The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-14

less he was as solemn as BartolO we
should have as jolly an evening as can
be had in Venice"
The door opened and a stranger en-
tered. He was evidently gondolier,
and q wet one. 1t was natural that he
should be wet, since it had been rain
ing torrents for the last half hour, but
he had apparently had an unexpected
bath in the canal, for bits of seaweed
were clinging to his beard and hair
and the thick blue mud of the lagoon
was everywhere plastered over his
clothes.
"Come IMP shouted Sandro. "Come
and drink glass with us; though, to
be sure, what you need is little
brandy, for can see that you have
been overheard"
The stranger did not speak, but he
bowed a polite acquiescence in San
dro's invitation, and, tossing his hat
into the corner, sat down opposite
Sandro, where the other guests made
room for him.
1t was no longer obscured by his hat,
they one and all crossed themselves,
, with the solitary exception of Sandro.
For the newcomer was no other than
Nardo, the dead man. There could not
! be shadow of doubt as to his iden-
tity. The face and the figure were un-
mistakably those Of Nardo; besides,
there was a stain on the left breast
which might possibly have been mud,
| 1,,,% rr,J,i1 h0In m No
blood. And it was precisely in the left
breast that Sandro had been obliged to
stab Nardo.
Not word was said either by the
stranger or by any one of the guests.
They sat in profound silence, except
for the chattering of the teeth of An
tonic, who. had it been possible for his
bronzed face to change color, would
undoubtedly have been as pale as mar
BILE.
Presently old Bartolo rose up and
walked silently and softly from the
room, waving a farewell to Sandro
that was full Of despairing pity. The
other gondoliers lost no time in follow
ing him; indeed they crowded through
the door as If a fire had broken out in
the Osteria and they were in imminent
danger of horrible death. Sandro and
the stranger We're left alone, each ap-
parently waiting for the other to speak.
Every we'll, Nardo," exclaimed San
dro, when he saw that the stranger
was obstinately silent; $50 you've come
back to Venice again. What was the
matter in purgatory? Did they turn
you out because you were not SYM
pathetic-and you know, Nardo, that
you We're never a sympathetic person
or did you break out, the same as you
did when you were locked up in the
prison at Treviso for stealing from
your brother"
This allusion to form Of theft re-
garded among all honest gondoliers as
nothing less than dishonorable was
we'll calculated to draw an angry reply
from Nardo but he still remained 81.
lent.
81 never believed in ghosts" resum-
dirty ghost sitting before me and re-
fusing to drink wine know that there
are ghosts and that they are not good
comrades. Drink your wine, Nardo,
and speak up like a man. Pm not
afraid of you now that you are dead
any more than l was when you We're
alive, but l don't like to sit over my
wine with one who does not open his
mouth even to speak"
The ghost was not to be tainted into
breaking silence, and gradually that 81
lence oppressed Sandro. The latter
spoke the truth when he said that he
was not afraid Of Nardo, but any one
will admit that it is not cheerful to sit
at table with ghost who is soaking
wet and disgracefully muddy and who
will neithe. drink nor speak, but sits
staring as rudely as If he were Ger
man tourist.
Sandro was irritated by the ghosts
conduct, and under the circumstances
no one can blame him. The best man
who ever lived would be irritated il
the ghost Of man whom he had had
the misfortune to kill shout come back
in draggled and dirty iss and do
nothing but stare and dnp water on
the floor.
of there is anything that you want,
Nardo," said Sandro, perhaps you will
mention it. If you don't want any
thing, perhaps you will go away and
let me finish my wine in peace. No
body invited you to come here, and it
was just little impertinent for you to
thrust yourself among dinner party
of honest folk. But you always were
impertinent. That was the reason, if
you remember, why l was obliged to
spoil my knife against your ribs"
The stranger gazed steadily into San
dro's eyes, but he made no sound. just
then the door opened the breadth Of a
hand, and the scared face of Antonio
was visible through the opening. He
had ventured back to see ii Sandro
was still alive, and If so, whether he
was as badly frightened as the rest of
the gondoliers had been. Sandro saw
and read the meaning of Antonios
face and seized the opportunity to
show his utter fearlessness Of ghosts.