The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-08
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OATH
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THE old priest of Isola Rosa. stand
ing, saw Joseph Seraino stamp cur
iously across the square. He smiled.
and called over his shoulder to the
3 crone who waited on him to get out
a bottle of Cap Corse wine from the
cupboard, for Joseph carried his gun
slung across his shoulders. AS Joseph
drew nearer. however. the priests
smile changed into a frown. and he
ordered the woman TO go down into
the cellar and fetch up a bottle OF an
older vintage. for there were scratches
upon Joseph's face.
Serafno's wife was something OF a
shrew, as the priest was well aware,
since at times her tongue wore out
her husbands patience, and ne would
sling his gun across his shoulders. stun
his pockets with cartridges and hurry
To Father Andrea's house In the square,
vowing that he would put up with this
dogs life no more. The conversation
which followed was of so invariable
kind, and ended in so invariable a re-
suit, that the -pFiest-eeuld- anticipate ii
with "A smile. Serafino would call she
earth the heaven above the earth and
the waters under the earth to witness
that he had done with houses and
streets and his fellow-men: that hence
forth he would live alone among the
chestnut forests OF Mount Padro, 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 a last bottle of
wine before he went. And. after the
bottle was finished. the old man would
propose one last game OF piquet. which
l. a
the game of piquet Joseph was led
gently home.
Tonight. however, there were scrat IN
es upon Serafino's face, and so Father
Andrea ordered his white wine which
had lain twenty years in bottle. and
thanked the Pope he was himself n
celibate. A scratched face was a new
thing even in Serafino's experience. and
the priest wondered whether the con-
versation tonight might not have a diff
fereDt end. His. wonder was justified
in the event.
Am | Mayor OF Isola Rossa?" cried
Serafino. Were my grandfathers cor
porals i'm Corsica? Was j taught at
the College OF Ajaccio? Did / practice
as an advocate before / inherited my
lands? And shall i endure an eternal
click-clack of abuse andr-look, father!
"a woman's fingernails?"
Serafino walked about the room, tug
gng with both hands at his great
beard Except for the remark about
the finger-nails, the harangue was fam
iliar enough, and the priest with a
soothing word or two uncorked his
bottle of wine.
But Serafino waved his hand.
mo, father; will not stay tonight"
and he turned TO the window and gazed
upward TO the olive slopes above tho
village, and above the olive slopes to
the thickets of arbutus and myrtle on
the mountain sides.
1T has lain twenty years i'm the bot
tie. my son. Ii comes from Luri." said
the priest as he poured out the wine,
holding the bottle high above the glass;
es so that the splash might sink into
Serafno's soul. But again Serafino
waved the wine aside.
NO, father; 1 am going. Tonight 1
sleep up there. j leave my lands to my
wife. but i will see no more of her"
This, too, was familiar to the priest
who replied:
But you swore an oath. my son.
10 your wife, and will you break IL for
few cross words and a slap OF the
haud? No good comes or breaking
oaths." And. since Serafno remained
silent, he thought of an Instance.
Carlo Giammarchi broke his oath"
he said. "'and see what came of II. He
TO this day his memory lies under re-
proach.
Then Serafino swung round from the
window.
"Giammarchi kept his OATH" he said
quietly
My son." the old man answ cred in
an accent of reproach, you were with
me when he swore il. Have you for
gotten the little hut on Monte Cinerag-
gia, the man stretched on few branch
es for bed, and the oath he swore to
me, that IL he recovered he would never
again lift hand or weapon against a
fellow-man?"
II 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.
but IL Is not right on that account 10
deny the truth Giammarchi shot An
gelo through the back
t"Who shall prove that?" asked Sera-
fino, bluntly.
The priest sat down in n chair and
proceeded To argue with Serafino. ip "A
soft, persistent voice, as though he
were talking To an obstinate child. He
was not altogether dispeased at Sera-
hno's stubborpnesS, since, in the areu-
be forgotten.
The two men were foundtdead upon
the hillside" he said. Both were shot
I'm the back. Angelo was gendarmc.
and is excused by his duty. though I
do not say he should not rather have
tried 10 capture Glammarchi II was
evident. however. that Giammarchi
was escaping. A few wards would
have brought him into the safety OF
the woods, and so Angelo shot him"
Serafno nodded his head. agreeing 80
far
But Angelo was shot, too. He also
was shot I'm the back Therefore he
was turning away down the hillside To
join his fellows. Giammarchi can only
have been wounded. and shot Angelo
before he died"
Who shall prove that?" again asked
Serafno.
There was no witness. n is true"
said the priest. "but there needs none.
for an exploded cartridge was I'm the
barrel Of Giammarchfs rifle. It Is proof
enough"
Serafino looked for long while at the