The morning call., 1892-05-01

light. This was Tuesday. Three days
more and she would see her lover, to say
the least; for she would get up and go and
station herself in the Via DELI Arsenale.
through which the troops must perforee
pass Iagreed to accompany her.
Tulsa was radiant, and for weeks no such
giadness had been seen In the Germanettl.
household. But on Friday morning. toward.
9 o'clock. there came knock at my door,
. and Nine. Germauetti entered. She looked
haggard and worn, and her dress was even
more eccentric than USUAL -. =
I: 'sWhatin the world is the matter ?? =
:aAh: signOre, my poor Luisa-she Is, not
herself-I can. do nothing with her she
/. oes nothing but weep. Would you kindly
come and try to. comfort her? It's great
liberty. know, but the signore is so good
Luisa gives such heed to all he says"
OF course / went. -.
Tulsa was crOuching in q corner OF the
old sofa, She did not look up as we
entered. only buried her face yet deeper in
the cushion into which 1t was plunged.
"Come, Tulsa. don't give way like that.
Tell me what it is all about. p ~
F; She .muttered something out Of the
woody depths in which she was apparently
trying to smother herself and shook her
head. - -. - ~ 49,. -.
at was a dream, signere," whispered the
mother; "a dream about Santi. That mnch.
she told me, but-ah, God help. usl all this
tribulatioG is hard to bear p -
"a dream! Now, Tulsa, how can you be
so childish as to give way like that to, a.
publishing dream? Come, look up -.
She suddenly sat up and turned her face,
full tow ward mine. 1t was as pale as that or
scorpse, with large, dark rings roundher.
swollen eyes, =. =: III :.
.'ChiIdish, signoreF <Rubblshing2 All. if
ithad come to-: YOU, you would. not speak:
like that. MeTcful Motherl: 1t was horri-
.ble-horrib I.tel you. = :. ~ - =
-"Can you not tell it ~: : r.: :.
i. '".Tell it? Yes, l. eantell if. for seem to-
have it*bef0re me even,now: - - =.
.r.@She shiveTed as she spoke: For a second
she pressed both hands to- her face. Then
she began -: -. =. - ;: :.
f. .It came toward .morning.%"I had gone to
meet. my: PaOio somewhere = do not.
know: wherelt was, it was no place L had
ever .Seen-and.E could not find MIN, though
l. looked and:loOked everywhere. Then,
suddenly: i. saw someone standing at my:
side-he Was like Lieutenant" San.
MARITIME, vet was not he-that IS: ittWas
and it:wasnt: He laughed and showed his;
white, sharp pointed teeth, q laugh that
made me SILVER. He raised one hand, and
with the other showed me something.
3 lying. on the gr0uad before me-: 1T had.
mot been there before lit was something
/ covered with coarse gray Cloth. 1t made
me sbudder. 49,. =. -. =. =.
.:.sAli, we all know.what that means = My
: poor Luisa;L my poor daughter:I-s.. :: -:
"a nd tile person standing beside me or.
:dered inc TO lift. the. e 10th and lOOB what.
: was styling beneathit. I*trenibled.. but was
forced. Somehow or. another, 10. obey |
stOOpedl land. .then.-7oh. hOrr0T!- it WAS,
Santizbpt not In his life; his breast was
covered with Blood and his eyes We're fixed
and glossy. l screamed aloud and awOke."
''.Alf: signore, such a sereamI Itfr0Ze the
very: marrow in+my poor bOnesH': whim-
,pered Nine; Germanetti. -: ~: -. ~.
A h sIrrytt . "a I N hox
killed my: Santi, down yonder-I feel i'll
knOW.it p. ;.:.:. 49,. - -:
:. Thetone OF the girls voice struck chill
to my-heaTt. = -. -. -: r.
! Itried o.persuade her that dreams were
not 10 be relied upon,4 but she was not to be
|: CONVINCED. NOr.w was Iquite sure in my own
secret SOUL, if the truth must be told. -.
