The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-18
MdrdO'S Ghost.

~ MIL ->dfup, tncTe Was ScdDrrly a. gun
dolier dn Venice who did not sympa-
thize with him. Lissandro was a good
tempered, jovial young fellow, without
a single fault, unless IL was that he
was a ffte-ghinker. OF course, IL is
very bad TO be a free thinker, though.
after all, IL IS q matter which does not
greatly concern any one except the
free thinker himself, and then he can
always change his opinions when ne
comes 20 die, and can confess and be
absOlVed like any other Christian, un-
less he has the in luck To be drowned
where fhere is no priest at hand SAN
drO was always ready TO help "A friend
I'm distress, and he nearly always had
money in his pocket: for he was SO
frank and honest i'm his ways with the
foreigners whom he roWed thdt ne
could nearly always charge them at
least double the tariff fare and collect
il without making them suspicious.
That 50 good fellow and clever a gOn-
dolier should have been compelled TO
stab n man was certainly great pity,
and the day that Sandro went TO prison
more than one friendly gondolier shed
tears and cursed the meddling OF the
police i'm the strongest possible lam
guage.
Sandro did not stay I'm prison longer
than four months Although every
body knew that he had stabbed Nardo
and thrown his body into THE basin at
the further end of the Elva degh Schia-
Voni, the body was never found, and so
the magistrate said that there was not
sufficient proof that Nardo was dead.
and that Sandro must be released with
a solemn warning never TO stab another
man. While people were glad that San
dro was released, there was a general
feeling that the magistrate had no
right t) dispute Sandro's word Had
he not said dozens of times that he had
been obliged 10 Kill Nardo because the
latter openly asserted that Sandro's
grandfather did not win Nhe regatta in
1893, whereas the very flag that the
grandfather won Is still hanging i'm
Sandro's house? It was certainly not
polite in the magistrate to pay no at
tentiOn to what Sandro said and 10
decide that there was no proof OF Mar
dos death. But magistrates have no
regard for other peoples feelings. and
that Is the reason why they are mag
istrates and send poor men to prison
for next to nothing. When Llssandro
came out of jail. eleven gondoliers be-
longing to his traghetto gave him a
dinner az the Osteria della Pace, I'm
the Gale Lunga $. Barnabo. IL was
a capital dinner. consisting OF fried fish
and polenta and all the wine that any
one cared to call for. The fish were
beautifully cooked. the polenta was of |
the very best golden i'm color, and as |
light as feather. two slices of IL were |
all that man wanted TO eat, SO gen.
erously thick did the landlord serve il. |
As for the wine. 10 was last years We
'ona, reasonably pure. and good and |
strong. when the dinner was finished
he guests lit genuine Tuscan cigars
hat the landlord furnished without
harge, and each man began to drink
a earnest
Lissandro had borne his imprlson-
tent well. He was n trifie thinner than
but he was in excellent health
nd spirits. He told once more the fa-
iliar story of his dispute with Nardo.
producing several entirely new varia-
ons. which tended to- show his grear
'rbearance when the quarrel began.
ld the tremendous strength and activ-
y which he exercised when the fatal
rugele eliminated. His comrades
unanimously agreed that he could not
ave acted more nobly than he ha6
,ted, and that there weer no terms
rong enough to characterize the con-
act OF the police i'm arresting him for
matter which was none OF their busi-
'ss. Suddenly grave old gondolier.
no was regarded as the father of the
anu WIN Hdu Dttn dDSOfDlnR |
5 VINE In comparative silence. asked
ndro If he did not fear that the ghost
Nardo would appear 10 him
Inou knoWeSt," said the old pon- |
llsr. that when a man has not had
ristian burial his ghost will wander ,
eryWhere, trying 10 find some one /
10 VIII give him comfortable grave | I
w Nardo must have been carried our }
sea ana ~ is my opinion that some a
A.., |
n Fl"
Go away, Bartolo" cried Sandro.
mere are no such things as ghosts. y
neh man dies either that is an end | 8
uln or else ne goes so far away that | .,
can never find his way back. Re y
les | should not be IN the least afraid "
ghost, even IL there was one who .
me 10 see me; lf am not afraid OF 8
'e men l need not be afraid OF dead =
les" Va "V"" o
When YOU say there are no gbos,e =
piled Bartolo. you forget the mic. !,
Ire IN tle academy. which proves that :,
'e Dressed Sts. Mark and Nicholas ana \
urge appeared u a fisherman. and :,
,aue aue hlm row them ovcr TO S. Andrea
. 49,, are gnosts OF saints there must ?,
g ghosts OF sinners" '''''' .
Not at ALL" said Sa,d,, am, q
anus. ana don't deny that tbey. mo-, :,
= saihts, though l have never eeen ;,
nc Cah' OF course, work miracles and :,
ohsequently they can make ehoe,s 80 =
themselves II they want TO. BIt No y
y was not a saint, as every ona YIN I,
gree. 80 whatever St Mark opd 49,, =
omfades may have done has notbin,
D 40 WIN what Nardo can or cannn,
o. BESIDES l am not SO sure shov, \
nat story or the saints and tho ashnr Il
lan. True. there is the pictnra 49,, =
NY one could have painted A W.
want 10 know is where Is the ,in, I
nat the ghost OF st. Mark gave tc tho
sherman. Show mis- that ring ana 9
erhaps ! may believe the story. {" I
Just then a loud clap OF thupdo.
hook the wall of the Osteria. and two !
the younger gondolisrs crossed thon,
ives. You see, Sandro." said tho Ola
ondolier, solemnly. 1T does not do On !
~ biasphemous things about :, [
lark. There is going To be n storm, 5
nd VINO knows that 10 not sent IN 70, {
axe theeY There was a man WHOM, I
new man much Of thy age ana an. =
eafance' ne, too. WAS an unbellever =
1d ne said ono night az the trapbe,t, | Q
st. Toma, in the presence of fonr or y
We or us. that he DIDN'T consider 80 h
ARK MI To o. q patron saint. becauss
ala not send German travellers % s
= #