Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-19
BY MISS KATHERINE PARSONS
written for the mspatch.l

She was only brown-faccd little cou-
badsnd, leading her donkey along
through the broad Sacra Viaout of Rome.
Her small, bare feet were quite cover
ed with dust, and the dark hair, loosen
I'd and falling in tumbled masses down
upon the shoulders Of her linen chemise
and clnoinc in tendrlls to the firm pill
lar OF her uncovered throat
And she was tired, with long day OF
vending in the noisy streets. But very
happy heart beat under her red bodice,
in spite of fatigue and the long walk
which lay before her. Tho King had
noticed her thSt day, The King himself
might have envied her ioyousness.
She called him "The King" and IN
her ignorance believed him 10 DO go.
Many times she had heard persons speak
OF an Rel 6uOnO Re " but she had
never CHANGED to see him. And so that
sunny afternoon. when long file OF cav
airy had passed her as she stood In the
street, and at their head had ridden one
in helmet and falling plume ana gold
lace. his scabbard shifting his horse $
tanks, and OF an exceeding beautiful
countenance she had unheHt2tlngly
said. 1.-THE King !"
Victor Martini, colonel OF -, had
seen with the quick attention that little
escaped, the oVal-laced girl selling hgs
and plums and peaches beside her tat
gray donkey in Il shady street OF the
Strangers Quarter
lie had thought she was graceful and
modest, and had muttered:
madonna. what face That child
standing there in the streets-what
pity /" He had half smiled to her IN
der his shading plumeS
Then he rode on. curling his chestnut
stallion until the bit lay foam-covered
on its splendid chest, thinking maybe,
"What a rarely dCGT-faced little girl
But other things soon draw her from
his mind. There was n grand review
that sprinR day, and he was anxious that
his regiment should win the royal word
of approval. and the heat was iptolerable.
When il vas all over and ranks broken
and his horse given over to lts oats aud
rnbbing down, Martini sat awhile with
his helmet removed resting his heated
forehead on his hand, and IN his wearl-
ness confused images OF marching hun
dreds and clouds OF dust, of woman S
face. quiet and naughty, and Of another
face. quiet, too, but sweet and very
gentle, crossed one another IN his
thoughts and an anxious fear that
Caporal Fote, who had suffered a sun
stroke that day, would not recover. Then
be went slowly away TO prepare for
dinner al which he had promised to be
present. and the little fruitrseller quite
faded from his memory.
But Tessa The next day, and the
next, she thought of him, and watched
for him, and caught her breath when
she remembered he had smiled. He,
the King Now she listened more
closely when the people about her spoke
that name. Only sometimes she heard
them say RcginG, and she wondered
vaguely If that we're his mother. She
never asked any questions. Somehow
she could not bring her lips to speak to
these careless folk of what was TO her so
sacred. At home. at tue small low
rooted house five miles away from the
External City" she grew more and
more silent. Not. however, in a sullen
vav. lessa was never sullen. Only she
hqu never DtCu ONO VI N4iS Ahh ILL ~
chattering girls that make all Italy
bright with the CLEAN OF brilliant eyes
and teeth. Nor did she neglect her
work. The donkey WAS always carefully
fed. the fruit gathered, and herself up
In the gray OF morning ready Tor the
DAYS business. Only the old grand
mother would cav "Child, talk to NE.
Thou goest about smiling to thyself and
singing in thy sweet voice, but never
any tales of the city for me. The old
Ike the chatter Of the young. And
once / was young. and these little hap
peninCs have still interest for me. Tell
me. Is it q lover-ah. then, thou hast
one
"Ah, no, Madre mia. Thou'rt wrong
tt is only that / am young and content,
and it is summer, and You love me. FOR
You do love mech, granny
Tessa would so up and put her hand
beside the withered old cheek or stroke
her white hair with winsome grace she
had.
But the Old dame would laugh aloud
and shake her head wisely
"Tny grandmother loves thee, eh
And for That wee a Won forget the wine in
thy cup and hear not the voices that cal
thee and go always with the smile upon
thy face as if the Prince had kissed thee,
more ike
Tessa started, and bent attentively
over the distaf of fax in the old vo-
mans lap. with her cheeks flushing redly.
How had the grandmother happened to
say that? Her heart was troubled,
thinking perhaps her dear secret was
half read in her face. But that evening,
rs she trudged homeward beside the
donkey, forgetting TO utter the
Ach-h-l" that spurs him from his
lazy gait, carriage dashed toward her
al a-jingle OF harness and bright with
yellow wheels and footmen IN flesh
colored livery. Just time to drag thai
slow macco out OF the way, and the car
rage passed in q cloud of dust. But
not so rspidly that She had not seen II
1.-THE King. Martini had not seen her
Beside him was woman IN dainty
dress and vide hat. But the girl at the
roadside had seen the dark beauty of hel
face. and with the quick intuition thai
supplies the place OF experience, knew
shat her hero saw II as we'll
That night the poor child cried her
SELF quite to sleep on her straw mattres.
under the caves. The next morning the
cooling pigeons had 10 need to wake hel
rs was usual. She was up and out before
her grandmother could prepare hel
breakfast, and Tessa had called out from
the vines that she had eaten and was IL
haste TO set out.
Something was lacking in the blith'
voice. The old dame. vaguely troubled
called after her. But Tessa had gotten
too far away and did not hear.
That day the woman near her whC
sold flowers, good-natured old thing
enough, said TO iessa