.The; day went on without bringing any
evil tidingS; and..t0waTd evening we even
got the length Of talking over our arrange
nents for the morrow's early excursion. -.
The next morning Luisa and | stepped
from out the huge porte cOchere into the
cool, silent:StTeef. The air was deliciously
:reYIving after a restless night. The stars
cleaned down upon Us through the long,
narrow strip framed in overhead by the
1.-TWO Lines of high. gloomy houses; and il
was emily upon entering Piazza CASTILLO
that we saw. the pale opal tints of dawn
Frightening in: the east. Not human
+ being was visible; nothing stirred save our
selves and we encountered no living thing
but. cat: which, out in search of adven-
lures. was now, probably, returning home.
/ The animal stopped to- gaze after u.s. as If
+ specializing upon what could have brought
usf0rth at that early hour.
r. We turned down. Y Roma. and, pres
sently entering Nla@deiP ATsenale. took I'D
our stat ion UNDER the .Archbishop'S garden
/. wall:;-We were thus at dozen PAGES from
tile bafracks,to. enter when: the regiment
would have 10 pass :.
r We were mo longer alone. With the
dawning day many men. and women, evil
dentlYOn the same eTTand as ourselves began
to gather In little knots, their faces turned
10 1.-THE direction from which the regiment
would arrive. Jokes and merry greetings
broke from .all: around. u.s. Tulsa and l
seemed 10: be the only. sad and silent ones
there" The poor girls gloom must have in
feCted=me; for felt terribly dOWncast; anG
J. without IN the. least being able to say why >.
= Little by;little the whole street was lined
with two living human hedges. countless
eager faces OF: fathers, mothers, sisters.
brothers,, sweethearts and friends must
have been there, all anxious to catch first
glimpse of their beloved ones.
r 1t was now broad day. A few minutes
more the sun would be NJ. .:....;.
= HHOw late they are" | heard a man say
to his companion; "they ought to have been.
here before now Can anything have hap
pened {? HaTkW:
The faint echo Of military music fioated
toward as.
Here they are! here they comet. broke
. from hun dred mouths, accompanied by
restless shifting and stTainiug. Every eye
was eagerly fixed upon the angle of Via
Santa Teresa, round the corner of which the
regiment was about to appear =:
From vague, uncertain echo the music:
sweled into: defined notes these grew
|: louder and.-EoudeT until, with q crash of
braZen harmony, the band turned the corner
and Gle after file poured into our street At
the same instant the sun rays broke from
over the opposite buildings; the air was sud.
denly alive with light and harmony.
Band, colonel and staff swept by, the
measured tramp OF the men sounded like
the beating Of some gigantic pulse; The
greetings from the bystanders feIl~thick
around. mods OF recognition from the ranks
were rife. The first company had swept
by, the second was passing before us, the
third came up; now we should see Pa0lo.
LuiSa ciutched my arm nerV0usly and bent
yet more eagerly forward. On. on they
came. -: =. 80 -.
"There is *Carino. Paolo's chum; Paolo
must be near. What does this mean? p" For
Carlino had passed quite close to Us and;
catching sight OF Tulsa, had abruptly turned
his head. !: z !.
'Paoloi my Paoe. where is he? What
have they done TO him?"
The excited girls grip on my arm grew
painful. Many looked round at us !; some
pitied some laughed. none replied -.
:%On swept the men. The air was filed
with dust. The last company was tramping
by when at the lower end of the street arose
a sort of confusion, a visible and eager ex-
element among the crowd which, closing
closely up, hlndered our being Athletic descry
the cause. There arose babble of many
voices. a swaying to and fro of the multitude
like the waves of an unquiet sea. They
SuTged on toward where We we're standing,
the human tide closing up behind, and now
filling the entire breadth Of the broad street
Above the hume voices rose the meas
ured trampof piquet of soldiers above
| the sea Of faces flashed the CLEAN Of hrass