Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-01-14
LUCAS Duty.
BY CATHARINE CHIIDAR.


The speaker was tall, good looking
young fellow, dressed i'll the picturesqe cos
tune of the shepherds of the Albano Noun
tains, but his handsome features were spoilt
by an expression of petulant ill-humor.
The girl whom he addressed as Lucia
sighed deeply, but she did not raise her
eyes nor make any answer,
"Is this your last word?" Continued the
young man. "You mean to say you prefer
that wretched founding that miserable,
nameless cripple, TO me?"
"See here, Enrico: what you ask ME is
impossible! How can turn out of doors a
helpless child of six years old? Who is to
feed himS Who is to take care of him?"
"But we are poor people. Why are we
to keep q strangers child?"
Lucia lifted her head eagerly; the "we'
sounded encouraging.
Dear Enrico, you shall have no expense.
He shall not cost you a farthing. The
English signora who taught me to knit has
promised to buy all do. shall earn a
good deal, am sure. See, have already
begun a stocking, and the work goes on
goes on; whether l watch the goats, or the
soup upon the fire, l knit and knit Look,
how fast it goes!" and Lucia made the
steel needles glitter in the sunlight.
"Bahl That is nonsense, and the Eng
lish lady will very likely never come again.
Those foreigners are not to be relied on.
Besides, when we are married You will have
more to do. There will be my clothes I'd
see to, and why are you TO be saddled with
a foundling2 He is no relation of yours.
"True, but he is almost like brother.
Did not my dear mother find him lost
among the hills four years ago? Did she
not take care of him as if he were her own?
Has he not.always shared our food and our
home? And now that she is dead-she that
was his best friend, always patient when
was angry, always gentle when l was Sc
vere-now, before she has lain month in
her cold grave, am to turn out the poor
child she rescued from death? No, Enrico
mio, such thing is not possible. AS for
loving YOU, ah! you know" Here the
poor girls voice broke, and she said no
more.
But Enrico did not seem convinced either
by her glowing words or her silent tears.
He made no attempt TO console her; he
stood there frowning, and kicking the loose
stones of the road, looking just what he
was, a bad tempered, selfish fellow. He
had been brought up with Lucia, and had
loved her after his own fashion ever since
they were children-that is. to say, he had
tyranr lied over her himself, but had fought
her battles with others-and Lucia had re-
paid his championship with the deepest
love and admiration of her little heart
Enrico had taken to spending his winters
in Rome, picking up what he could get as a
model, and returning to his native noun
tains during the summer months. His af-
fection for Lucia had become a habit,
though, as she was poor, he looked upon
himself as n very magnanimous young fell
| low for offering to marry her, considering
how many girls were fascinated by his per-
| son and manners. But as to the cripple,
| the little orphan that Lucia's mother had
been silly enough to adopt, that was quite
another matter. He wasn't going to be
saddled with him, useless creature, that
could never be turned to account.
Just then the poor child who was the
| cause of the lovers estrangement came hop
ping and wriggling toward them. One leg
| dangled, perfectly useless, but he had a
crutch, and by means Of this and his un-
injured leg he managed to get over the
| ground tolerably fast. Enrico saw the child
coming, but took no notice; he only kicked
| the stones more viciously than before.
"Take care, Enrico" cried Lucia, anx-
| iously; "you very nearly hit his head"
She spoke too late. Enrico had sent a
sharp flint full into the little cripples face,
1t struck his lip and made him cry. With
| out q word of regret or farewell, Enrico
turned on his heels and strobe quickly
away.
The two creatures he had wounded 80
cruelty wept in each others arms. Little
| Pipino's face was cut, and the smart was
hard to bear, but what was that compared
to the pain in the true and loyal heart OF
| Lucia?
"Do not cry," whispered Pipino, forget
| ful of his own hurt, and stroking Lucia's
face with his small, thin hands, do not
| cry. He is a bad man. When / grow big
and strong 1 will kill him!'
"No, dear little one, You must not say
| such things. IL Is very wicked TO be re-
vengeful. Enrico did not mean to hurt
| you"
"Yes, he did. He told me yesterday he
should like TO wiring my neck. He would
have boxed my ears too, If Nicolo Pratc
had not come up Just in time. Enrico is q
coward; he ran away when he saw Nicolo.
"Hush, Pipinop said Lucia, angrily
Little boys know nothing about men
Nicolo Prato can box peoples ears too,
| dare say"
"Ah, but not ours" said Pipino, with
such n comic expression that Lucia could
not help smiling and blushing. She knew
very we'll why big, rough Nicolo Prato wat
so kind TO the little cripple, but she tried tC
| pretend ignorance.
"Come, come" she said, when she haC
washed Pipino's face and dressed hii
wound, plate of soup, and then off tC
/ bed"
IL don't want any soup. Nicolo gave me
some, and / took il all, because / knew
there would be more for YOU"
THAT was very naughty of you'll You are
never 10 do so again-do you year?"
| The child made no answer. He took hiI
reproof with an air of tolerant superiority
and walked of to his primitive couch.
| all night. Her love for Enrico was deer
and sincere, and now an end had come--aI
end TO all her fond hopes and bright planI
for the future. \.
Enrico had never been model charactei