Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-24
rhat England must be-"

One day in the early spring the
news went about that this man OF
fortune was grown insa table, and
was going away again to make more
music for the foreigners and to get
yet more francescoui. And every
fisherman was sick with envy that he,
too, could not leave the barren harbOr
and go to the Northern Ell Dorado.
But Pietro Gozzolli alone was pos
sessed of the great sum that was
wanted to pay the stea mboat people
and to hire the organ.
And who would he take with him?
Which of the dark-eyed village beau
ties would he invite tC be his COM
panion and to share his gains? Many
were the longing looks thrown to him,
and many the prayers whispered to
the saints by pretty ones whose fancy
saw countless bright ribbons and
SaSheS the possession Of her who
should be chosen.
4 day or two more and it was
known that Tessa Puncia was the
happy girl destined to be raised to
opulence, and early one morning she
and Pietro left BasniO for the long,
dusty walk to Naples. And the next
day they were standing ON the deck
of the steamer, watching the shore
line die out as the sea grew deeper
and bluer
During the voyage he taught her the
words Of English he remembered, and
talked to her about the life in London;
how that they were to work very hard
and spend very little that they might
have much to take home with them.
And she, still glad that she had found
grace in his sight, smiled agreement
to everything.
\ week after they had walked out
of BaSniO, beautiful even in its pow
erty, they We're citizens of the Italian
colony in London, making music about
the streets during the days and pass
ing the nights in garnet in an evil
smelling court at the back of Saffron
Hill
PietrO was the musician, and hour
after hour, for many hours, he tOiled
at the organ handle, now with left
hand and now with right. Tessa car
ried the tray for the offerings of the
passers-by, and, as she was pretty and
begged with charming smile, her
apron pockets were usually heavy with
copper coin when the evening and the
time to return home came.
Then PietrO relieved her of the
weight. and counted the pence, and
took them to some shop near by and
changed them for silver. When there
was enough of silver it was parted
with for gold. and something was
added to the little pile of savings.
These savings were kept in a tin
box hidden under a loose board in the
corner of the room. Not a very good
treasure chest. but Pietro did not I'M
derstand the English banking system,
and there WAS no one in RaSniO rich
enough to send money to for safe
keeping.
Three years went by, and the yellow
hoard was so increased that TeSSa 5
eyes shOne and her fancy wandered as
PietrO counted and recounted it in the
evenings.
.'Shall we not go home to Basnio
now" she said, as once she watched
him. Have we not enOugh"'
mo, not quite enough. We will
stay this summer and go back when
the foggy days come
(Of course this was spoken in must
cal Italian but | have brought it into
English for the benefit of the one or
two readers who otherwise might not
understand)
/ Tessa pouted little at the reply,
and cOnsoled herself by going out to
talk to F'illipo.
Fillipo was a native of Sardinia, who
had lately come to London to enter
the profession of ice cream merchant.
But. although it was early summer, the
days were rather cold than hot, and
there was no demand for ices, either
lemon or raspberry, and FillipO was
drifting toward bankruptcy. His rent
was owing and his barrow mOntgaged,
and he wept as he told Tessa of an
other unsuccessful day. And she
wept too. An exceedingly foolish
thing. for she had known FillipO only
a month. and Pietro, whom she had
known for years, had told her that
he did not like the young adyenturer
in ice cream, and that she must not
talk with him. Nevertheless, she Wept,
and told him how sorry she was. And
as the pity grew in her she Thought
how much better looking he was than
Pietro. and how tired she was of the
streets, and how she longed to see
the blue sea and sky again. Would
Pietro give her a share of the savings
and let her go?
+. But no, that would not be enough
for two. Oh, why was nOtssPletro
Fillipo and Fillipo Pietro?
How handsome he was. and he was
but a boy, and Pietro was more than
forty.
She spoke her thoughts. and hope
came to Fillipo's face; and he took her
hand and begun a long, eager whis-
pering. And at that moment Pietro
CHANGED to pass, and saw them, and
hesita ted for a step or two, and
.scowled, and went on. They were
earnest in their whisperings, and did
not see his coming and his going.
Tomorrow, then, Tessa." said Fill
lipo. land together to my people. He
will not know, and cannot follow"
eyes. tomorrow" and she returned