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


cried. zone would think you were the lad
father!''
as it sure? Is 1t true?" stammered
Fringuello
"Aye, aye, it is true and sure enough.
| The authorities write to me-" answered the
vicar with some pride. "Poor ladi Poor,
good, pretty ladl They sent him to the
Msrenna marshes, and the ague and fever
got on him, and he died in the fort week
ago. And only to think that this time last
year he was bringing me armsful of bloom
ing cherry boughs for the altar at Easter
Day. And now dead and buriedl Good
lackl Far away from all his friends, poor
ladl The DEGREES of heaven are inscrutable,
| but it is, of course, tor the best"
| He crossed himself and went on his way.
Fringuello doffed his cap mechanically,
and crossed himself also, and rested against
the shaft of his cart with his face leaning
on his hands. His hope was struck down
into nothingness; the future no longer had
a smile. Though he had told himself and
them that children were tickle and unstable,
and that nothing was less likely than that
the lad would come back in the same mind,
he had nevertheless clung to and cherished
the idea of such a fate for his little
! daughter with tenacitv of which he had
been unconscious until his air castle was
scattered to the winds by the words of the
priest The boy was dead; and never would
1izina go to dwell in peace and plenty at
the old farm house by the great pine.
SIT was too good to be. Patience" he
head and bade the mule between the shafts
move onward. His job had to be done; his
load had to be carried; he had no leisure to
sit down alone with his regret "And it is
worse for Lilo than it is for me-" he said
to himself, with all unselfsh thought for
the lads father He looked up at the little
window of his own attic, which he could
see afar off; the lemon tree was visible, and
besides it the little brown head of Lizina as
she sat sewing.
Perhaps she will not care; hope she
will not care, !" he thought.
He longed to go and tell her himself lest
she should hear it from some gossip, but
he could not leave his work. Yet, he could
not bear the child to learn it first from the
careless chattering of neighboring gossips.
When he had discharged the load he
carried he fastened the mule to post by
the water side, and said to fellow carter:
"Will you watch him a moment whilst
run home?" and, on the mans asserting, he
flew with lightning speed along the road
and up the staircase of his house. Lizina
dropped her sewing in amazement as he
burst into the room and stood on the thresh-
old with a look which frightened her
She ran to him quickly.
"Babbol Babbo! What is the matter?"
she cried to him.
Then, before he could answer, she said
timidly, under her breath, SIS anything
wrong-with Cecco?"
Then Fringuello turned his head away
and wept aloud.
He had hoped the child had forgotten.
He knew now that she had remembered
only too well. All through the year which |
had gone by since the departure of the |
youth she had been as happy as a field |
mouse undisturbed in the wheat. The grain |
was not ripe yet for her, but she was sure |
that it would be, and that her harvest would |
be plenteous. She had always been sure,
quite sure, that Cecco would come back ;and |
now, in an instant, she understood that he
was dead.
Lizina said little then or at any time; but
the little gay life of her changed, grew dull,
seemed to shrink into itself and wither up
as flower will when worm is at it's root.
She had been SO sure that Cecco would re-
turn.
'She is so young; soon it will not matter
to her." her father told himself; but the
months went by and the seasons, and she