The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-05-03

AaAaff dS @ufut- utH SndiA I nlCGN
you:"
Outside Florian's. OH the plaza. at
3. But you have not yet aroused your
~gondOlier."
] poked Pietro with my walking
stick. Pietro flung away his cigarette
and bent to his oar. The gondcla. like
a thing of life, leaped ~joyously toward
the Molo.
At a quarter To 3 ! boarded Il penny
steamer from the ~Fondamenta della
Croce. the broad. sunny quay in front
OF my palace, and crossed over to the
Molo. 1t was the first time in three
years that I had Used this humble
craft. The penny steamer. be it I'M
derstood. was Il part of the new re-
gime. II stood for hustle and demo
cratic haste. the qualities in which
dear J~acqueline had found me so sadly
lacking.
leaped ashore. the first of the pas
sengers. and walked briskly across the
piazetta. ! saw them Immediately at
one Of the little black tables outside
Of Florian's-St. Hilary in the center
and Mrs Gordon and Jacqueline on
either side. ST. Hilary was talking
as usual.
lie eyinced no surprise ut seeing me.
That was not his way. He did not
even shake hands. He merely saluted
me with his rattan cane and continued
TO talk-as usual.
Then it is the beauty of Venice that
impresses you BOTH" he was saying.
The beauty, | am weary of the cry.
Let me tell you that there is something
Infinitely more appealing TO II than
beauty in Venice if one knows precise
~ how to look for it and where"
And what Is that?" asked Mrs. Cor
don as st. Hilary paused.
1T is its mystery he said impress
sively.
For you" placidly replied Mrs. Cor
don. simply because you are Il dealer
in antiquities"
Perhaps So" he sighed. Say that
it is the passion of the collector that
talks and not the sober judgment of
the dealer. And yet and yet it is this
that sends me to impossible places in
Persia, to Burma. Yes; it has brought
me now to Venice"
ITO Nenicei'' | cried. astonished.
You allow yourself to be mastered
by n whim as vague, as visionary, as
this!'
What we have never had we do not
miss" he unused. NO one missed the
Venus de Milo or the Frieze of the
Parthenon or the kOhinoor. Yet we
call them today three of the wonders
of the world"
Because there are but three of
them.'' | said impatiently. Il am
afraid you must look far and wide be-
fore you find the lucky fourth"
mo doubt" he said indifferently;
mo doubt
And have you information as well
as your abundant faith, st. Hilary"
| inquired, with mock solicitude.
At this idle question bis heavily lid
ded eyes opened wide. The pupils di-
lated. \ challenge flashed from their
blue depths. | stared mt him. But al
most Immediately the heavy lids drop
ped again.
"AlI this is extremely interesting,
Mr.. st. Hilary" said J%acqueline. But
is 1t not rather wide from our Vene-
tan palace? Why do we waltz
simply, my dear young lady, be-
cause the owner happens TO be of a re-
ligious turn of mind. and at this mo-
ment. | believe, is confessing his sins
in San Marcos yonder."
who is the owner of the palace?'
inquired Mrs. Gordon. And why does
he wish TO sell its contents:
"rhe owner is a duke, the Duca da
Sestos. and he wishes to sell because
he is as impecunious as the rest of his
tribe"
"a duke cried Mrs. Gordon. How
interesting. And what kind of a duke
is this gentleman
"Of the very flower of the Italian
nobility. He is IL prince of good fell
lows. II dashing cavalier. handsome ms
Il young god and twenty-siX."
How very interesting" repeated
Mrs. Gordon and looked at J%acqueline.
The look troubled me. ~Jacqueline
herself seemed annoyed at it. She
turned to st. Hilary.
and have you any other treasures
up your sleeve. Mr.. st. Hilary"
My dear young lady. shall ] give
you an inventory of one collection I
know about? | promise to make all
your mouths water.
TO begin with, there is a balas ruby.
known rs III Spigo. or the ear of corn.
In the fifteenth century it was valued
at the enormous sum of 100000 ducats.
Then there is the jewel FL Lupo, the
wolf. 1t is one large diamond and
three pearls. These two stones would
take the eye of the vulgar. But mag
inc II beryl twice as big as your thumb
nail and on it the portrait of the pope,
Clement VII. carved by none other
than the great Cellini."
Il will buy il at any price" cried