The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-02-17

THE VENDETTA.


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Paola Savorini's widow lived with her
con. alone, in poor little house on the
ramparts Of Bonifacio. The village
built on the iutting-out side of noun
tain, actually, in places. overhung the
sea. II looked across a narrow sandbaf
upon the lower coast Of Sardinia. AT
its feet on the other side the sea had
cut out a place in the cliff. which
looked like a gigantic corridor. and
served as the port The water reached
almost to the houses Of the town. car
rying upon it the little Italian and sar-
dinian fishing boats and every fifteen
days the old sidewheeler which went
TO and from Ajacclo.
Clusters Of little white houses showed
white even upon the white sides OF the
ohalky mountain. They looked like
birds nests stuck into the crevices of
the malignant cliffs. which hung over
the horrible waterway. where sbips
dared not 60.
The widow Savorinrs house. placed
upon the extreme edge Of the passage
way opened its three windows upon this
savage and desolate horizon.
She lived there alone with her son
Antoine, and their dog Semillant. a
big, emaciated, ragged-haired shepherd
dog.
One night, after a quarrel. Antoine
wa murdered by Nidolas Ravollati. with
a poniard, who that same night es-
capped to Sardinia
When the old mother saw her sons
body brought into her by the neighbors.
she did not cry, but remained long
time mute, looking at him fixeily: then.
stretching her wrinkled hand over the
corpse, she promised it vendetta. She
did not want the people to stay with
her, and she shut herself in alone with
her dead and the dog, which howled
grievously The dog howled steadily.
erect at the foot of the bed her head
stretched towards her master and her
tail wrapped tightly through her legs.
The young man on his back. dressed
in cheaply woven cloth. which was cut
widely at the breast. seemed to sleep.
but there was blood everywhere on his
shirt, torn away in the first efforts to
stop the bleeding; on his vest on his
trousers, on his face. on his hands.
His old mother began to talk to him.
AT the sound Of her voice the dog was
stilled
va, "a, you shall be rcvenged, my
little one; my boy, my poor child Sleep.
sleep; you shall be revenged do you
hear? 1t is your mother who promises
you, and she always keeps her word
your mother"
Slowly she leaned toward him, press
ing her cold lips upon the dead lips
Then Semillant began to howl again.
She gave long, weary shrieks.
They staid there, these two, the wo-
man and the dog, until morning.
Antoine Sayorini was buried in the
morning, and soon was no longer spok-
en- of in Bonifaclo.
He left no brothers and no near cOus-
ms. There was no man there to carry
on the vendetta The mother alone
thought Of IT,
On the other side Of the strait she
saw from morning till night white
spot on the cliffs. It was a little Sar-
dinian village, Longosardo, tn refuge
of CorsloVn banditti who were hunted
too closely. They made up nearly the
entire population OF this hamlet, which
faces the shores OF their homeland, and
they waited there until they might re
turn. she knew Nicolas Rayollati was
in this village.
All alone, all day long, sitting al her
window. she looked across thinking Of
the revenge. What could she do with
out anyone feeble and near 10 death?
But she had promised, she had sworn
upon the corpse Sine could not forget,
she could not wait, WHAT would she
do? She could not sleep at night; She
had no longer either peace or rest; she
sought obstnately The dog at her
feet slept, and now and then. raising
her head. howled into the distance.
One night when Semillant had recon-
menced her wailing, the mother all Of
sudden. had an idea-the idea OF a
ferocious sayags. She meditated upon
it until the morning; then rising with
The coming OF the dawn, went to the
church. She prayed, prostrated upon
the pavement, humbled before God be-
seeching Him to aid her, 10 uphold her,
to give her poor, wearied body strength
to revenge her son.
Then she went home There was IN
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