The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-10
you fear a crisis. slgnor celsI?'


the yards while the law Is
feeding them with exhortations 10
patience. Does man lend a willing ear
to an exhortation like that when his chill
dren cry for bread? You know that lie
does not"
In that case your man from Rome
would do well to try a change of air." L
suggested.
Il express no opinion" he said, some
what curtly, though I pray God that
harm may not befall him."
1t was plain to me that he did not wish
TO continue the discussion, and turned to
| other subjects. sitting with him until the
moonlight shone white and glorious upon
| the canal, and all the palaces were as
temples of silver and of jewels. 1 found,
to my pleasure that he was ready to en-
! courage my friendship for little Blanca,
seeming content indeed that she should
make a friend after the custom of the
English. for whom he had so great re-
gard. It was pathetic TO witness his af-
lection for the child, his fear that the
day would come when she would lack the
love he gave to her so generously.
she has no one else" he would say,
and l am an Old man. Age Is very cruel,
Signore, when IL is linked TO youth in
the bonds of a fathers love"
IL was midnight when we left our bal
comics, and twelve hours passed before 1
| saw little Blanca again. A long letter to
London upon the business of the arsenal
kept me at my desk almost until day
break. Thereafter, l slept heavily until
the musical bells of the city were toiling
the Angelus. A little to my chagrin
Blanca was not at her window when I
opened mine as usual; but when l had
read through my papers and letters, she
came tripping to the balustrade and blurt-
ed out her news.
He is coming here to-day-to-night,"
she cried, gladly.
You mean the man from Rome ~
who else should come? Have YOU not
heard? They tried to kill him yesterday
when he was leaving the arsenal NV
father says that there Is only one house
in Venice which can shelter him. And SO
he is coming here
You think he will be safe at the Pa
lazzo Celsi?''-that was the name of Bjan-
cas- house-'you think that he will con-
sent to become a prisoner"
She tossed her hair-it was auburn hair
this morning-back upon her pretty Shout
ders.
MY fathers house is sanctuary" she
SAID proudly. Signor Orso will be as
safe here as in his palace az Rome
Let US trust So" l replied dubiousIv
If only for your fathers sake
"Oh, indeed, for his sake 1 wish it,
she exclaimed, and 1 saw that tears mist
ed her eyes again.
He has not slept for three days, Sig
more; he left the house this morning with
out word 10 me-"
The sunlight falling generously upon the
canal FORBADE that l should comfort her
then. 1t was not until the man from Rome
mad come to her house and was held in
talk by her father that she ventured again
upon the balcony, and sat by me 10 tell
me of the days work. And while she
talked could see the others; the old ship
builder, worn and anxious and heavy-eyed:
the young man whom Crispi had sem,
pale and nervous, and apprehensive even
in the sanctuary of Silvestro's house.
Thirty years he had lived l judsed-a
weak man strong in another's authority
Nor could help but ask myself if he
would ever leave Venice alive Had not
thousand men sworn to kill him? Your
Venetian does not forget an oath like this
1t was calous view, but l began 10
regard this man at hare that is hunted
There was something almost stimulating
in the idea that, at many a dark place
men watched. dagger in hand. to reckon
with the enemy. To-day, Tomorrow
would OFso Cieogna be alive then? And
was old Silvestro honest in his desire to
protect him? had doubts even of that.
81 will save my people," the ship build
er had said to me. But how were they
10 De saved WINE the man from Rome
lived among them? That he would go I
never believed. His great square chin
and bullying temples forbade the assump-
ton. To intellectual. blindness he added
determination born of ignorance l was
sure that he would remain in the city: 1
was equally sure that he would die there
Ii may be that In this assumption there
was the keen anticipation of the journal
| list who has heard the view halloo. Ger
danger so long as he was under old Sill
| vestros roof Cowed for the moment by
| the attack already made upon him. he
never left the house for three days; and
| when again he went to the arsenal the
| police boat carried him there. For my
! part, did not care how long the comedy
or tragedy might last. Was there not lit
| tie Blanca and the moonlight upon the
| water and the admirable wind to toss her
curls against my cheeks? And what mat
| ter If the future were dark? There were
moments when l said that 1 would dare
even TO carry this bewitching little Italian
| girl back to England as my wife. ! made
| mention of her in letters to my friends;
| began to reckon up the possibilities and
the problems of housekeeping-I who hal
never lived in a house when an hotel was
TO be found, or fingered in any city a day
| longer than the employment of the hour
| demanded That she would return with
me. l was sure. Though she protested
that she would never leave her father,
there was love in the protest. And the
messages. of her eyes, spoken again
! and again upon the balcony
| needed no dictionary to trans
late She trembled when my lips touched
hers-she lay still as a frightened thing
when | held her in my arms.
week passed in this pleasure of love
and doubt. l began to think that must
] speak plainly 10 Old Celsi-to whom 1
thought my hopes would not be unwe,-
| come. Ia seemed to me, when he shut his
! eyes to our delicious nights upon the bal
| cony that he was blind with good intent
| Perhaps he was glad that some one would
take his daughter away from the trouble
and uncertainty then lowering upon his
| house. BE this as it may the night was
rare when he left his room to intrude
upon the delights of our privacy He, and
! Orso the doomed, would spend the hours
in earnest indifference, as Obvious of the
two who watched the dark waters out
side as though they had never lived.
said that the old ship-buider was an ut
| ter mystery. And there is but one thing
to do with a mystery-it is to ask him TO
| dinner.