Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-28

"But put it out of your head. out of your
head, little oneI'' he said. Even if the
boy should keep of the same mind, never
would Lilo consent"
''Cecco will keep in the same mind" said
Lizina, with the serene, undoubting Ger.
tainty of childhood. and she broke off lit.
tie twig of the lemon tree with q bud upon
it and three leaves, and gave it to Cecco
that evening in the dusk as they sat again
upon the river wall
1t was all she had to give, except her lit
tie waking heart The next day he went
away along the dusty high-road in his
fathers cart to begin his new life. He
sobbed as if his heart would break, and
fastened in his shirt was the lemon shoot
ITO break off bud. Oh, Lizina," cried
her father in reproot and reproach. A
bud meant fruit and a fruit meant a half
penny, perhaps penny.
sit is only one" said the child, "and ]
have nothing else
Lizina did not speak of him, nor did she
seem to fret in any way, Her blithe voice
rang in clear carol over the green river
water as she sat on the wall whilst her
father worked below, and she ate her dry
bread with healthy and happy appetite.
''She is only baby. She has forgotten
v,
disappointed, half-relieved, whilst he broke
up the earth about the roots of the lemon
trees, and counted the little pointed fruits
coming out on it, green as malachite, and
promising a fair crop.
No letters could arrive to stimulate her
memory, for Cecco could scarcely scrawI
his name, and Lizina could not read her A,
b, c. Absence to the poor is complete
rupture, an absolute blank, over which the
intelligence can throw no bridge
Fringuello worked early and late, worked
like willing mule, and lost no chance of
doing anything, however hard, which could
bring in a centime, and he was so tired
when night fell that he could do little ex-
cept swallow his bread soup and fling him.
self down on his bed of dry leaves thrust
into an old sack. So that as long as Lizina's
voice was heard in song, and her little bare
feet ran busily to and fro, he noticed moth
ing else, and was content, believing all was
with her.
The winter which followed on Cecco's
departure TO his military service was Of un-
usual rlgour for the vale OF Arno; the
waters were stormy and dark and the fields
were frozen and brown, and snow lay on
the long lines OF the mountains from their
summit to their base. But the lemon tree
nourlshed before its narrow window, and
Lizina was we'll and gay in the cold little
brickhoored, plaster walled, unceiled gar
ret; and her father asked nothing more of
Fate, and went out to his work in the bitter
eoldness and darkness of the morning dawns
with an empty stomach, but warm heart,
leaving her sleeping, easily and dreamless-
ly, curled up like little dormouse in her
corner of the room.
The winter passed and the spring came,
making all the orchard lands once more be-
come seas of white flowers and setting the
chaffinches and linnets and nightingales to
work at their nests amongst the lovely
labyrinth OF bursting blossoms; and one
sunllt afternoon toward the close of April,
the village priest, coming along the road by
the river, saw Fringuello, who was back |
ing his sand-cart into the bed of the now |
shallow stream, and beckoned to him. The !
priest had an open letter in his hand, and |
hls plump, smooth, olive face was sad
'fDario," he said graveIy, 81 have some
terrible news in this paper. Lilies sou
CeccO is dead. have to go and tell the
family. The authorities have written to |
me-"
He stopped suddenly, surprised BY the
effect which the news had on his hearer.
Saints protect US, how you lookr' he |