The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-01-20

would be the envy OF the settlement
Angelo worked on the might shift, ,
and earned a dollar and a quarter q
day. IT was a good match, and.
besides, her fiance's nocturnal occu.
patton gave Maria her evenings tC
herself,
IL was after seven o'clock, one
sweet, still evening in June, when
Maria stole along behind the engine
house and through n tongue Of swamp
land, where the naked tree-trunks
lifted their knotty branches from the
oily, sulphurOus Ooze that had dried
the sap i'm their veins and had reduced
them 10 weird skeleton frames.
She sat down YEARLY on "A trcc-stump
at the edge of the swamp. Dark
against the sun-stained glory Of the
west rose the black ridge Of an inn
ems culm-hcap, and on its crest,
silhouettcd against the glowing sky,
was the dark figure OF a car, with
mule and driver. Maria looked al the
scene ~listlcssly. The drivcr-boy stoop-
ed, pulled n bolt and the carload OF
refuse slate rolled, grinding down the
slope. One big piece Of rock bounded
farther than the others, and fell at
last with a 'chug,' on the treachcr-
Gus, shifting sand Of the swamp, and
the Shiny surface closed I'VE ii with
II grin.
''Buon' motto. Maria mia! - called
II CHEEKY voice at her side.
The girls listlcssncss was gone at
once. She turned 60 Harris quickly
with a warming gesture, and he
stopped n short distance away, stand
ing, erect and good TO see, on a little
hummOck i'm the swamp. She had
risen TO her feet, and was Sanding
facing him ON the projecting root of
a fallen tree. They were separated
by a shallow stream of black water
flowing sluggishly over the quick
sand. She began TO speak at once.
you must come with me-" she
said; and then. before he had time to
question, she plunged into her story,
speaking rapidly, but i'm clear, low
tones. She told him Of her betrothal
TO Angelo Rossi she told him how
tomorrow was the appointed day for
the purchase Of the purple gown with
it's g%littering accessories how their
secret could no longer be kept; how
Angelo was beginning to suspect /;
how she hated him, and how she
loved Harris more than all the world,
more than the purple gown an I were
OF finest silk and dcckcd with rubies.
Then she disclosed her plan. SO
childlike and confident she was that
Harris could not interrupt her. She
showed him the contents OF n bundle
she had under her shawl. 1t was n
parcel OF belongings she had taken
from his room, ~innocently gleeful at
the thought Of how she had collected
them without the knowledge Of Mrs.
Dwyer. The bundle was done up in
II towel and showed evidences OF
haste and ineNpericnce on the part Of
the compiler. There were II pair of
overshOcS, n handkcrchicf-case of pale
blue silk, two white lawn ties, n bot
tie Of bromO-Caffeinc, n tumblcr OF
blue glass, envcloped i'm n net OF yell
low crochct-work with bows OF pink
daisy ribbon and intended by
Mrs. Dwyer for the reception Of
burnt matches. There were also two
oranges, a clay pipe and a copy of
Edwin brood.
Harris stood like Il statue ON the
hummock.
Maria went ON with her story.
speaking low and eagerly. Harris
was not TO 60 back to the boarding
house. Had she not here all his
most precious possessions? And in
the bosom of her gown she had sixty
seven dollars concealed, the sum set
apart for her wedding equipment.
With this they were to cross the
mountain To Hazleton. where they
would take the train for New York.
Once thcrc-ah, then that dirty An
CELLO might plead, She would have n
husband worth n thousand of him.
Harris gave himself Il little shake
to make sure il was not all Il horrible
nightmare.
But, Maria, my little girl, YOU are
wrong. Don't you see il is all Il mis-
take? Go marry Angelo. lie deserves
you more than l."
She looked at him a moment. and