Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-08

boarded; and once they were seated
a good stroke sent the gondola up the
canal. The women sat speechless for
some time. At each intersection Pom
PEG called right or left unsteady
Sometimes the moon would find its
way through the brick and marble
canon or the bright eferrule of another
gondola flashed and disappeared into
the gloom Under bridges they passed
they glided by little restaurants where
the Venetians, in olden days, talked
liberty for themselves and death tc
the Austrians, and at length they
came out upon the Grand Canal where
the Rialto curves its ancient blocks
of marble and stalactites CLEAN ghost
ly overhead.
There, this is better"
ut is always better when you are
with me-" said Kitty.
For years Kitty had fought her bat
ties alone, independent and resource
| full: and yet here she was, leaning
| upon the strong will Of this remark
able woman. and gratefully, too. 1t is
a pleasant thing to shift responsible
| ity to the shoulders of one we know
to be capable of bearing it.
! Now, my dear Kitty. Well just en-
| joy ourselves tonight, and on our re-
turn | shall lay a plan before you,
and tomorrow you may submit it to
the men. 1t is as usual a foolish plan,
but it will be something of an adven-
ture."
81 accept it at once, without know
ing what it is"
ina. THE name is as pretty as you
are. Pretty Kitty Killigrew; it actual
ly sings Then she added solemnly:
worth the exchange"
Kitty was not wholly sure of this,
SO she made no response.
what a beautiful palace!" she
cried presently, pointing to a house in
darkness, not far from the house of
Petrarch. 1t was only the interior of
the house that was in darkness. The
moon poured broadly upon it. The
leaning gondola posts stood like sleep
ing sentinels, and the tide murmured
over the marble steps
Pompeo, seeing Kitty's gesture and
not understanding her words, swung
the gondola diagonally across the
canal.
No, no, Pompeo," La signorina
spoke in Italian. Il have told you new
er to go near that house without ex-
press orders. Straight ahead
The gondola at once resumed its
former course. Never did Pompeo take
a tourist down the Grand Canal that
he did not exalt in his best Italian
and French the beauties of yonder
empty palace. Had he not spent his
youth in the service of the family?
1t was only Of late years that Pom
PEG had become public gondolier,
with his posts in the stand fronting
the Hotel de l'Europe
"A-oel! Look Quit" he called sudden
ly. Another gondola scraped alongside
and passed on.
who lives there?" asked Kitty.
Nobody" answered La Signorina.
Though It once was the palace of
great warrior How picturesque the
gcndolas look, with their dancing dou-
Bile lights! Those without numbers are
private
"The old palace interests me more
than the gondolas,' declared kitty.
But La Signorina was not to be
trapped
Presently they passed the row of
great hotels, with their balconies
hanging over the water and their
steps running down into it. Kitty eyed
them all regretfully. She saw men
and women in evening dress, and she
was sure that they had dined we'll and
were happy. Without doubt they were
persons who knew her by name and
had seen her act. From the Grand
Canal they came out in to the great
Canal Of San Marco, the beginning of
the lagoon. Here Kitty forgot for the
moment her troubles; her dream
Venice had returned. There were pri.
vate yachts, Adriatic liners, all bril-
liant with illumination, and hundreds
of gondolas. bobbing, bobbing, like
captive leviathans, punched round the
gaily lanterned barges of the serenad-
ers. There was only one flaw in this
perfect dream: the shrill whistle OF
the ferry boats. They had no place
here, and their presence was an af-
front.
How l hate them!" said La Signor-
ina. The American influence! Some
day they will be filing up the canals
and running trans over them. What is
beauty and silence if there be profit in
uglines sand noise?"
La Signorina-" began Kitty.
There l have warned you twice.
The third time shall be angry"
"Hilda, then. But I am afraid when
ever call you that. You do not belong
to my world"
"And what makes you think that?"
There was smile behind the veil.
Il do not know unless it is that you
are at home everywhere, in the Cam
pc. in the hotels, in the theater or the
palace. Now, I am at home only in the
theater, in places which are unreal
and artificial. You are great actress,
a great singer: and yet, as O'Mally
would say, you don't belong" Kitty
had forgotten what she had started
out to say.
La signorina laughed. "Pouf. You
| have heen reading too roanv novels