Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-01

7
on board; the rest, five in number,
among them Rita and Beppo, were
pacllen into the boat and brought ON
shore. On landing the padroni sep
arated. toe one taking, with three chli
dIcn. an casterly direction and the otter
driving Beppo and RITA before him like
Il pair of cattle in the direction of BaX,
ter street
White walking the Italian explained
10 Beppo that his name vas Mattco, and
that they were going to live together,
And where is Zio Antonio:!' asked
the lad in despair
What DO | know about your Zio An
tonio?" rejoined the padronc gruflly.
You have no business to know anybody
but me-
They walked on in silence. With
each step through the busy roaring
streets the poor children became more
frightened and bcwildered by the bust
ling which surrounded them. y feeling
OF utter despair and helplessness seized
Reppo as he became conscious of the
impoSsibiii;y OF finding Zio Antonio
amid the waves Of this human ocean.
"lIeIe W. are" sad Matteo, stopping
in the doorway OF one OF the highest and
most dingv tenement-houses IN Baxter
street. Follow me-
lie stepped into the dark hail. The
Children followed. trembling with an I'M
dsiinahie horror. The walls OF the hall
were damp and clammy, the air foul
with stencl3cs sad CARNATIONS OF all kind.
/ Tx Door iaZzarunl, used 10 the balmy,
invltor.ting brerZes Of the Mediterra
nr..n. I.lt nearly choke,l III this atmos-
pnele. Ut the end Ul the long corridor
they descended few teps into what
SecG,td to be III eltireiy dark cellar.
Ma;reo opened door i'll ii narrow. badly
lighted basement room in which, besides
4 rnu-A bedstead IN IL cornor, they could
distinguish bat great heap Of monde
script rags, pe&uH,s, e@gshells and rub
bISE OF every kind. In the middle OF
| the room there stood q small leca pitated
iroa stove, which had evidently not yet
bee. used during that season, for the air
il the room was damp and cold.
There is your bed said Matteo, point
ing TO heap % rags in the corner.
There IS always enough OF that rubbish
;t"cf for rnu to lay on. Now, come
along, j viii show you your business
But Rita cannot walk exclaimed
Beppo, Indignantly. 'She has been slck
a! the way. GIVE her something to cat
before going.
Time enougH for that rejoined Mat
teo grinning. We'll, the girl may re-
main at home for this once
Matteo led the way through a laby
rinth OF narrow streets 10 one OF the bu
slest and nUisieSt corners OF that noisy
nei9hborllood. There the worthy pad
rome possessed thriving peanut stand
which lie intended 10 intrust 10 Beppo,
himself desiring to embrace "a new and
more lucrative career.
From that day I weary miserable life
began for the poor children. 1t was not
the wretched 1ood and cruel treatment
on tie part of Mafteo wlich panied them
most: ii WAS first OF all the dreadful
house, 5!te abominablc underground hole
in wt,::h they lived, the feeling of de-
penGencc, almost OF sinvcry, which was
.iard - bear Tor these children of nature.
Macy Il sieepiess night did they spend.
sitting on their heap of rags and talking
in Il whisper about Santa Lucia and the
nights on the coast, and Zio Antonio.
Sometimes Rita accompanied Beppo to
his peanut stand. But mostly she re-
maineu at home Or was sent out by Mat
teo to sell evening papers. the names of
which he had Taught her One bitter
cold night as Beppo returned come u lit
tie earlier than usual, he heard on APP
preaching the door OF their room. the an
gry Voice OF Matteo swearing and sco!d-
ing. while Rita cried and moaned IN an
agony OF pain. Beppo rushed into the
room and saw Matteo holding the girl
by the hair with one hand, while with
the other he dashed her naked back with
"A whip. Beside himself with rage Bep-
po sprang 20 Matteo's throat and cluDg
to it 9TH such a firm grasp that the man
was obliged to release poor Rita. Of
course he turned all his fury against the
boy. lie whipped him TIL the blood
sprang out Of the scars, then opening the
door, threw the senseless body of the lad
out INTO the inner yard of the house
Rita ran ont after him, and Matteo lock
ed both out, saying:
Freeze there all night, you curs!''
The cold air revived Beppo very soon.
On recovering his senses his first cues
ton was concerning Rita She was knee
ing at his side crying bitterly.
Wy has the rascal been whipping
YOU agnin!' he asked
"He wanted to teach me how to draw
a handkerchief out of his pocket so that
he should not feel 1t; | could not. and
then he beat me-" answered the girl,
sobOiDg.
Beppo said nothing, but he clenched
his fists and his eyes flashed like those
of wild beast. Rita was shiverlng
with cold. The boy got up and raped
at .atte,'s window. An oath and an
order 10 keep quiet was all the answer
he could get. With every hour the
night became colder. An icy wind came
sweeping over the city and, descending
into the deep urt-yard in Baxter stree.,
kept whirllng and whirIing around, chill
ing the poor Italian children to their
hearts. Beppo took off his coat and waist
coat to keep Rita as warm as possible,
and feeling his limbs stltfening in the
frost leaned against the door, and drew
10 Il 30 \ &Lo-