The Portland daily press., 1900-05-02
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; The Face at
!. The Window
BY NEVILLE CAIN.


NthiNt-
Ibid you read" said my gondolier, 'in
the Giorno Of Baratazzi's SUGGEST His
statue, la Joie,' received the premium
of the salon. And thereby hangs tale"
81 had not heard Of It," ! replied.
"What are the circumstances attending
It that you hint at as being unusualf'
'Oh, the French government wanted to
make him a chevalier de la Legion Hon
neur, but he Is not TO be found-disap-
peared. The agent in Venice who ship
ped the statue had been paid for his serv-
ices and given a receipt, and that was
the end OF his knowledge. Antonio Carac-
ci, a model employed Mt the Ecole b.,
who was formerly sort OF valet as well
as model to the sculptors at the old aban-
doned palace in the Canale di Chiostro,
tells the story.
"Mariano Baratazzi, il appears, brought
with him from the provinces a peasant Of
remarkable beauty to pose for his statue.
She was the talk OF Venice, and fabulous
sums were offered her by many artists,
but in vain. With sanity constancy she
remained true to her contract"
Leaving the Riva degli Schiayoni to
the right, we drifted on past st. Marks
square, where the moon was just begin
ming to silver the lions wings.
well, TO resume, in an evil hour Bara-
tazzi formed q friendship for an Eng
lishman named Reginald Quorne, who
frequented his studio a great deal.
Quorne had an old secondhand gondola,
which he had fitted up into little float
ing studio. He rowed it himself, and,
with a red fez browning his leonine head
and a scarlet sash around the waist of his
old velvetcen knickerbockers, he was the
center Of much interest about the canals.
well, Quorne watched the progress Of
la Joie,' and Mariana watched him, and
the beautiful model watched both Of
them. but particularly Quorne.
AT length the sculptor tried to Danish
him on the ground that he filed the stu
do with tobacco smoke. Quorne simply
abandoned his pipe and continued to
come.
zone day the fair paysanne was taken
faint. and. being unable to return to her
lodgings. Quorue CALAMITY conveyed her
thither in his craft. This happened more
than once. Finally the model came no
more Nor Quorne.
descending ais rage and cursing him
self for fool, Baratazzi sat grimly be-
fore his unfinished statue, clutching
chisel in his hand that glanced in the red
evening light like blood stained knife.
Motionlcss as though turned to stone, he
sat there. thinking. thinking.
1.-The moon at length streamed through
the great window, aud not more marble
was the face of La Joie' than his in the
cold light.
AT length Baratazzi arose and lighted
his lamp and wrote letter 10 Signora
Francesca Vecchio. 10 Riva dcgli Schia-
voni, Venezia, and, descending to the
landing, he signaled goudolier and bade
him deliver the note and wait for an an
swer. Then he leaned against one of the
tall posts and watched the wayelets lap
ping against its base.
ERE long the rhythmical thud of the
oar, as well as n soft voice chanting
love song, apprised him of the return Of
his messenger,
Successful he muttered as white
smile cleaned on his face in the moon
light. They disappeared up the dark
stairway, and that gondoler was the last
human being to look upon the twain.
"A strange coincidence was about this
time the finding OF Quorne's gondola
floating bottom upward just off there
where we first caught q glimpse Of the
Lion. The Giorno stated that the gon-
dola was probably run into by some fish
ing smack returning in the dusk, and as
the tide was running out its occupants
body was probably carried out to sea-"
Busac paused. Il am strongly of the
opinion that there is some tragedy behind
1t all which never will be brought to
light. We are opposite the Chiostro ca
nal. Let's run in, and will point out to
you the old building where Baratazzi
wrought his masterpiece"
Gliding along in the shadow of the tall
particolored buildings, the tops OF which
were white in the moons rays, we Glove
the oily waters of the canal. shifting al
ternately the salt sea and garbage. APP
pearing wildly In broad bands of lamp
light from doors and windows and again
lost in gloom, miraculously grazing other
gondolas that came upon us suddenly.
We halted presently, at a signal from
Busac on the other side of the canal, be-
fore what must have been a house of
some consequence in the days of the re-
public. The tall mooring posts had al
most rotted In two. and the stone steps,
dank and moss grown, looked as il they
were seldom II ever used.
A heavy postern door (the front Of this
building probably opening on a larger
canal, with massive twisted iron hinges,
hung as If il had been wrenched open by
force, and indeed Busae informed me the
house had harbored a band of thieves,
which the police had broken up lately.
1t was said to be haunted and had been
vacant for some time.
The stone gryphons under the balcony
up there were pas NAL, and Busac had
made studies of them and pumped the
gondolier at the same time. That indi.
yidual had said. moreover, that IL you
were out late there was tins OF night,
when the moon was highest, that a face
appeared at that small window up there,
but people who were out lats could see
anything as a rule.
High up over the fifth story rose
large skylght which the moonlight glim-
mered upon now. Just below it was
small window barely disting uishable as
yet. That was the studio.
"Who is afraid7 Just for a lark let's
squeeze in that door and see II we can go
up to the studio. Everything may be
omen. Perhaps that may be also. 1t