The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-10-22
WHY SHE WENT MAD.
The Tragedy Of an Italian Fruitrnan,
and His Wife.

/. 4 81 ---
The Tragedy Of an Italian Fruitmans
and His Wife.
Nicolo came home drunk as usual,
only he had been more cruel than
common to his wife, and had even.
struck the poor, puny babe. A great,
red mark showed where his heavy
hand had fallen on the pitiful little
face. He had struck the child only
once before, and then q strange fierce
ness had come into the cowed fare Of
the mother. It was well Nicolo had
been too drunk to see her eyes, else he
might have killed her on the spot.
This night she crept into corner with
the baby, and the strange look came
back again.
Nicolo settled his heavy frame on
the window seat and stared stupidity
out. It was the top story Of Mott,
Street tenement, and his fruit stand
stood on the corner. Oh, how hot
and sultry it was on this August nights
All the air to be had in the sitting
room came through that one case
ment in which Nicolo sat. The won1--
an, like hunted animal at bay, never
took her eyes from him. She watched.
the great, round, brutal head settle
forward, the purple lips fall apart and
the blear eyes draw together as the
sodden wretch began to doze off into
drunken stupor. Then she knew
that she was safe and dared look att
the child. ~.s. .,,
"Oh, NitaP' she whispered, as if the
little one could understand, II was SO
near forgetting. When he struck you
before confessed to Father Felisi [
wanted to kill him. And the father
said: Remember, child, you could
never again kiss your babe if you
murder her father Oh, Mia mio!''-
and she caught the little one to her
breast with a great sob-"don't let me
do it! don't let me do itp' sa
Then the child moaned and drew up
it's poor, pale face as if in pain. Some
thing OF the strange, fierce expression.
came back into the mothers eyes and
she looked toward the window.
The mans head was failing on his.
breast; he swayed slightly outward
outward over that terrible abyss. She,
saw the movement. Nothing escaped
her. But she did not move
IF I rouse him he may beat me and:
the child,'' she thought. Then there:
was another thought, but it had no.
expression in words. It was numbing,
paralyzing. .... -
His head went further oyer; he
swayed again. What if no one awak-
ened him?
The child stirred and cried. It was
the answer to her prayer. But she
did not heed; she only went on look
ing IN the same stony way. A dog
barked in the street, and man came
along singing a popular air. Would
they wake him? No. 1t grew very
quiet after this, and the heat was
stlt1lng. 1t seemed a month since she
began to watch him, All! there was,
another lurch of the body outward
and the window was empty. Still she
did not move. .-.
They came tramping noisily up the
stairs and burst into the little room.
At first, in the dim light, they thought
the woman crouching in the corner
was asleep, and they shook her arm.
She arose in the same stony way.
Then she seemed to see the child, and
with long, terrible shrek she thrust
it into a neighbours arms.
'"Take her away!' she screamed. II
can never kiss her again" Then she
sprang to the window, and would have.
thrown herself out
"Strange," said the ambulance
driver, who was taking the poor Great
ure to Bellevue, chat woman who.
has been beaten every day by brute
should go insane over the loss of him!''
New York Recorder.