The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-17
NARDO'S GHOST.

w !: :: :: !: !: !:
LAonaxdvo was . good tenn
pefed. 5ovsaI y0oug fsilow. without
0tngte fault, uu1eag u was that he Was
frssfhInker- OF course, II IL very bad 20
be . freefhfnker. though. after Al. u u
. matter which does not greatly concsin
any one except the freeshtnksr hss7ssh'
and then he can always change his oDin-
IONS when he comes 20 die. and can con
fe1s and be abzoived Ike any DINER
Christian. unsess he has the I'll luck 10 Be
sovned where there liz TO priest al hand
6andro WAS always ready 20 help iF'eha
In distress, and be nearly always nae
money In his pocket; Tor ne vas 70 pahH
and honest sn his ways with the foreign
er. whom he r0yed that he could nearly
always charge them at least double the
tariff fare and collect II without making
them suspsesous. That 50 good febo~
and clever q gonfoiier should have been
compelled 10 stab man was certainly
Great raty. ard the day that 6andro went
To prison more than ore friendly gondc-
Her shed tears and cursed the meddiing
of the police In the strongest possible
language.
saudro cid not stay In prison longer
than four months. Although everybody
knew that he had stabbed Sardo ana
thrown his body into the basin az the
further end Of the Riva degii 6chiavoni.
the body was never found. and 20 the
nagfsfrate said that there VAS not sum-
cieat proof that Nardo was dead. and
that Sandro must Be released with
solemn warning never 70 stab another
man While people we're Glad thar ban.
dro was released, there wss general
feeling that the magistrate had no right
% dispute eandro's word. Had he not
said dosens Of times that he had been
Obliged to hin Easdo because the latter
openly asserted that sAndro's grand
father did not win the regatta Of liza,
whereas the very dag that the grand
father won - stiii hanging In 6andros
housed II was certainly not polite In the
magistrate 20 pay no attention 10 what
0andro said. and 20 decide thar there was
no proof Of Nardo's death. But magis-
trates have To regard for other peoples
feelings. and that II the reason why they
are magistrates ard send poor mem 10
prison for next 10 nothing. When IAs-
eandro came out Of JAIL. eleven gonAoilers
belonging To his traghesto gave him din
ner. consisting OF fried FISH and poIenta
and al the wine that any one cared 10
call for. The hsh were beautifully cook
81, the polenta was Of the very best, goi-
two slices Of n were all that man want
81 10 eat. % generously thick did the
landlord serve n. Az for the wine. Il was
last years Verona. rease nably pure. ana
GOOD and strong. When the dinner was
finished the guests III genuine Tuscan
cigars that the landlord furnished with
out charss. ana each man began TO drink
In earnest.
LIssandro had horne his imprisonment
WE'LL He was q frine thinner than for
merry. but he was In excellent health and
spirits. He told once more the familiar
story Of his dispute with NArdc, introauc-
tng sever.. entirely new variations. which
tended TO show his great forbearance
when the quarrel began. and the tremon-
dous strength and activity which he ex-
erssised when the fatal struggle ciumin-
ated. His comrades unanimously agreed
that he could not have acted more nobly
than he had acted. and that there were
no terms strong enough 10 characterize
the conduct of the police In arressin9 hsrn
for . matter which was none ~ their bust
ness. Suddenly grave old gondolier.
who was regarded IN the father of tho
traghesto and who had been absorbing
his wine In comparative Silence. asked
eandro II he ala not fear that the ghost
Of Mario would appear 10 him.
Thou knoweet." said the old gcndoiier.
shat when = man has not had Christian
buriei his ghost will wander everywhere.
trying 10 ind some one who VIII give
must hive been carried out 20 sea, and II
On my opinion that some night he will
come back end haunt you"
40 away. Bartoio!'' cried aandro.
s~rhere are no such things AZ ghosts.
when q man dies either that II an end
Of him or else ne 9oeu 20 far away that
he can never find his way back Besides.
~ - - ~ -
ghoat. even II there was one who came
10 sac me. II am not afraid Of live men
! need not he afraid Of dead ones"
when you say ther6 are no ghosts"
replied Rartolo. ''you forget the picture
IN the academy. which proves that the
blessed Sss. Mark and Nicholas and
George appeared 20 : fisherman. ana made
him row them over 20 =. Andrea II there
are ghosts az saints there must be ghosts
OF sinners"
mot At ALL said Sandro. THE saints,
and don't deny that there may be- saints
though I have never seen ore. can. ~
course. work miracles and consequently
they can make ghosts az themselves ~
they want 80. put Nardo was not a saint.
a. every one viii agree SO whatever ST
Mark and ais comrades may have done
has nothing 20 40 with what Nardo csn
or cannot do. Besides, I am not so sire
about that story ~ the saints and the
fisherman. True, there - IN. picture but
any on. could have painted u. what
want 10 know - where :. she ring that
the rhnss ~ 81. Mark gave 20 The nshcr-
man. Show me the ring. and perhaps
may believe the ssarv''
Jess then q loud clap % thunder shock
the walls - tho osterls and two ~ the
younger gonde!ierS crossed themselves
''Yea see. Saniro,'' said the old sonioicr.
solemniy. ''it docs NOT 80 ~ say hlarrheri.
our things about ~ Marx Their 10 GO
ing 10 he a storm, AM who knows that
II - rot sen. ~ rrtukc thee There was
a man whom knew a man much -
thy sEe ard appearance. he too, was an
unhelisTer, ard no astn enc night az the
traghe'sa ~ : T1ma. iH the presence ~
four or aNe ~ rs that he DIDN'T consider
-. Mark ~ 20 - a patr5n saint, because
he ala nct SEND German travellers 90 Ven.
See except In the spytnE Ter DAYS later
that man plsyet cisht >aisF IN eve lottery.
putting tHo sni4i rsch - four nurv.
hers What happaned7 Why. every one
Of those numbers won. and ths man was
a. Ia XII himself hecanse ~ haa not
played On The auaTterna tnsfsas ~ win
nlas a Few lire ne might have won for.
sssS TNns h-s -.