The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-06-16
CARLOS OATH.

CANLUO UAI1.
The old priest of Isola Rosa, standing
ut his door in the cool of the evening,
saw Joseph Seratino stamp furiously
across the square. He smiled, and called
over his shoulder to the crone who wait
ed Oh him to get out bottle of Can
Corse wine from the cupboard, for Jo-
seph carried his gun slung across his
shoulders. AS Joseph drew nearer, how
ever, the priests smile changed into Il
froWn. and he ordered the woman to 80
down into the cellar and fetch up bot
tie OF an Older vintage, for there were
scratches upon Joseph's face.
Serahno's wife was something Of a
shrew, Us the priest was We'll aware,
SINCE at times her tongue wore out her
husbands patience, and he would sling
ms gun across his shoulders, stuff his
pockets with cartridges and hurry to
Father Andrea's house in the square,
HoW'ng that he would put up with this
which followed was of so invariable a
klnd, and ended in 50 invariable Il result.
that the priest could anticipate it with a
smile. Serahno would Gull the earth, the
heaven above the earth and the waters
under the earth to witness that he had
done with houses and streets and his fel-
low men; that hencefOrth he would live
alone among the chestnut forests of
Mount Padre, where no women's tongues
clattered and all the world was still.
when SerafinO was tired of talking, the
priest would persuade him to drink n last
bottle of wine before he went. And,
after the bottle was finished, the old man
'S, propose one last game Of piquet,
which Joseph was allowed to win, and
after the game of piquet Joseph was led
gently home.
Tonight, however there were scratches
upon Sera hno's face, and so Father An
drea ordered his best white wine. which
had lam twenty years in bottle, and
thanked the Pope he was himself cell
pate. a scratched face was new thing
even IN SerahnO'S experience, and the
priest wondered whether the conversa-
ton tonight might not have different
end. His wonder was justified in the
event.
Am l mayor of Isola Rosa? % cried
Seratino. Were my grandfathers cor
porals IN Corsica? Was l taught at the
college of Ajaccio? Did practice as an
aovocate before l inherited my lands
OF abuse and-look, father!-a wOman's
hngernails?'
Seratno walked about the room, tug
g,ng with both hands at his great beard.
Except for the remark about the finger
nails, the harangue was familiar enough,
and the priest with soothing word or
two uncorked his bottle of wine.
But SerahnO waved his hand
No, father: | will not stay tonight. -"
and he turned to the window and gazed
upward to the olive slopes above the vii
lage. and above the olive slopes to the
thlckets of arbutus and myrtle on the
mountain sides.
1T has lain twenty years in the bot
tie, my son. 1t comes from Luri," said
the priest. as he poured out the wine,
holding the bottle high above the glasses
so that the splash might sink into Sera-
hnos soul. But again Serafino waved
the wine aside.
NO; father; I am going. Tonight l
sleep uD there. l leave my lands to nv
wife, but will see no more of her.
This, too. was familiar to the priest,
who replied:
But you swore an oath, my son, to
few cross words and a slap of the hand
No good comes of. breaking oaths." And,
since Seratino remained silent. he thought
of an instance.
Carlo Giammarchi broke his oath.''
he said, land see what came of it. He
persisted miserably ten years ago, and to
this day his memory lies under re-
Then Serafno swung round from the
window.
"Giammarchi kept his oath," he said
quietly.
My son. the old man answered, in
an accent Of reproach, you were with
me when he swore it. Have you forgot
ten the little hut on Monte Cineraggia,
the man stretched on a few branches for
bed, and the oath he swore to me, that
ho ho would 1;fk
hand or weapon against fellow-man %
Il have not forgotten. Giammarchi
kept that OATH
The priest tapped gently with his fin
gers on the table for little. Then, as
gently, he said:
''That is not right, my son. Carlo
Giammarchi was your friend, know,
deny the truth. Giammarchi shot An
gelo through the back.
"Who shall prove that?" asked Sera-
fno, bluntly.
The priest sat down in chair and pro-
ceeded to argue with Serafno i'll a soft,
persistent voice, as though he were talk
ing to an obstinate child. He was not
altogether displeased at Serafno's stub
bornness, since, in the argument, Sera-
fno's wife seemed likely to be forgotten.
THE two men were found dead upon
the hillside he said. Both were shot
| in the back Angelo was a gendarme,
and is excused by his duty, though do
not say he should not rather have tried
to capture Giammarchi. 1t was evident,
however, that Giammarchi was escaping.
\ few yards would have brought hin,
into the safety of the woods, and so An
gelo shot him."
Serafno nodded his head, agreeing SO
far.
"But Angelo was shot, too. He also
was shot in the back. Therefore he was
turning away from the hillside to join
his fellows. Giammarchi cannonly have
been wounded, and shot Angelo before
he died"
''Who shall prove that?" again asked
Sera6no.
There was no witness, it is true
said the priest, but there needs none,
for an exploded cartridge was in the bar
rel Of Giammarchis rifle. 1t is proof
enough
Serafno looked for long while at the
priest.
But what if there was witness -
he said slowly. Then he turned again
to the window, and exclaimed abruptly
angelo Montalti died dogs death, as
he deserved, and Carlo Giammarchi kept
the oath he swore."
After he had spoken there was silence.
The old priests object had at all events
been secured, for both men had clean
forgotten Serafino's wife. Joseph stared
out of the window; the priest stared at
the wine in his glass.
At last the priest spoke timidly: