The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-10

silently and softly from the ROOM waving farewell
to Sandro that was full of despai1ing pity The other
gondoliers lost time in following him; indeed
they crowded through the door as if fire had broken
out i'll the Oseria and they We're in imminent danger
of a horrible death. Sandro and the stranger were
left alone each apparently waiting for the other to
speak.
cry Well Nardo,' exclaimed SandrO, when he
saw that the stranger obstinately silent; so
you've come back to Venice again What was the
matter in purgatory? Did they turn you out because
you were not sympathetic-and you know Nardo.
that you were never a sympathetic person-or did
you break out the same as you did when You were
locked up in the prison Treviso for stealing from
your brother?'
This allusion to form of theft regarded among
all honest gondoers nothing less than dishonorl-
bic. was well calculated to draw angry reply from
Nardo; but he still remained silent.
Il never believed in ghosts" resumed Sandro
"but now that 1 see a very dirty ghost sitting be-
fore and refusing to drink good wine know that
there are ghosts and that they are not good COM
rades Drink your wine, Nardo and speak ND like a
man. I'm not afraid of you that you are dead
any more than l was when you We're alive; but 1
don like to sit over my wine with who does not
open his mouth even to speak,
The ghost not to be tainted into breaking
silence and gradually that silence oppressed San,
uo' Inc latter spoke the truth when he said
was not afraid of Nardo, but any one will admit that
1t Is not cheerful sit at a table with ghost who
is soaking wet and disgracefuly muddy anG who will
neither drink speak, but sits staring as r1deIv
as If he were German tourist. Sandro was frrtatcd
by the ghosts conduct and In the circumstances no
one can blame him. The best who ever lived
would be irrttated if the ghost Of man whom he
had mad the misfortune to kill should come back
In dragged and dirty dress and do nothing but stare
and drip water on the floor
II there is anything that you want Nardo,t said
Sandro perhaps you will mention it. If YOU don't
want anything perhaps you will go away and let me
nnlsn my wine In peace. Nobody invited you to come
here and it was just little impertnent for YOU to
thrust yourself among dinner party of honest folk
But you always were impertinent That was the rea-
son. If you remember why was obliged to sDoil NV
knife against your ribs
The stranger gaZed steadily into Sandro's ewes
out he made no sound. Just then the door opened
the breadth of hand and the scared face of Antonio
was visible through the opening He had ye1tured
back to see if Sandro was still alive and if so vbeth
er ne was as badly frightened as the rest of the
gopdollers had been Sandro saw and read the mean
ing OF Antonios face and seized the opportunity to
SHOW his utter fearessness of ghosts
See here, Nardo." he exclaimed. II will do any
thing that man can do to please you tonight What
would you like to have me do? Say the word ana
am at your service"
Ihe stranger rose up and moving toward the
door from which the terrified Antonio had already
vanished, beekoned slowlysto Sandro to follow him
Certainly" said Sandro Perhaps YOU have
forgotten that it is still raining dogs but no na+tAr
A little rain will not hurt us Lead the wav and T
Will foow-that is, if my legs will let me: for the
VINE has loosened the joints of them till they are
like the legs of the beggar the Campo SAM Angelo
who we all know. has legs whatever"
There is doubt that sandro had drunk too
much Wine and that his BRAIN as we'll as his legs
was affected by it. Still, his courage was undfmln
lShed, and he was ready follow the ghost to pllrca
tory or anywhere else. As the two passed into the
Gale and turned the left directing their steps TO
where gondoa moored, Sandro saw group
of his late dinner companions gathered at corner
at what they supposed to be safe distance from the
ghost He called to them: "GOodby till we meet
again! am going to dine in purgatory with the good
NardO will tell you all about it when return
When the gondola reached the ghost mo-
toned to Sandro to and himself under the
felze This is really too kind said Sandro Mar
do thou art good devil after all. Take me to NV
house, and my wife will pay thee in case an 100
drunk to find my pocket Thou art a most excellent
devil and ask thy pardon for that stab gave thee"
sandro dropped with his head the cushioned seat
of the gondola and fell instantly asleep The ghost
LOOK up the oar, ana the gOndOa nOated down the
narrow canal until the Canalazzo was reached This
was rapidly crossed and the gondoa took the shortest
way the city toward the Ponte del MendcantI
Sandros late companions after crossing the raghe
to- followed swiftly foot. They were in time 20
see the gondoa gain the open lagoon. In spite of the
storm, the ghostly gondoier rowed steadily toward
the cemetery, and in few minutes was lost to view
In the driving rain
Heaven have mercy poor Sandro's SOUL said
Bartolo. I'VE shall him again"
And they never did What believed Ivy
many to be his body found in the lagoon n
fortnight later but it satisfactorily entf
fed. That he carried off by the ghost of his
. victim who escorted him straight to purgatory was
firmly believed by all who knew the unfortunate San
dro Certain sceptca policemen maintained that tIr
ghost in reality Nardos brother who had lured
Sandro into his boat and murdered him when out OF
sight Of any witnesses. Doubtless Nardo had
brother, for it notorious that he had once been
imprisoned for robbing his brother of new sI,it OF
Clothes but nobody in Venice had seen the broth
En- who yariously alleged to be gondolier at
Rurano. cab driver at Treviso and fisherman of
Choggia. The only certainty is that Sandro was
alive after he strancersS