Year: 1875

The Painters Mantle.


On the fifteenth day of January, 1926
a gentleman arrived in Florence and
weGt to lodge at the Sun Inn. Having
with him only one trunk. the innkeeper
thought he could not be very rich, and
gave him for this reason a room in the
top of the house, No. 40. At that time
it was not necessary to give ones name
at an inn, and those who wished to pre-
serve their incognito gave to their
friends the number of their room and
the name of the inn where they lodged.
This gentleman did so.


At the end of the first week the land
lord presented his bill but great was
his astonishment when the unknown
told him that he had no money, that he
expected some every day from home,
begging him to rest easy, and assuring
him that as soon as the money arrived
he should be paid.


The innkeeper went away not very
well satisfied, because this stranger or
dered the most exquisite dinners, the
most recherche yiands, the most ex-
pensive wines of France and Germany
and the landlord, being very miserly
and suspicious feared for his money.


at the end of the second week he
made his guest another visit, and pre-
senting his bill, met with the same re-
sponse then he looked around the room
and saw q magnificent mantle hanging
on the wall, all lined with rich fur-a
mantle which might be worth 500 silver
forms. The innkeeper, delighted with
his discovery, saluted the gentleman,
and descended the stairs, saying to
himself, "If he does not pay me at the
end of another week, 1 will make him
leave this mantle in pledge for what he
owes me"


Some days passed, when there ar
rived an express with a letter for the
gentleman in No 40.


The landlord, sure that it contained
a remittance, ran to give it himself to
the stranger, who took the letter, and
seeing the seal, exclaimed, "Oh the
imperial arms :" then opened the letter,
and having read it. said at is at order
to go at once to Bologna, where the
Emperor of Germany is staying at
present, who wishes to see me. A car
riage Will come for me in little while,
because the journey will be at the En-
peror's expense.


''But, sir, before you go, pay me my
bill, which amounts to 80 forms"


"You know very well, caro- milo, that
since came to your inn, / have re-
ceived no letter but this one therefore
/ have not yet received my money, and
not having received it, L cannot pay
you. / am an honest man do not
wish to defraud you, and / will send
you the money from Bologna"


"Sir, if you have no money, as you
say, to pay me, it does not matter /;
leave me in pledge this mantle point-
ing to the one hanging on the walD,
and as soon as you have paid your bill,
will take care to have it sent to Bo-
logna, or to whatever other city your
lordship may happen to be in"


"How have you the heart to let me
go away this cold weather without my
cloak 2"


"Ah sir, 1 DO not know you-and I
give credit to no one"


"Inhuman wretch without pity"


Here he was interrupted by the porter
of the inn. who entered, telling the
gentleman that carriage had come for
him. ......


"very well, he replied, "take my
trunk, and will go"


The landlord accompanied him to the
gate, saying "a pleasant journey, sir ;
we understand each other, and l will
remember my promise"


Eager to examine more closely the
rich cloak, he mounted at once to the
chamber of the unknown, and went up
to the wall to take down the cloak,
when, oh horror he discovered that
it was painted


"Ah the thief the william a man
who deserves hangingl" he began to
shout, and made such an uproar that
all the strangers in the inn came out of
their rooms to see what had caused such
a noise.


"Ah gentleman, see-a painted man
tie The man who had this room, and
who has Just gone, not having money
enough to pay his bill, was to leave me
in pledge his magnificent cloak, worth
more than 500 forms. Instead the vii
lain has put it in his trunk, and left
me this and more than this, he had
the efrrontery to mock me, reproaching
me with being without human feeling,
without heart.


One of the strangers, who was an
amateur painter, sail to the landlord
You are an migrate, an ignorant fool.


You possess treasure IN this most
beautiful picture. You were born
lucky. This mantle will make your
fortune. Charge price of admission
for each person who wishes to see it,
and in a short time you will have in
your strong box many times the value
of your reckoning"


The innkeeper, surprised at this
praise of the picture from his guest,
and rejecting that it was possible that
he might in that way gain some profit,
followed the advice.


The next day the report OF this
strange adventure had spread through
all Florence and the curiosity was so
great not only in that city, but In all
the country around, that our landlord
in a very little time had pocketed eight
hundred silver forms.


But when, a few days after, it became
known that this wonderful painted
mantle was a pleasantly of Titan, who
had painted it is a trick on his inn
keeper, not only the Florentines came
to see it, but people came from all
parts to admire work of this distin-
guished painter, whom Charles V. had
that year summoned to Bologna to
paint his portrait and undertake other
important works.


Our fortunate innkeeper found him.
self, in short time, possessor OF q con-
siderable sum, and wrote letter oi
apology to the great artist.
Titan replied that he was much sur
prised that any painting of his had pro-
duced so fabulous sum, but knowing
that his landlord had not deserved il
by his cupidity and avarice, he left u
to HIM only on one condition, that If
some poor artist should come to his inn
he would not present his bill at the enc
of every week.-hlice ID. Wide.


A man who would try to stab a ghos
would stick at nothing.