
account for the antipathy existing be-
tween the races to this day"
The Duke di Marina coughed a
stately cough, and shrugged his Shout
ders.
THAT first quarrel" he said, "as re-
lated in the Bible, was exceedingly
vulgar. 1t must have been a kind of
prize-fight. Con- ettai pas fin"
Gualdro laughed delightedly.
80 like you, Marina!" he exclaimed
''to say that! 1 sympathize with your
sentiments! Fancy the butcher Abel
piling up his reeking carcasses and
setting them on fire, while on the
other side stood Cain the green-grocer
frizzling his cabbages, turnips, carrots,
and other vegetable matter! What
spectacle! The gods of Olympus would
have sickened at II! However, the Jew
ish Deity, or rather, the Well-fed priest
who represented him, showed his good
taste in the matter; | myself prefer
the smell of roast meat to the rather
disagreeable odor of scorching vege-
tables!"
We laughed-and at that moment
the door was thrown open, and the
head~waiter announced in solemn
tones betting his dignity
lie diner de Monsieur) lie Comte
est servi!"
at once led the way to the ban
Queting-room-my guests followed
gayly, talking and testing among
themselves. They were all in high
good humor, none Of them had as yet
noticed the fatal blank caused ~ the
absence Of the brothers Respetti. [
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, I knew-unless his
nerves had been latterly shaken
by witnessing the death Of his uncle.
At any rate, l resolved to say nothing
that should attract the attention Of
my guests to the ill-omened circum-
stance; if any one should notice #,
it would be easy to make light of it
and of all similar superstitions. I my
self was the one must affected by it
it had for me a curious and fatal sig
consideration of it that | scarcely
attended to the words addressed to me
by the Duke di Marina, who, walking
beside me, seemed disposed to converse
, with more familiarity than was his
usual custom. We reached the door
of the dining-room, which at our ap-
proach was thrown wide open, and
, delicious strains Of music met our
ears as we entered. Low murmurs of
! establishment and admiration broke
, from all the gentlemen as they viewed
! the sumptuous scene before them.
q pretended not to hear their eulogies
, as l took my seat at the head of the
table, with Guido Ferrari on my right
and the Duke di Marina on my left
q The music sounded louder and more
|