Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-11-15
times and is naturally rather out of

times, and Is naturally rather out of
repair, and experts have pronounced
1t unsafe. But, as we are very poor,
we trusted to the dear Lords proter-
tion and St Elenas intercession, till
large stone fell from the wall and
killed an old woman. Then, of
course, we took up the matter in ear
nest. The people gave all they could.
and his holiness, the pope, added
something; but it fell far short. Then
NoVelh offered to make up the def
cheney, if we would make him podesta
and give him the saints bust as Sc
curity. OF course we had to accept
his terms. Money is power all the
world over and the devil is in every
gold-piece. So, God forgive us, Sig
nor Novelli has the key of the saints
shrine, and will only give it up when
his interest is paid. We have man
aged to pay it for five years, but these
are hard times. Our cloth factory Is
closed, and the taxes are heavy, SO we
are still about 1000 lire short, and
Novelli, the hard-hearted wretch, Will
not give us the key. The women AMI
the priests have tried to influence him
through his young wife-the most
beautiful little woman in all the coun-
try round, and a perfect angel-of
course, a man can buy anything with
money-the old ruffian is desperately
fond of her, but even Signora Elena
can do nothing with him when there
is money in question.
"Only think! she is named for our
saint, but that makes no difference to
him, the old scoundrel"
And what becomes of the festa,"
said the count. Gould not you pay
your interest out of the money you
have raised for that?"
"Ah, your excellency does not know
our people," said Curly-head 1.-THE
band must play and the fireworks
must be set off, or we might expect ID
little revolution. the worst part OF
the whole affair, excellency, is the NOR
tification, for strangers will flock here
and ridicule us because we have
pawned our saint and cannot redeem
her. Devil take the podesta."
Amen" added the count then light
ed cigar and strolled out for lonely
walk by the sea-shore, while his wife,
pleading fatigue, went to her room
and tried to forget her heartache over
French novel.
Early the next morning the count
opened the door and stepped out on
the balcony which looked out toward
the sea. His wife was still asleep
and the young husband, as he bent
over her, could hardly refrain from
waking her with kiss. But he must
not be weak and so lose the upper
hand for life
Count Dietrich gazed gloomily out
upon the smiling heavens and the pret-
~ ola tnttr
his lip and tugged nervously at his
mustache. How happy they might
be If only this self-willed young crea.
ture-How would it all end? And yet
every day he was more and more IN
love with her.
He paced slowly up and down the
broad balcony, then went on tip-toe
back into the room. Lenore was
awake and her eyes were full of tears.
He saw that, though she turned her
head away
Good morning, Lenore. VIII you
not at least say good-morning to me?"
"Good-morning."
That was all He stamped his foot.
got his field-glass and went out
again slamming the door behind him.
The distant sounds of the gay south
ern street.-the filled the fresh morning
air Children's voices came shrill
from some quarter near at hand and
when he turned his glass in that di-
rection, he saw, on a fiat roof, per-
haps fifty feet distant, three lovely
children, from three to six years old
The youngest, an exquisitely beauti-
fui child, was kicking and crying fur
iously in his little sisters arms and
she tried in vain to quiet him. A door
opened and out came a young girl in
a loose white gown, over which fell
her luxurious black hair. She took
the crying child in her arms, wiped
his eyes, kissed him and danced about
with him till he queted down Then
she came to the edge of the parapet
and pointed out to the little one all
sorts of things to divert his mind
If Count Dietrich had admired the
child, he was enraptured with the
lovely face which glowed in tender
freshness from its frame of coal-black
hair. Through his glass he could see
even her white teeth and the dimple
in her round. cheek when she smiled
Now she turned and looked directly
at him. Heavens, what eyes! Alas
she saw him looking at her and went
quickly into the house with the child
in her arms.
me two children came and looked
over the parapet at the blonde foreign
gentleman. The children laughed and
ran away. The young woman came
out again, this time with her hair
carefully arranged. She looked at
him smilingly, then seated herself az
her sewing, while the children played
about her. 1t was so charming a
sight. that the count quite forgot his
heartache and even that he was hun
CRY for breakfast
lZlIIeg|.l