The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-10

Senorina veroaica Tostillni was the fairy
queen and preiAiere danseuese in the panto-
mime at the Great Novelty Theater, Lon
don. Mademoiselle was an italian. and had
come over to England with her parents,
who set out for London as for Ell Dorado
sianor Tostilini at once commenced bust
ness as an itinerant ice-cream vender, and
bis wife supplemented the income By grind
ing an organ. which she wheeled about
on q hand-csrt. Veronica was then an in
FAINT. and her early years were passed I'm q
basket. attached 10 the hand-cart on
which the organ was placed. Here.
In fair weather and foul. che slept or
wnim2ered, as the case might be. for some-
times fourteen and fifteen hours out of the
twenty-four. The remaining hours of the
day were passed with her parents in the
squalid fesedness of q den on Saffron hill.
In spite OF these disadvantages, of London
CRIME and fog. of the saualor and misery of
her home. she grew in beauty. and when
she was about ten or eleven her parents
clothed her in picturesque Italian garb
and sent her forth TO sell fowe in the
London streets. and she took up her sta
ton on the pavement of the Royal Ex-
change. Her supernatural grace. her I'M
doubted good looks and her symmet-
rical figure attracted q great deal
of attention, and for time
abe drove thriving trade. Her
competitors. however. the typical London
flower girls, who are at once the most foul
mouthed and unpicturesque creatures To
be found in all Europe. became jealous OF
her. and they led her such life, and were
% unkind AID cruel that often and often
poor little forIorn Veronica returned TO her
wretched home weeping bitterly. and as
often did sbe refuse to go out again TO sell
her flowers. But then her father thrashed
her with strap, for he could not bear the
idea of losing the money she was in the
habit of bringing home. and she had to go
forth once more 90 bear the jecrs tn Q
taunts and the Ill-usage Of her jealous
competitors
Thus her life was passed until she was
about thirteen. 1t was q bitter hie-a NE
Of the London streets a life In which she
bad to hold her own against long odds;
life in which sheSexperienced no sympathy,
no tenderness; o life that was hard. terri
BILE and bitter. Her parents regarded her
as q money getting medium. and nothing
else. If she failed to get money they
thrashed her and drove her from the house,
threatening Der with dreadful conse-
which they craved; for money was their
aim. their creed, their God. When the girl
was about thirteen she W as far In advance
of her years She ought still to have been
child, but instead of that she was q
woman, who had como to look upon exist
ence as q terrible sort of thing. and she
often wondered why God had made her.
But at last change came. lie CHANGED one
day that an Italian ballet-mesfer noticed
her. He WAS in London on business in con-
nection with his calling. end. being struck
with her beauty and her grace as she
stood in q drizzling rain offering her
flowers to the passers-by. he accosted
her. and asked her il she would like to
learn to dance-if she would like to GO to
Italy aud be trained for the theaterf The
question seemed to her tn open up the pros
poets of heaven. and with an eagerness be-
gotten by the unutterable misery of her
position, she said she would go any W here.
do anything. 30 long as she could get away
from London. The man who had spoken to
her was the well-known ballet master. Sig
nor Pelligrini Egero. who was then at
tached to Lo Scala in Milan. He suggested
that he should see her parents. but with a
passionate appeal she requested him not to
do so. but TO take her away at once.
As be probably thought that this course
would very considerably simplify matters.
AS well as save expense. for he was too
shrewd TO suppose her people would let her
60 unless they were we'll paid. he told her
thar u a few days time he would be re-
turning to Italy. and would take her with
him. In the meantime she was to say
nothing to any one OF what she was going
TO do. and at q certain hour on q certain
evening she was to meet him at Ludgate
Hill railway station, and proceed to Paris
by the night train. The arrangement was
duly carried out. and Veronica entered
upon q new phase OF existence
When she failed TO return home. as was
her won't. her parents were filled with
anxiety, for she had been very profitable
10 them: and their sordid instincts far out
of had fal MIA nd oa6 "
be doubted whether they bore her any affec-
tioE at all. TWAS the money they thought
OF, aud when several days had passed and
she had not returned. they went to the po-
LEGISLATION and expressed q fear that she
had either been decoyed away. or some
thing dreadful bad happened TO her. OF
course. an attempt was made by the police
to trace her. but nothing came of it. and in
the course of q month or two her parents
probably came Co the conclusion that she
was lost TO them forever.
Ill.
Several years elapsed, Signorina Tostolini
had become famous as a ballet dancer. and
was known almost throughout Europe; not
only was she celebrated as dancer. but as
beauty. Dark as night. with perfect
teeth, an olive complexion. o wealth of
blue-black hair. lustrous eyes with deep
heavy Isshes, and q faultless figure, she
made slaves of men wherever she went.
BY this time her parents were both dead.
They had never done anything to beget her
love. and possibly she experienced no re-
greet when she learned that che was an
orphan.
At last she returned to London, where
she bad known so much misery and suffer-
ing. But now she came as a person of I'M
portsnce. She was no longer poor. for she
kept her maid. rode in Q carriage and occu-
pied 'swelp apartments in the West End of
London. She was engaged as principal
dancer at the great Novelty Theater which
had gained q European reputation for is
spectacular productions. and lt was said
command salary of ESQ q week. This
could hardly be regarded rs an extrava-
giant remuneration in view of the at
traction she proved to be. She became
the rage OF London. Her beauty
turned the heads of all the dudes in the
Great Babylon. and the press was unani-
nous IN declaring that she was one of the
most expert and remarkable dancers that
bad ever been sten In the British inetropo-
lis. She continued at the theater for sew
eral seasons. and at the time the startling
incident happened that / am about to re-
late abe was performing in q grand spec
taeular pantomime that was attracting all
London TO witness IL. In this pantomime
Signorina Tostilini seemed to have sur
passed all her previous efforts, and her adj
mHers rayed about her. The homage she