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

osny % hssp shines. whsp 9u5se returned
eandro one mere With una6ashed spfY,ts
resumed hss skspsfcai comments On ghsets.
You are wyetchsdiy supergttft0us-aI ell
Of you" he said Il don't - much mind
your IDEAS about religion, fos unless you
waste too much money n naAssss ard
oshsr''---
Another crash that sousAsd - n the
Osserfa Itself had been struck ~ snsSh~
ed into a million Of pieces, interrupted
Ssndro. and when he vas sb,s 70 con-
time his remarks he did not take the
trouble 90 mend his bsSksn sentence.
'As I was saying" ~ continued, II
don't find fault with you Tor believing In
religion. and saints, and all such things.
for ~ ysu want % BE- ch1idsen you have
q right 10 suit yourselves. But thst you
Of thsm, IL trying 70 my temper. Con-
sites little. How eau . ghost busf youf
He never carries . knife; no man ever yet
pretended 10 have seen Rhost Wt1 .
knife. He cant hit you. for hs u - thin
a. 30 much smoke. Ard you might - well
expect q Whit of TOMS cigar 90 hurt you
which 10 strong enough In All consctsncs
10 hit you between this eyes ana knock
you down. II there are ghosts, they sgs
80 harmless ~ 20 ssauy girls. and for my
part ! should - som think Of ostn9
afraid Of . monfhs-cId baby"
Wait tsIl you 80 ghost" setd old
Bastoio: you viii sing . different s1nG
then. II . ghost wsrs 10 appear 20 you
fenight-and IL In an sxceIisnt nixhb for
ghosts--T believe that you would BE- the
worst frightened mao IN Venice"
You think would b. frightened"
cried gandso snGriiy. "y0u ara On old
man. and ! am psacsatIe one, 90
should have something 20 say ~ you on
that question OF being afraid. Hut ] viii
tell you what should DO " were ~ see
. ghost. should welcome him - ~ he
wsrs my oldest friend. ! SHOULD Say 20
him: Come and have = bottle with ma.
and tell ms all about tbs place wh~re you
live Thsn ] would put my arm IN his,
ard sing him sornsshing 20 raise HE spsr-
tfs. and unless he was ~ solemn - HsF-
toto. We should have a. jolly an evening
a. can be had IN Venice"
The door opened. ana . stranger entered.
He was evidently o goadolIer, and u vefy
vet one. II was quite natural that hs
should - wet. since II had besn raining
torrents for the last half hour. but hs
had apparently had IN unexpected bath
In the canal, for bits Of seaweed we're
ci.nsinG 20 his beard and hair. and tho
thick blue mud % the lagoon was every.
where piasiered over hIs clothes.
Come inr shouted Banhro. Come ana
drink q sia@ with u, though 10 ~ sure
what you need In . little brandy. for
can sec that you have been overheard"
Ths stranger diA not speak, hut 10
bowed q polite acqviescence In eandro's
invitation. and. tossing his hat into thu
corner. sat down opposite 6andro. where
the other guests made room foe him. ~
they looked at HIS face. now that was
no longer obscared by his hat. they ono
and al crossed themselves. with the soil
tary exception % sandro. For the new.
conner was no other than Nardo ths dead
man There could not b. . shadow Of
doubt ~ 10 HE identity. The face and
the figure was unmhsekabiy those of
Nary1o: besides. sherc WAS = stain on tho
left breast which might POSSIBLY have been
mud but which every one believed TO bs
blood. And u was precisely In ths left
breast that 6andro had been obliged to
stab Nardo.
Not a word was said either by tho stran.
ger or by any one Of the guests. They
sat In profound siienc~. except for tho
chattsrtng Of the teeth % Antonio. who.
had II been possible for hts bronzed fare
To change color. would undoubtedly have
been 40 pale ~ marble Presently old
Bartoio rose up and walked silently and
softly from the room. waving 9 farewell
TO sandro that wos full % despsirinG pity.
The other gondoiiers lost no time In sol.
lowing him; indeed. they crowded through
"
tho Osteria, and they were ip irninent
danger Of u horrible death. Sandro ana
the stranger were left alone. each appsr-
entity waiting for tho other co. speak.
VERY well. Nardo." exclaimed Handro.
when ne snw that the stranger was obs
s'insfely silent: $50 you've como back 10
Venice again. What was the matter IN
purgatoryf Did they turn you out b"-
cause you were not sympathetic ana you
~ hat y1s pre IA n
pathetic person--or did you break out, the
same ne you did when you w~rs locked
up IN the prison a, Tr.viso for stealing
from your brother?'
This aiiusson TO form ~ theft regarded
among all homes, gondolers - nothing iese
than dishouowbl.. was well calculated 20
draw an angry reply from Nardo. but he
stili remained silent.
II never believed In FhoHr." resumed
aandro. 'hu, now that I 80 a very dirty
ghost Sitting before me. and refusing TO
drink good wine, I know that there are
ghosts. and that they are not good COM
rades Drink your wine. Sardo. and speak
up like a man. I'm not afraid 81 you now
that you are dead any moro than I was
when you were alive: bat I don't like 20
eli over my wine with one who does not
open his mouth even ~ speak"
Tho raOs, was not 20 b. ,aur,ed into
oppressed sanire. The latter spoke the
truth when he said he was not afraid Of
NaFdo. hat any one will admit that n ~
not cheerful 20 alt at table with cheat
who IA soaking wet ard dissraeefriiy mud
dy. ana who viii neither drink nor speak
hu, sits staring 90 ruSsly "a n re were
German tourist. sandrp was irri'afed
10y the ghosts conduct, and In tho ctr
cumEtanres no one can blame him Tho
be., ruan who ever lived would d. irYltAt.
81 ~ the ghost ~ man whom he had had
tho misfortune 90 kiil should come back
tn a Dragged and dirty drcsa and DO moth.
lug hut stare and drip water On the fioor
~ there ~ anything that you want
Sario." saia Sanirr perhaps you viii
mention g. " you don't want anything
perhaps you vii 80 away and let m~ Ar.
.sh my wine m peace Nobody invited you
30 eonte here. ard " was tus' a ittle i'm.
pcrt'ncr, for you 90 thrust yourself among
81 dinner party - honest folk. fiui you
aiways were ,mperfinrn'. That was NE
reason. ~ YOU rememh~r. why was
osllge3 20 spoil my knife against your
fshs"
The stranger saxcd x'easiiy into sandro's
eyes hLt he m tdc 10 sound just then the
dnar apsnra the breadth 90 n hsrs ana