The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-08-02
-. 49,. -. "A. -. "A. 49, 80.
The Face at
The Window
BY NEVILLE CAIN.


tbe Giorno of Baratazzi's success? His
statue. Ia Joie,' received the premium
of the salon. And thereby hangs tale"
81 had not heard of it." | replied
"What are the circumstances attending
# tha You hint at as being unusual:"
"Oh the French government wanted to
make Mm chcvalier de la Legion d Hon
ncnr hut he is not to be fouud-disap-
ncaeaI The agent in Venice who shin
ned .ha statue had been paid for his scry.
ices and given a receipt. and that was
fine end of his knowledge. Antonio Carac-
q. model employed at the Ecole b..
who was formerly a sort Of valet as well
asnld.l to the scuptors at the old aban-
dani palace in the Canalc di Chiostro.
tell. tar story.
"Ahr.ano EarataZzi, it appears. brought
will hm from the provinces peasant OF
remarkable beauty to pose for his statue.
She was the talk Of Venice, and fabulous
sums worc offered her by many artists.
la, .a vain. With sanity cou-tancy She
remained true to her contract"
Leaving the Riva degi Schiavoni to
The r-at we drifted on past st Marks
Square. where the moon was Just begjn.
u5 TO silver the lions wings.
"Nt5, To resume. in an evil hour Bara.
taz formed a friendship for an Eng
lsaa named Reginald Quoruc, who
fro r-ad his studio great deal.
Qr.ne had an old secondhand gondola.
which DE had fitted up into little float.
in studio. He rowcd it himself, and.
with red fcz crowuing his lconine head
aa. scarlet sash around the waist Of his
od y9gettcn llnickcrbockors. he was the
D. /, -
"Nelt Quorne watched the progress Of
La Jolo, and Mariana watched him, and
tba beautiful model watched both Of
tban but particularly Quorne.
AT length the sculptor tried to Danish
him Oh the ground that he filled the stu
do with tobacco smoke. Quoruc simply
abandoned his pipe and continued to
come.
zone day the fair paysanue was taken
faint, and, being unable to return to her
lodgings, Quorne CALAMITY conveyed her
tMther in his craft. This happened more
than once. Finally the model came no
more. Nor QuQrne.
"Dissemhliug his rage and cursing him
self for a fool. Baratazzi sat grimly be-
fore his unfinished statue. clutching a
chisel in his hand that glanced in the red
evening light like a blood stained knife
Motlonlcss as though turned to stone, he
sa there, thinking, thinking
"l be- 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 a letter to Signora
Francesca Nccchio. 10 Riva dcgli Schia-
voni Nenezia, and, descending to the
landing, he siSnaled a gondolier and babe
MN 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.
Ire long the rhythmical thud of the
oar, as well as a 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 dark
stairway, and that gondolier was the last
human being to look upon the twain.
A strange coincidence was about this
time the finding OF Quornc's gondola
t'ating bottom upward just off there
where we first caught a glimpse of the
Lion. The Giorno stated that the gon-
doIa was probably run into by some fish
lng smack returning in the dusk, and as
the tide was running out its occupants
body was probably carried out to sea-"
Busac paused. 81 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
Won tho oil builIi,,,, WIN kopDt pvvi
wrought his masterpiece"
Gliding along in the shadow of the tall
parJicoIored buildings. the tops of which
We're white in the moons rays, we Glove
the oily waters of the canal. shifting al
ternately the salt sea and garbage. APP
peaMng wildly in broad bands of lamp
ight 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-
lore what must have been 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,
uank and moss grown, looked as if they
were seldom if ever used.
heavy postern door 1.-THE front of this
building probably opening on larger
canal, with massive twisted iron hinges,
hung as if it had been wrenchcd open by
force, and indeed Busac informed me the
mousse had harbored band of thieves,
which the police had broken up lately.
II 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 lndl-
Yldual had said. moreover, that If you
were ont 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 see
anything as rule.
High up over the fifth story rose a I
large skylight. which the moonlight gllm- +
merod upon now. Just below 1t was
small window barely distinguishable as
YET That was the studio.
WHO is afraid? Just for lark let's
squeeze in that door and see if we can go !
up to the studio Everything may he
open. Perhaps that may be also. 1t
would be devilsh interesting to stand up
on the stage where such drama was
enacted as there probably was.
Selling the boats lantern, we CAUTIOUS
ly tiptoed up the stairway, which wound
round and presently let us out upon an
inner arcade which ran around four sizes
Of a ruined courtyard. The other SIDE OF