The San Francisco call., 1909-01-31

on the platforms.
The ardent and insistent advances Of
a Mephistophelean young Italian toward
q tau. light haired, blue eyed girl with
q bright rosy face attracted my aotten-
tion. Smiles and graceful finger firt-
ings of delicate. gloved hands twirl-
ings Of spiked mustaches, deep and
dark burning glances full of feverish
fire on his parton hers, ingenious
ewes fun Of doubt and perplexity.
brighter bushes on her pippin cheeks,
confused and uncertain pickings at the
fringe of her coat. Swarthy Romeo
scribbIed something on Garland in
a notebook. The card he gave 10 the
rustic lass and then he vanished with
bows and smiles most cavalierish. The
girl was visibly charmed and impressed
by his serpentine suavity. IN which,
certainly. there was nothing in itself
sinister, but merely racial.
The train came swaying IN. Only an
aged man with red trimmed eyes blink
ing above the checkered shawl that
shielded his old body against the March
air occupied the second class carriage
which I entered. He sat huddled up
IN seeming misery. His feet, encased
in felt shoes, rested upon the luke
warm sheet iron water heater on the
floor. There was confusion without and
hurrying to and fro of the station
master and train guards. Then the
door OF the compartment was quickly
opened and the tow headed girl was
bundled in by an attendant; her bags
and boxes followed after. All the third
class carriages were filled, said the
guard. The young woman made an
apologize remark. or rather remark
apologetically-in some broad Saxon
tongue.
I began reading the Berlin Tag
soon fell asleep. The train stopped
with jerk awoke. The girl smiled
and handed me my paper which had
slipped from my hand. Then in. some
what peculiar German she asked me
whether 7 knew a certain lodging
house IN Venice, and showed me the
card given her by Romeo at Verona,
She was from Norway, and was going
10 Venice TO accept a place as maid
in a hotel on the Lido, famous bath
ing resort close to Venice. Here her
betrothed. Olaf, was engaged as waiter
Soon he would be head waiter. She had
missed the early morning train from
verona-olaf would consequently miss
her The young signor had advised her
to go to the pension of a woman friend
Of his, for no boats ran to the Lido al
night, said he.
This was manifestly an appeal to me
for advice-an appeal TO one not quail
ined by knowledge to advise. Yet
doubted the benevolent intent of the
smiling. scraping signor, and said as
much The decrepit old man in the
corner gazed upon US with his sore and
burning eyes; his hooked nose was
purple and dead, his small head lay
inert IN the folds Of his shawl like a
fox's in its hole. ] knew that those
red eyes, so like dull, dying embers
were full Of the thoughts of the days
Of flaming youth. I thought. quantity
enough, that his checkered shawl re-
solved itself into the chessboard of his
life and few were the pawns that were
left him to play.
Night came like a food. The trair
olamored over interminable bridges
Long quivering lances Of light stood
upright in the waters TO right and left
We were upon the great salt marshes
that surround the Queen of the Adriatis
and her seaward lamps threw serpent'
Of fame across the tide.
After attending to my baggage,
found the young Norwegienne expect
ing me in the waiting room at Venice
There was another Italian speaking t