Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-07-22

ner cOnQueSS Ddrenedueu' pne 10 al
brown as nut in the face. Her eyei
are coal black. Her nose is as hooked
as the beak of an eagle. She is forty i
day, and shows that poverty has dealt
commisseratingly with her anatomy
which has the outlines Of an egg. She
is dirty, and looks the virago. The wo
man turns the crank of hand-organ or
four wheels. She accompanies her. in
strument of torture with her voice
That voice has been heard three blocks
in fragments of Trovatore. Itarrests the
attention of the public, being strong anC
having in it the hoarse echoes of dying
cadences. Either hand organ or voice
or both, attract passers-by. If not, the
girl zouave is sure to finish the business
This zouave is. also an oddity. She il
nimble with the grimmy tin cup, AND
pursues the fugitive nickel adown the
dusty streets with the grace and skill oI
an acrobat.
Woman, organ and zouave make what
Mantiini called a "demnition horrid
grind" This woman, dolefully whirling
the crank, is a Countess. She is the
Countess Blanca Ricciolo. Twenty
years ago she crazed half of Milan with
her songs and her personal charms. An
old, gray-headed foreigner stopped yes
terday and listened to her outcry.
Madamel" he began in Italian, /
am sure saw you twenty years ago in
Milan. Then you were the queen of the
stage"
"The Signor is correct, replied the
woman, &C. am not what | have been.
Once the people cheered me. l was
popular l was young and happy. My
smile was fortune; my heart a girl s.
lived on alteration and conquest. /
was the pride of the stage. Alas
1t is all over now" Struggling her
shoulders. Nov l work for living
and don't get it. stand in the gutter.
/ sing old songs but they have lost their
ring. My throat is warped. The peo-
pie stare at me. / do not care, but my
heart is concealed. / am a slave, and
once l was a Queen. Once the people
rained flowers upon me. To-day the
water.cart on the street sprinkles us
my girl and my orchestra. am out of
tune, Signor, as well as out of time.
Il am sorry to see the change" said
the gentleman, sympathetically, drop
ping bill into the cup. This is for
the memory Of old times"
The woman's eyes flashed. Her hand
dropped from the handle of the rickety
crank
"The Signor has too good memory
for my heart" she said. II do not like
words that cut. Philipo, give me that
money!" Throwing the contents of the
cup into her hand she thrust it into her
pocket, grabbed the shaft to the cart
and moved away, dethroned goddess
of the stage, but with the fierce passions
Of her youth.
Of course thi conversation, though in
language unintelligible to most of the
crowd had nevertheless kept their atten-
ton. The most interested, apparently,
of the number, was a huge, swarthy-
compIexioned fellow, who lounged impa.
tientiy at the curb stone or crowded
closely to the woman's elbow, finally
giving her look that had its answer in
her fiery reply to the man with 100 good
a memory; and this gentleman was, evil
dently, more interested than he cared to
show, for he followed the vagrant musi-
clan at distance until she began once
more the strains that had already led
him to speak to her.
This time he kept out of her sight until
she had finished two songs.
Then he edged his way to her side
through the little knot of men and boys.
You do not remember me, BiaucaY
he said, touching her arm softly.
She regarded him steadily and an
swered, /" | do not"
Yet I.was once your lover, almost
your husband, he continued.
The stout form trembled, aud ghsst-
ly look stole over her brown face as she
studied the one before her.
"It is plain, she said. " | remember
Alfred, the Englishman. And to see me
here in this way You are no man to
recognize me. Go away at once, or l
shall 90 crazy with shame. Col push
ing him from her. =
al this instant the crowd parted, and
the dark-faeed glaut approached. He
asked no questions, said nothing in fact,
but simply knocked the gentleman into
the middle of the street, where be lay
like one dead, and like dead man was
picked up and carried into drug store.
A policeman took care of the assailaut,
the woman and her Accomplishments.
When the injured man came back to
consciousness he was borne away as q
witness and complainant.
The case came up before Justice King
this morning. The assaulted party gave
his version, simply as heretofore rem
dered. Very strangely; neither the man
nor the woman made any defense. In
fact. they refused At first to speak in any
language save the Italian. An inter
prefer being obtained, the accused sim
ply said; M,
" l am Count Rieciolo This woman
is my wife She was iusulted by this
man, and knocked him down. / would
DO it again. That is all.
The Justice thought that ten dollars
would pay for this acknowledged infrae-
ton Of the law, and after some talk be-
tween the Count and Countess the latter
paid the fne, and both departed
SO far the case was one Of simple as
sault and battery. But the whilom lover
gave it a different phrase in the story be
afterwards told to the Justice.
don't care for the knockdoEn, he
said, with a laugh. though it was a
rough surprise; but the coolness Of the