Evening star., 1895-06-01

II shall go away and see you never
any more"
me tor' exclaimed Pippette, with de-
spar, which she had really learned to feel
million tortures will they infict upon me
If 1 thwart their wills of iron!' She had
succeeded in bringing herself to believe
that she was terribly abused.
Torture your! remarked the progressive
bankers wife, staccato. Torture you! Not
in America can they do that. Not here!
Go! Defy them Should they still demand
your marriage to this beast''-the bankers
wife. full of romance, had conjured up in
her mind humpbacked and squint-eyed
Pietro, with a leer-"should they still de-
mand your marriage to this beast, defy
them again, and then send for me-
But how can 1 send for you" sobbed
Pippette. Suppose I am confined or tied
by my hair or beaten"
1t will be observed that she had imagina-
ton.
Then" said the bankers wife, with
grandeur, then We shall rescue you! 1t
is alderman who is my husbands friend,
and in New York-blessed Virgin Mary!-an
alderman can do very much" In all her
life she had never had anything hll her
with such delightful romantic indignation.
To Pippette the title alderman meant
only something which must be very grand.
She finally planned with the bankers wife
to go home bo Fly, and when that very day,
as she assured her friend they would, her
wicked relatives tried to force her to sub
init to the sacrifice of herself upon the
altar of old world oppression she would
boldly defy them. Then she declared that
she would. without doubt, be confined In
the front room of the tenement where 1t
would be the Intention of her parents to
starve her or beat her or otherwise force
her into obedience. But, no! She would
casually hang her bright red petticoat out
Of the window, and the bankers wife, who
would be watching, would notify the alder
man, who would notify the police. or, II
they were not strong enough to overcome
the plotting foreigners, the mayor. The
bankers wife went on with great enthusi-
asm. and stated that sooner than permit
such a wicked old world conspiracy to De
carried out in free America, the mayor
would go to the President of the United
States if need be, and he would call out
the standing army with its guns. and the
navy with is ships. On! the bankers wife
had never so thoroughly enjoyed nerselI IN
she walked home, had a head WI OF
visions of ranks Of armed men, each
hero and each with black feather plume
in the side of his hat Qike an ltahan SOL
dier) marching down Mott street and
bravely fighting a great MOB MAGE up OF
her relatives and their friends, all Wiling
to shed their last drop Of red. red blood IN
order to force her to marry Fietro against
her Will.
So she hounced home and up to the rooms
in the fifth story. The miserable hve VINO
thought her to be strangely Al We're an
waiting for her, and all anxious to know
that the visit to the bankers wife had not
hurt her most delicate and precious heaitn.
They set up chorus OF rejoicing Wnen
thew saw how red her cheeks were with
excitemenO and how her eyes sparkled
because of the romantic thoughts behind
them). But she .quelled this with quickly
assumed tragic air, which threw them into
rev worry. In a few moments, after
they had with frightened solicitude. tried
again to learn what allied the girl, she told
them. For the first time she explained the
secret of her mysterious malady..r Striding
he RI traRedV
queen might take the center OF the stage,
she declared: = - .si,ys.-
II will not marry him. Torture me. lock
me up, tie my hands abuse me and NAL
treat me as you will will not marry
him.
They looked at her in stupefed amaze
but when she pointed her finger at Pietro
and exclaimed: ut is you and your abet-
tors whom defy! In Italy, yes, you could
force me to become your wife. You could
me and could not resist. But in America.
no! 1t is no that 1 say! No! No! No! No!
1 r-r-ref-fuse! 1 WILL NOT"
The word amazement but poorly describes
the feelings of her audience. Not one of
them had ever before for moment sup
posed that she objected to marrying Pietro.
1t had never even been a matter of COM
ment. The plan had been as much part
CT their simple lives as the day and the
night had been. They concertedly gasped
in horror. She assumed that this was the
first move of coming battle, and, backing
slowly into the front room, exclaimed:
Yes! Yesi Kill mel Tear me limb from
limb! But first let me tell the tale that 1
have protectors"
She unpinned her red petticoat and Slip
ped it off quickly, without once removing
her eyes from their faces, and with de-
licicus revelation of well-rounded calves
below the shorter skirt underneath, which
no enc noticed.
Il have but to wave this petticoat from
the window and my friend, the bankers
wife, will come with an alderman, who
will bring the police and the mayor and the
with guns and great ships, which shoot
vast iron balls. Oh, 1 am ready! I have
prCtectors 1 defy you all!'
Pippette, half conscious of the nonsense
of it, was still conscious of the sensation
she was creating. and enjoyed it from the
bottom of her romantic heart. No one
Il reatened her, but she waved her red
petticoat from the window. and was some
what disappointed to find that only the
little banker and / fat Irishman responded.
The bankers wife had told the story to her
husband. with many variations and addi-
tions. and the alderman. willing to believe
anything of Italians was really prepared
for great things. He attributed the sub
m;ssive and puzzled attitude of the five
swerthy pers ons whom he met to their
craft, and impressively warned them.
Here now! Here row! he commanded.
Meme o. that owver here in Amerky, you
bloody dasoes! the gorl is free to marry
any one she IOlk6S Don't let me hear any
more OF coer-r-rcion. or Oill have the police
ahfther yez. Mond now phwat OF say."
and he left majestically.
After he had gone, the little group-all
of them except Pippette-broke into tears.
They had begun to understand that Pip
petite had, for some unaccountable reason,
decided not to marry Pietro, and were
filed with woe. And, worse than that,
they saw that she looked upon all of them
who worshiped her, each one-with fear
ana defiance. This was crushing.
Finally, unhappy and dismayed, they
held a council and decided that all should
withdraw except Pietro, who was to re-
main with Pippette and try to make his
peace. or, at least, to get at the bottom CT
the mystery. Just before they went away
Pippettes father went up to her with such
gentleness as man who sweeps the streets
can assume and said:
'Bambino-o arissima--it is not that we
wish you to wed Pietro if it Is that you
do not for him feel love. 1t is that we all
for you feel love most much and that we
do greatly feel that you have an illness
of the mind. But it is for you to say
1t is that we shall die of the grief if you
we'd Pietro not-but yes, caramba!-it is
for you to say. Bambino carissima, it is
that it is for you to say
Pippette was emancipated. She had won
her point. Her wicked relatives had bowed
to the freedom of America.
Jp,rt had he mis- l,Ie iatr