Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-11-04
THE WAITER WHO
SERVED W|THOUTPAY
ey MINNIE 8. CARTER.

A man calling himself Giovanni
walked into an Italian restaurant lh
New York and. addressing the proprie-
tor, Antonio Mancini, asked FOR EN-
ployment as a waiter. Being told that
the force of walters was complete, ne
said that he would work for nothing
until Il vacancy occurred.
Soon after Giovannfs employment
the custom of the establishment drop
ned of, and the proprietor. instead OF
filling walters vacancies, began 10 uls-
charge those he had. He told Glo-
vanni that there was no hope for MIN
to secure pay and he was welcome to
leave as soon as he liked. To this /
Giovanni replied that he was making
| a living from the tips he received ana
this was far better than nothing.
But the attendance at the restaurant
continued TO decrease. Mancini, VINO |
was an excellent cook, went himselt
into the kitchen and even invented
new dishes with the most delectable
favorings, hoping TO regain the ell
entele he had lost But it was OF no
avail. His old customers did not come
back to him. and new ones were not to
be attracted. He was paying high
rental, and his expenses in other re-
spects were enormous. One day he
called his few remaining employees
to his office and said to them
81 am expecting the sheriff to levy
on what remains here. Until recently
was making money. Indeed, l pos
sessed $4,000. l was about to sell out
my business and return to our beloved
Italy to spend a comfortable old age.
Instead of that | am a beggar in a
foreign land. Go and secure new
places. AS for me, know not what
to do"
All expressed sorrow for their EN-
ployer and went away, except Clio
vanni. He stood alone with Mancini
after the others had departed.
"Why do you remain?" asked the
restaurateur.
"To tell you the cause Of your mis-
fortune"
There was something in the mans
eye and the tone In which the words
were spoken that arrested his employ
er's earnest attention. He looked at
Giovanni for an explanation.
"You wonder, signor," said the lat
ter, "why l. TO whom you have never
paid cent, have stood by you to the
last"
81 do"
81 am not only countryman of
yours, but came from the same dis
e trict as you, the lake region of Italy"
4 "Oh~
5 81 was smuggler engaged in run
r ming dutiable goods across Lake Como
to region where it was easy to
dispose of them. You know that the
lake Is patrolled by the customs Off
GERS and there is great risk in car
rying goods across. Indeed, 1t is prac-
tically impossible to do so without de-
lection. Well, / divided my profits
g with them, and they took care not to
see me. In this way gained enough
S. to pay for farm and was about to
/, purchase one, marry the girl / loved
o and turn farmer when misfortune
o occurred to me. A customs officer |
had been bribing made 1t his business
to see me while smuggling. / was ar
rested and imprisoned"
f Mancinl sat spellbound by the story.
every moment growing paler. Clio
vanni kept his eye fixed on him in
tently.
while in JAIL" he resumed, "I was
j. put into a cell with an old smuggler.
q He was III, and / nursed him. Dying,
l. he made me his heir. Where do you
l. suppose his fortune was deposited?o
go on"
# "You remember the point formed by
the junction Of Lakes Como and Lee
COZ
II was born on It,"
o There, across the lake, one can see
E, Monte Crocione and on a crag near by
e the little church of San Martino."
e II was married there" groaned
20 Mancini.
And not far from San MARITIME is
hole in the rock. From across the
lake 1t looks only large enough to con.
tain a big bowlder. 1t would hold n
church."
"a II have been in it."
The fortune | inherited was there.
y Ihe smuggler had turned all his prof.
y It's into diamonds and hidden them in
N the cave. brought them to America
'r In the shape of bills of exchange"
rt And have lost your inherltancep,
n NO; l have every cent of it. And
q why have !, a rich man. been WORKING
N here without pay? To ruin the Gus.
:, = toms officer who betrayed Inc and who
'' married my betrothed. have caused
the falling off of your business by cir.
fe cuiating false stories of what food
in you have served to your guests"
it "You-you have done this;"
II have"
You have taken terrible revenge
But you are rich, and will have dam
u ages under the law"
"a "On what evidenceY'
k Mancini was silent