The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-08-02
80. A.. f.. L., =" 80. A.
The Face at
The Window
BY NEVILLE CAIN.
....'V'....v'....'v'....'7....y'....Y......V. ".

the GlOfnO OF bdfdlaZZl success: His
statue, La Joie,' received the prcmiur
of the salon. And thereby hangs taln F."
Il had not heard of it," | rcpliod
"What are the circumstances attending
it that you hint at as being unusual:"
"Oh, the French government wanted In
make him a chevalicr de la Legion d'uon-
neur, but he is not to be fomd-disan.
pcarcd. The agent in Venice who shin-
ped the statue had been paid for his scry.
ices and given receipt, and that was
the end Of his knowledge. Antonio Car,c-
ci a model employed at the Ecole !,
who was formerly sort of valet as well
a- model to the sculptors at the cid aban-
dunpd palace in the Canale di Chostro.
tells the story.
"Mariano BarataZzi, it appears. brought
with him from the provinces peasant of
remarkable beauty to pose for lis statue.
She was the talk of Venice. and fabulous
sums were offered her by many artists
lrt In vain. With sanity coustancy She
remained true to her contract"
Leaving the Riya degIi Schiavoni to
the right, we driftcd on past ST. Marks
SQUARE, where the moon was inst bogin-
uiua TO silver the lions wings
"Wcll, to resume. in an evil hour Bara.
nm
l-hman named Reginald Quornc, WHO
frrWgnted his studio great DEAL
Qaornc had an old secondhand gondo.a
winch he had fitted up into little float.
ia studio. He rowcd il himself, ana
wi.h a red fcz crowning his lcoujuc head
and 4 scarlet sash around the waist IF his
old vclyetocn knickerboclcIs, he was the
center of much interest about the canql,
"WcN, Quone watched the progress of
La Jolr,' and Mariana watched him. ANA
tie beautiful model watched both of
them, but particularly Quornc
"At length the sculptor tried to baniSh
him ON the ground that he filled the stu
dIo with tobacco smoke. Quorue simply
abandoned his pipe and continued to
come.
zone day the fair paysanne was taken
faint. and, being unable to return to her
lodgings, Quorne gaiIautly conveyed her
thther in his craft. This happened more
than once. Finally the model came no
more. Nor QuQrne
"bsSembling his rage and curSing him
self for a fool, Baratazzi sat grimly be-
fore his unfinished statue, clutching q
chi@e in his hand that glanced in the rcd
evening light like blood stained knife.
MolIouIcss as though turned to stone, he
sal There, thinking, thinking.
The moon at 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 Sgnora
Francesca Vecchio, 10 Itva dcgli Schia-
voui, Neneza, and descending to the
lnr.Irnu bp Gisruo loI a MI l,. D..
him deliver the note and wait for an an
swer. Then he leaned against one of the
tail posts and watched the wayelets lap
ping against its base.
Ere long the rhythmical thud Of the
oar, as we'll as Il soft voice chanting n
love song, apprised him of the return OF
his messenger.
Successful" he muttered as a white
smile cleaned on his face in the moon
light. They disappeared up the dark
stairway, and that gondolicr was the last
human being to look upon the twain.
"A strange coincidence was about this
time the finding of Quornes gondola
floating 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
the tIde was running out its occupants
body was probably carried out to sea"
Bnsac paused. 81 am strongly of the
opinion that there is some tragedy behind
II ali 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"
lrIlUIUU olnOp in tho Sb oIpyy of thp tpIl
parucolored buildings, the tops Of which
We're white in the moons rays we Glove
The oily waters of the canal. smiling al
ternately the salt sea and garbage, APP
pearlng wildly 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-
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,
uanE and moss grown, looked as if they
We're seldom if ever used
heavy postern door tthe 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
mouse had harbored band of thieves
winch the police had broken up lately.
Al was said to be haunted and had been
vacant for some time
Inc stone gryphons under the balcony
up there were pas NAL, and Busac had
made studies of them and pumped the
sondolier at the same time. That indi-
,uual had said, moreover, that if you
were out late there was a time Of night,
Nueh The moon was highest, that face
appeared at that small window up there,
ouI people who were out late could see
1uytnlng as a rule.
ulgh up over the fifth story rose
urge skylight. which the moonlight gllm-
uI'td upon now. Just below It was a
oulall window barely distinguishable as
'VL hat was the studio.
Who is afraid? just for a lark let's
squceze in that door and see if we can go
up 70 the studio. Everything may he
upcn' Perhaps that may be also. 1t
"ould be deviish interesting to stand up
VII the stage where such drama was
'nacled as there probably was"
'ei1lng the boats lantern, we cautious
uptoed up the stairway, which wound
ound ANA presently let us out upon an
mner arcade which ran around four sides
ruined courtyard. The other side OF