River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-10-17

Hdu uOC invited. Inc new marquis
was scarcely warm in his bare house
and the old one cold in his before the
procession Of boats, each with its COM
| Portable priest, came to the stone steps
and bore away the Virgin of the Noun
tain to her gemi-annual worshiping
An American tourist chose that
morning to ascend Vesuvius Passing
through Tore del Greco, he was met
| by the procession of the Virgin, and
his driver was ordered by the priests
/ to pull up by the roadside until the
holy ceremony was ended. The tour
ist, standing up on his carriage seat,
observed that the procession was not
likely to pass within any reasonable
time, and as the ceremony was in no
wise holy to him, fact which he
stated clearly enough in his own Ian
guage, he ordered his driver to go on.
The driver declined, having, like the
old marquis, an eye to the welfare
OF his soul, whereupon the tourist, not
caring whit for his soul, caught up
the lines and drove into the process
sion.
streaming down their backs were
passing at that moment. These prompt
ly seized the horses, cut the traces Of
the harness, pulled the linch-pins out
of the axles, and trundled the carriage
into the gutter. They then, in va
riety of ways, explained to the tourist
the esteem in which they held him.
He, likewise, gave his views no less
picturesquely, finally declaring that
he would buy the COMPOUNDED Virgin
as soon as he got down from Vesu-
vius, and hang her up in a Carnegie
library-a threat at that moment lost
on the un-Englished peasants Of Tore
del Greco, but otherwise an expression
fated, like an oracle. 1t was not lost,
however, on the guide who sat beside
him, but accurately remembered and
accurately repeated in reply to innu-
morable queries.
One does not know what hand the
long-baf1ed mountain took in the bust
ness. At any rate, the following
morning the American called on the
new marquis and asked him to name
a price for his picture. The young man
declined. The American offered a
thousand Ira, then ten, finally twenty.
The marquis still declined, and the
American in disgust returned to Ma
pies. The young marquis locked up
his house and went to the inn at Sor-
rento for his dinner. This hostelry
is maintained by the pIeasantest thief
in Italy Over his wine the marquis
had the incident of the procession re-
lated with endless comment; SO many
gesticulating witnesses came forward
to be heard that the marquis was COM
PEELED to remain the night under the
roof Of this pleasantest thief. When
he returned at sunrise and opened the
door of the villa with it's iron key, he
found the Virgin of the Mountain van
ished; the canvas had been cut out
of the frame.
The man, overwhelmed with this
tremendous disaster, sat down on a
bench in his hall, covered his face
with his hands and abandoned himself
to despair forgetful of the open door
and the sun now shining through it.
He was aroused by a voice offering
|
the benediction of God. He looked up
to see the padre of Sorrento standing
in the door, The old man had come
early, tramping down the mountain
through the wet lemon groves, to
warn the young marquis against that
DEVILS threat of the American and to
bring peace to his house.
The young marquis took one of his
hands from over his face and pointed
to the empty frame hanging on the
wall The padre, following his finger,
groaned like one struck with mortal
agony and backed slowly out of the
door. Then, 1ivid, quivering, his
teeth rafting like castanets, he cursed
the new Marquis Mazaccra with hide
Gus, excoriating curses.
Thou who hast sold, like Judas, not
Christ, but the Mother of Christi"
The boy leaped up like one prodded
with a hot spit.
mo, no, padre!" he cried, 81 have
not sold it. 1t was stolen. See, it was
cut from the frame. / have not sold
it,"
The old man pointed long, shak-
ing finger over the threshold
Thou art liar" he said, like thy
master, who is the father of liars"
Then he gathered his skirts closely
about his legs, shook the dust from
his feet and went swiftly down the
steps.
The boy instantly saw the hell
storm that would descend on him
when the padre got back to his people
with the news.
He gathered quickly what he could
carry tied up in a cloth and fed to
! Naples. A steamer was just going out
of the harbor for America. He went
abroad, took his place in the steerage
with the emigrants and came to New
York. Here he repaired directly to
those in authority over the phantom
kingdom of Italy and laid the entire
matter before them. In this new king
dom, as in the old one, he was the
Marquis Mazaccra and a person of pc
culiar distinction. Moreover, here his
story was believed.
The new kingdom of Italy decided
for the marquis and went into secret
counsel on his case. The young man
had a plan of his own. He knew the
| face Of the American who had come
to buy the Virgin OF the Mountain,
and he had, also, the finest voice in
| the military school at Milan. Why
not, then, get place in grand opera,
if 1t could be managed. There could
1