Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-08-31


poverty, gave of their few copper coins
to her, who sat wailing among the ruins
of her wares They helped her to pick
up such Of the casts as were not IRENE
diably broken and to replace them on
the tray. This time Broughton did not
stay to act as consoler The aggressor
had walked off rapidly, and the reporter
followed him After five minutes chase
they turned into an unspeakably dirty
alley, where the Italian entered door
way without noticing that any one pur-
sued him. Broughton, having made sure
that he should recognize the house
again, hastened to the nearest police
station and told the story.
"She was aquiet, decent little body"
he said to the officer "That great, hulk
ing brute struck her ON purpose the Sec
ond time, even admitting that the first
time might have been by accident. :"
Two policemen We're detailed to ac-
company Mr.. Broughton, who was
known to the chief of the station, and
he led them straight to the door where
the Italian had entered. Up the dark
and broken stairs they climbed Brough
ton shrunk from contact with the Shiny
walls. 1t seemed to him that evil odors
were depositing themselves there in a
pestilential fungous growth. At last they
emerged upon a landing. A child leaned
over the baluster of the story above.
Broughton tossed him nickel.
my little man, is there an Italian
living in this house?"
The child picked up the coin and
stared in silence.
"Say, kid, is dere dago here?" one
of the policemen translated.
The boy pointed with thumb to a
door at the left of the landing where the
three men stood. Broughton felt the
thrill of the righteous avenger. The
malicious brute who had twice destroyed
the wares of the poor little image vend
er would soon be sent to the island. And
good riddance for the community.
One of the police opened the door, and
they entered. They saw at one side of the
room a long work bench, covered with
plaster images The iconoclast sat there,
carefully mending a broken figure. The
woman was leaning over his shoulder,
laughing as they chatted in their own
language.
'Eh, 1 always say it, Pietro, you
have holy hand at mending them If
not, we might lose by the game. "
II don't say, Marianne, that ST. Sam
uel is better than new, but at least he
will stick until he takes another tum
BILE. -
So that was their trick! A piece of
real Neapolitan cunning. Broughton de-
cided that he ought to have seen through
it sooner. The woman caught sight Of
the visitors, and ran forward with hands
clasped: "We amt done-a nottin," she
pleaded. "Dis our beez-a-ness. We all
a-right-a.
Eyes, you're all right, said Brough-
ton impulsively. "It was my mistake.
1 owe you dollar for it. - And he laid
silver dollar on the work bench of the
maker, breaker and mender of images.
The italian looked up with real Nea-
politan smile, radiant, many toothed,
wide and irresponsible.
"Tell me about it,, said the reporter.
"You not give-a me way, gent men
cops?"
"No. Go on.''
Look, it Ikea dis. We not sell i'm
age. And say, you hear-a me, Marian
ma, we get more money to break all |
She carry de image. Den come-a with
grand-a force-a. Patatrac! All ruin "a |
A-a-a-ar me! Dat, Mariana. A-ah,
poor! Dat pcoplel Somebody take-a
money in hat. DON ia cry, poor woman |!
After, menda what-a can. After, I,
Mariana, babies, all eat. See?'
All this time the wife stood with four
rather clean and very beautiful children
clinging to her skirts, and peeping shyly
at the strangers. How could Broughton
or any one else blame this happy family?
Indeed Broughton has never formu-
lated his views upon the case, although
he used to take social problems very Sc
riously. Whenever he meets Pietro in
the street they exchange glance of in
telligonce. Sometimes the Neapolitan,
by quick gesture, indicates Mariana
farther along the avenue.
And then Broughton, if he has time,
assists at the nth performance of the
comedy of the iconoclast. st.-Elizabeth
Pullcn in st. Louis Globe Democrat