The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-02-23
The Face at
The Window
81 NEVILLE CAIN.

: BY NEVILLE CAIN.
...'V'....V...v'....'V' .".'Y'....'V'....'v'.".
was lazily riding in a gondoIa at
Venice.
did you read" said my gondolier, ''in
| the Giorno of Baratazzi's success? His
| statue, La Joie,' received the premium
| of the salon. And thereby hangs a tale"
Il had not heard of it," replied.
"What arc the circumstances attending
| it that you hint at as being unusual!'
"Oh, the French government wanted to
make him chevalier dc Ia Legion d'IIOn-
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 receipt, and that was
the end Of his knowledge. Antonio Carac-
ci, a model employed ut the Ecole B.,
who was formerly q sort of valet as well
as model to the sculptors at the old aban.
doned palace In tho Canale di Chiostro.
| tells the story.
"Mariano Baratazzi, it appears, brought
with him from the provinces peasant OF
remarka Bile 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 Schiavoni 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 a friendship for an Eng.
lishman named Reginald Quornc, who
frequented his studio n great deal.
Quorne had an old secondhand gondola.
which he had fitted up into little float
ing studio. He rowcd it himself, and,
with n rcd fez crowning his lconne head
and a scarlet sash around the waist of his
old yclvcteen kuckerbockcrs, he was the
center Of much interest about the canals.
"Well, Quorne watched the progress of
La Joic,' 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 be filled 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.
"Dissembling his rage and cursing him
self for q fool, BarataZzi sat grimly be,
fore his unfinished statue. clutching n
chisel In his hand that glanced in the rcd
evening light like blood stained knife.
Motionless ms though turned to stone, he
sat there. thinking. thinking.
"The moon ut length strcamcd through
the great window. and 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 to Signora
Francesca Necchio. 10 Itiva degli Schia-
voni, Venczia. aud, descending to the
landing. he signaIcd gondolier and babe
him deliver the note and wait for an an.
swer Then he leaned against one of the
tall posts and watched the wavelcts lap.
ping against its base.
Ere long the rhythmical thud Of the
oar, as well as soft voice chanting a
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 darl
/ stairway. and that gondolier 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 a 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 rs
| the tide was running out its occupants
| body was probably carried out to sea-"
Busac paused. II am strongly of the
/ opinion that there Is some tragedy behind
| II 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
! we're white In the moons rays, we Glove
| the oily waters of the canal. shifting al,
| ternatcly the salt sea and garbage, ap
| pearing viyidly in broad bands Of lamp,
| light from doors and windows and again
| lost In gloom. miraculously grazing other
| gondoas 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 tho re-
public. The tnIl mooring posts had al
| most rotted in two, and the stone steps
dank and moss grown. looked as if they
were seldom IL ever used.
A heavy postern door 1.-THE front of this
building probably opening on n larger
| canal, with massive twisted iron hinges
| hung as IL II had been wrenched open by
force, and indeed Busac informed me the
house had harbored hand Of thieves
which the police had broken up lately
| IL was said to be haunted and had beer
vacant for some time.
The stone gryphons under the balcony
| up there were pas NAL. and Busac haG
made studies of them and pumped the
gondolier at the same time. That indi
yidual had said moreover. that II yoy
were out late there was time of night
| when the moon was highest, that face
appeared at that small window up there
but people who were out late could SCI
anything rs rule.
High up over the fifth story rose
large skylight. which the moonlight gim
mercd upon now. just below it was ;
small window barely distinguishable a
yet. That was the studio.
"Who is afraid? Just for a lark let
squeeze In that door and see if we can 2
up to the studio Everything may ~
open. Perhaps that may be also. |
would be devilish interesting to stand up
on the stage where such drama wa
enacted. as there probably was.
Selling the boats lantern. we cautious
" tiptoed up the stairway, which woun'
round and presently let lis out upon al
inner arcade which ran around four side
of n ruined courtyard. The other side
the building seemed also uninhabited.
We explored the next floor and the mex
and found nothing of Importance eXcep
old lumber stored and abandoned.
Much breathed, we finally arrived
the top floor and turned to the right, eS
pecting to find door corresponding t
that on the other floors, hit there was n
door. Perhaps we miscalcuiatcd. Ina
must be it there. We went in the mex
door. There was small window aGov
and much rubbish and no cud of rat
but, strange to say, no skyll=ht. Mu"
pcrplexed, we roamcd about the arcade
entering foul smelling rooms, Whcnt
bats flew in our faces, causing us to IA
| l.. ol,pvo ri ,,non pnph others toes