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

: who scarce had a scudo to call his own
and who dined sumptuously every day
at other peoples expense for the sake
of the pleasure his company afforded
was by this time entertaining every
| one near him by the most sparkling
| stories and witty pleasantries
The merriment increased as the
various courses were served; shouts
of laughter frequently interrupted the
| loud buzz of conversation, minglins
with the blinking of glasses and chat
| tering of porcelain Every now and
| then might be heard the smooth voice
| Of Captain Freccia rolling out his
! favorite oaths with the sorority and
| expression of a primo tenOre; some
! times the elegant French Of the Mar
! quis D. Avencourt, with his high, sing
! song Partisan accent, rang out above
| the voices of the others; and again
! the choice Tuscan Of the poet Luciano
| Salustri rolled forth in melOdiOus
! cadence as though he were chanting
, lines from Dante or Ariost0, instead
Of talking lightly on Indifferent mat
! tiers l accepted my share in the uni
versal hilarity, though l principally
/ divided my conversation between
! FCi rari and the duke, paying to both
but specially to Fer8ri, that absolute
attention which is the greatest compli-
ment a host can bestow on those
whom he undertakes to entertain.
/ We had reached that stage of the
! banquet when the game was about tc
! be served-the invisible choir of boys
! voices had just completed an enchant-
ing stornello with an accompaniment
! of mandOlins-When stiffness
strange and unaccountable, fell upon
the company-a pause-an ominous
/ hush, as though some person supreme
III authority had suddenly entered the
room and commanded "Silence!" Nc
one seemed disposed to speak or t.
move, the very footsteps Of the wait
ers We're muffed in the velvet pile of
the carpets-nO sound was heard but
the measured plash of the fountain
that played among the ferns and
white through the one uncurtained
window, cast long pale green ray
like the extended arm Of an appealing
ghost, against one side of the velvet
hangings-a spectral effect which was
heightend by the contrast of the gar
Iish glitter of the waxen tapers Each
man looked at the other with sort
Of uncomfortable embarrassment, and
somehow, though | moved my lips in
an endeavor to speak and thus break
the spell, L was at a loss, and could
find no language suitable to the mo-
ment. Ferrai toyed with his wine
glass mechanicalIy-the duke appeared
absorbed in arranging the crumbs be-
side his plate into little methodical
patterns; the stiffness seemed to last
so long that it was like a suffocating
heaViness in the air. Suddenly Vim
cenzo, in his Office of chief butler
drew the cork of a champagne-bottle
with loud-sounding pop! We all
started as though a pistol had been
fired in our ears, and the Marchese
Gualdro burst out laughing.
"COrpo di Bacco!" he cried cat
last you have awakened from sleep!
Were you all struck dumb, amici, that
you stared at the table-cloth so per-
sistently and with such admirable
gravity? Nay Saint Anthony and his
pig preserve me, but for the time ]
fancied I was attending banquet on
the wrong side Of the Styx, and that
you, my present companions, were all
dead menu
And that idea made you also hold
your tongue, which is quite an unac-
countable miracle in its way laughed
Luciano Salustri Have you never
heard the pretty legend that attaches
to such an occurrence as a sudden
silence in the midst of high festivity?
An angel enters, bestowing his bene-
diction as he passes through
THAT story is more ancient than
the church," said Chevelier Mancini
ut is an exploded theory-for we
have ceased to believe in angels-we
call them women instead"
Bravo, mon yieux gaillard!" cried
Captain de Hamal. Your sentiments
ars the same as mine, with a very
trifling Difference. You believe women
to be angels know them to be
devils-mais il ny a gu I'm pas entire
les deuX! We will not quarrel over
word-a votre sante, mon cher!"
And he drained his glass, nodding to
Mancini, who followed his examine.
Perhaps" said the smooth. slow
voice of Captain Freccia, "our silence
was caused by the instructive con-
seriousness of something wrong with
our party-a little DISQUALIFICATION
| dare say our noble host has not
thought it worth while to mention
Every head was turned in his di-
rection. What do you mean?" What
Inequality" Explain YOURSELF"
cEorused several voices.
Really it is mere nothing" an
swerd F'raccia, lazily, as he surveyed
with the admiring air of a gourmet
the dainty portion of pheasant just
placed before him. II assure you.
only the ureducated would care two
scudi about such a circumstance. The
excellent brothers Respetti are to
blame-their absence tonight has
caused-but why should I disturb your
equanimity? l am not superstitious-
ma, chi sa?-sOme of you may be-
4 see what you meant" interrupted
Salustri, quickly. I'VE are thirteen at