Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-10-04
SIN CARLO NHEAzRE

with vegetables, and then the pail
shoots up again; there In the distance
you see a goat milked-at so much
,, per glass-before the customers very
eyes; yonder is a cart full OF snails;
other edihles are in sight. and In your
confused conscienceness the smells Of
these mingle with the well-nigh IN
terminable cries of the vendors. the
chatter of women. the noisomeness Of
rchildren.
At last, after q long wait, here is
the landlady; a middleaged. prema-
turely wrinkled woman, with very
shrewd eyes. which examine you with
. curious and careful scrutiny. You
ascend with her laboriously up the
wide stone stairs. made of lava. as we
later discovered-to the fourth story.
and, passing along q number of curl
Gus long corridors which run mostly
around the areaway of the skylight.
oentered in the building, We come
upon a small door, presenting even a
more exaggerated diminutive appear
ance because of the jamb that IL sure
ly at least two feet In depth. Your
first feeling is that you are about to
enter a vault an impression that 10
quickly dissipated once you enter the
room. which is very large and even
more amazingly high. Other much
larger doors are here, leading to other
rooms. overhung heavily with curtains
and draperies. leading to the balcony
overlooking two streets.
You HasaIe.
Then begins the haggling about the
price; you are expected. following the
advice of the guidebooks, ito preserve
outwardly calm demeanor." "Out-
wardly" should be In italics. for GER
tainly inside of you you are boiling
with rage as you watch the voluble
landlady gesticulating. expostulating.
arguing, haranguing. waxing eloquent.
putting all her facial muscles into
play, like an emotional actress; and
all of this to Impress you with the
fact that the room is cheap at her
price. You are helpless against the
torrential outpour Of words; all you
can do, not knowing the language, 10
to name your price and say ''Bastal"
II is an indispensable word, and means
enough" you must say 1t quickly, de-
cisively, leaving no doubt as to your
meaning. Then shake your head and
hedge away to the door-never fear.
she won't let you go. You effect a
compromise, and Immediately you
pay her deposit her face smiles like
the sun after a storm. Then you are
taken in hand by the porter-oh. yes.
that trunk! Drat that trunk!
That night we returned to our apart
ment trifie past midnight. The por-
ter, sitting In his dark hole by dim
candlelight, opened his eyes drowsily.
We put into his hand so centesimi, a
legalized exaction which Naples en-
forces upon strollers who turn IN after
IL o'clock. Those long corridors had
q sinister look by night, and this as
pect Of the place was increased by the
dead silence and darkness of the large
house. Upon entering our room we
fastened the door on its fiimsy latch.
The feeble flicker Of the candle in
that enormous room failed to shed
light in the corners, and the apart
ment assumed the forbidding charac-
ter of some great underworld. We ex-
amined suspiciously the large doors;
there was no way of knowing whether
they we're fastened or not, and from
behind them could be heard the regu-
lar deep breathing Of some one asleep.
The huge mirrored wardrobe next fell
under our investigation, and that yield
ed neither live Cammorist. nor the
skeleton Of a victim-but only wom-
ans large hat. Thus treasured, we
undressed. put out the light. and went
to bed.