The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-29

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COuCuerOr.
SO nothing ever surprises, alarms or
distracts the gOatherGso of Monte Rotondo.
When AgneSe returned along the foam
ing sides Of the RestoniCa stream and,
scOwling and alone, re-entered her hut
near the herdsmen's station Of Rota del
DragOne, there was not so much as in
quiry for tabianO. They knew that he
was dead but whether by fever or pow
der and ball concerned them not.
If Agnese prOwled more and more from
station 10 station. with gun in hand and
cruel knives hidden in the goat-skin skirts
az either side Of her shapely limbs; if she
let the milk mold and the cheese rot upon
the dead pine branches in her cave-like
cellar; if she wandered for weeks with
her little herd, oaly TO return with look
OF disappointment and despair settling
more darby in her handsome face; who
was there on Monte Rotondo to heed or
break the grewsome SPELL
And again, If new banditti came, if
strange POatherds Jraversed the gorges or
the sbirri were shot like dogs before their
eyes, or if hermit, or traveller or monk.
found the wild sheep more cOmpaniOnabl9
than men. what matter was that of
theirs! Was not Monte Rotondo free
And freedom to the CorsiCan is the su-
preme freedom Of the torrent, the wild
beast or the tempest.
SOFT was not strange that young
goat-herd, with fair, flowing curls like
the Norsemen, with light and silken
beard, with eyes as blue as the ice-tarns
from which tumbles the milk white Res
tonica, with strange and thrilling songs
to his bewlldered goats, and with the
habit l. not the manner of monk. had
built hut against a cave, higher still
than the highest herdsmens station of
Go di Mozo, with only the muffro or
brown black mountain sheep between
him and the solitudes of ice and snow
Monaco MelOdioso, 1.-The melodious
monk, " they named lin for his sweet,
far-reachng notes, which crept down the
gOrgeS and tloated entranCingly to the
ears of those who heard
Agnese was one of these.
In her vengeful quests she found her
self irresistably drawn nearer and nearer
the giddy nights whence the wondrous
music came
Wandering with her herd, gun in hand
and murder in her heart the gentle inhu-
ence of some half-caught melody would
hold her spellbound TO the spot; when, as
the notes were lost by the changing
breeze, a sense of desolation, of a desola-
ton vaster and deeper than that which
was brought with the dead Fabiano TO
Borgo so hushed the cry Of vengeance in
her heart that she would fling herself
her tears.
From where sobs and tears abound,
murder must at last take its vampire
fight. And thus the fierce grasp upon
the gun was gradually lOosened Her
hands dragged it listlessly now, or it was
left at the hut behind her. From fierce
alertness for every wandering mountain
form and face, from tigerish skulking be-
hind every Skulking figure, the herd-Cirl
Op1Ny
voice upon the mountains; caught only
one sound of eXultation; lived almost as
iercely and wildly now in ore mad long
ing TO be nearer and nearer him who
sung.
At last this longing became insupport-
able. She left her hut al ROte del Drag
one forever. She wandered with her
herd, clrcling and circiing the mountain.
or drawing nearer and nearer in her zig
gag course to the nights above Co di
Mozzo. II became life to her merely TO
feel that she was closer to the marvellous
singer of the crags, though she should
never see his form or face
At last she halted so near to him with
her herd that as the days went by she
grew imperceptbly into his mood-sing-
ing when he sang; laughing when he was
merry; arising at morn when he awaken
ed and called in melodious rltornello
TO his goats and kids, which answered
him with glad and almost human cries
and wept, too, when some wave of sorrow
sweeping over his soul, broke into pathetic
laments in saddening minor strains.
All this in time could not but draw the
two strange souls together. Venturesome
kids from the herd of Agnese strayed TO
the herd of MOnoco Melodioso Their
owner followed. She found the way an
easy one TO the singing goatherd's hut.
Advancing, from long habit, with up
raised gun she came to a spot where she
could look through a Crevice of the rocks
unobserVed.
There sat the youth, to her like fair
god among his goats, between his hut and
his palo, binding up the injured leg of one
of her own lost cavretti, his own goats
looking familiarity, wisely and APPROX
mgly upon the humane performance.
IL was so clean, sweet and inviting
about the pretty station that the heart of
the lonely girl, whose eager eyes feasted
tercely upon the scene, remorselessly
smote her that she had so much wandered
and labored so little.
She saw that beautiful vines, ferns.
ichens and MOSES from the crags and
the glens had been trained against the
open door space and about the window of
of the hut, or disposed prettily against
the partly encircling natural rock walls
without. A few birds of CAV plumage.
with less gaudy and timer birds of song
evidently shared by the goatheard' S own
hands, were chatteringly swing
ing in rude cages from the
palo arms, or standing upon
hut roof and in other convenient places.
About the huts upon the rocks, full to
the air and the sun, lay various articles
of clothing, wonderously rich for goat
herd S; while, in earthen vessels, used
by gOatherds for holding goat milk.
cheese and the famous mountain bfoccia.
were transplanted ranunculi, camomiles
pansies ana forget-me-nots, Frightening
the sterile place until it glowed like a
garden of the valley.
When the strange goatherd had done
caring for the suffering kid, he set it
down gently and gayly boxed the bearded
chins of those goats which had gathered
most closely about him.
There, Benigno, and you, Donate, and
you, wise old Filiberto," he exclaimed,
merrily, calling each animal by name as
the friendly cuttings were given, that is
10 Jog your memories as TO the sacred law
OF hospitality. A bandits goat must be
especially chivalrous to strangers Treat
the little cavrette with great kindness,
till its master be found :"
Agnese had leaned so far forward. en-
raptured with the pretty scene, that her
sustaining hand had dislodged a piece of
trost-sllvered rock from the ledge. which
falling into the little basin of stone where
the singers hut and goats were hidden.
brought the gOatherd to his feet with