The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-14
The White GondoIa.
"a Tale of Old Venice. In Five Chapters.)
CHAPTER l.

/
! Venice was looking joyfully forward to
the annual festival. Carlo Matranza. a
| powerful member of the Council, impa-
| tiently strobe to and fro IN a room of his
| palace, which fronted on the Campo San
! Siefano.
He as proud, erect, handsomwe, gray
| haired man of sixty: his large, piercing
| black eyes flashed an angry look at his
| daughter as he said:
"Is il not enough that I should be
thwarted in the affairs of the Council,
without being troubled with your lovers
and your girlish whims?'
But / am in no haste for a husband,
father
But there is ahusband IN haste for you.
Signor Palombo comes here today. And
-
"Ah. Signor Palombo," the girl gasped
under her breath, a shade of aversion
clouding her beautiful features.
And the noble young Briton, Lord VIII
fred. Ha. your face changes from icy
January to glowing June at the mention
of the faxen-haired Englshman. He has
your heart"
NAY, father: my heart is free. I will
accept no man without your wiser coun-
Sci
=
heart glows IN your cheek and bellies your
tongue But Signor Palonbo was your
first sutton; to him, in all justice. I owe
your hand
His daughters face turned pale again,
as she sank on a couch resignedly. Sisnor
Matranza observed her closely for some
moments and then exclaimed:
by my faith, Annita, / believe you love
this tawny Briton past curing! And yet
he Is not half the man Palombo is
He is a man OF noble birth, more pleas
ing in stature, and-younger."
And a coward, no doubt. Those wheat
ened faced men are rarely stout of heart"
Nay, father; that I will stake my life
upon" Annitas eyes flashed as she de-
Tended him.
Those English mobiles, I have heard,
make british husbands; they are sots and
prohigates-that, too, without the taste or
del:cacy of our nation"
There are good and worthy men among
them
"Ha, ha, Therefore, Lord Wilfred must
be one ne said, ironically.
$50 my heart tells me-
.Ah, now we have it, Your heart swings
to him as daffodl to the sun. Well, well,
my child, If I can pacify Signor Palombo,
YOU shall have your way.
All. good father, think: Signor Palom-
bo mas twice my years; Lord Wifred is
but
Five and twenty-a mere youth. He
may love a dozen as we'll as you ere he
reach Palombos years.
80 he love me first, care not"
You are sure he loves you, child?'
His eyes have spoken with a heavenly
,han dc
Hum! Well. well. Annita, trust in your
father. Hank. Whose gondola rests be-
low?" the signor asked. as he heard the
cry of gondolier in the campo below.
Annita FASTENED to the easement to see
1T is Signor Polambo, father"
Then, leave me, child; we have Council
business to discuss"
The girl affectionately kissed her father
and left the chamber.
S.gnor Polambo, as he entered, was seen
to be a short, plump, swarthy man Of
forty, with dignified strut that struggled
to make up for his want of stature. He
had small, dark, crafty eyes, with thick,
black eyebrows and a beard which was
as coarse and graceful as that of a wild
goat. After exchanging the usual compli-
-nents of the day. the perfumed little
egotist asked:
What think you Of our defeat in the
Councn?'
1T was so near to victory, Signor Pa
lombo, we must try again"
Beaten by two votes-only two"
rs 1t not pity? Here is our happy
festival coming, the one day of the year
when all should be joyous and gay. And
yet, by an ancient despot's decree, our
gondolas must still remain as dark anu
gloomy as a felon's shroud.''
While the Doge and his pampered am
bassadors show us our meaner rank by
parading in their gaily painted craft
"Ay, by the grave of St. Marks. We
Venet:ans are craven slaves TO submit"
IF one but dared break the decree to
learn the penalty"
''The penalty is death. Did you not hear
the Doge's warning? He said il the cham
Der, at our last meeting. the first who
broke the decree should forfeit his head
as did the traitors of DID,
1T may be only an idle threat. Now, if
We could but find some jealous youth who
would rather be a dead martyr than liv-
ing nobody, We might test the Doge's pow
er''
Il grasp your meaning. The populace,
you think, abhor this decree; once it was
patriots execution
Such, Signor Matranza, is my reason
ing
''Oh. that we could find such a man,
For my heart is set on repeating this I'M
republican distinction"
We may yet vote il in the Council
I'VE may; we may; but this plan would
hasten matters. But enough Of this for
a time Signor Palombo, 1 know you
came 10 speak of my daughter"
II did. Signor Matranza. hoping for your
confirmation TO my suit"
How has she received your addresses?"
But colby of late; but that I take 70
be her Coquetry at my impetuous ardor."
Know you of any rivel?'
None, Signor Matranza. None that
own in Venice and the rotund little pea
cock smiled contemporary at the bare
suggestion. and stroked his beard compla-
Gently.
II fear you have one, Sigaor Pslombo."
surely. you jest, good friend"
Would that l did: but I must speak o.
what I know, though II pains me TO
wound so old a friend by the telling"
Then Signor Mariana related what he
had CLEANED from his daughters words as
TO her fondness for LORD Wilfred, and con-
Guided by saying:
Il, is but a g-rlish fancy after all; we
need not cake Il seriously"
But the vain Polonbos brow had sud
denly Garkened; ne did take il seriously
Gradually a sinister smile ove-spread his
olive features; then he asked:
Does this tawny lord come here TO-
day."
u expect him every moment"
10 know af my accented
tom
Il think not"
Were you about 20 deny him.