Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-06-27
"Yes, signor, my mother"

/ ASob siShOI, NY HlotHtI'
l was deeply touched by this naive
and unexpected reply; more deeply
than l cared to show. A bitter regret
stirred in my soul. Why, oh, why had
my mother died so young. Why had
l known the sacred joy that
seemed to vibrate through the frame
and sparkle in the eyes Of this com,
mon sailor! Why must / be forever
alone, with a curse Of a woman's lie
on my life, weighing me down to the
dust and ashes of desolate despair.
Something in my face must have spo-
ken my thoughts, for the captain said
gently:
The signor has no mother?"
"She died when l was but a child, -
I answered briefly.
The Sicilian puffed lightly at his
cigarette in silence-the silence of an
evident compassion. To relieve him
of his friendly embarrassment. l said:
you spoke Of Teresa. Who Is Ter
esa?"
"Ah, you may well ask, signor. No
| one knows who sine is; she loves Car
melo Neri, and there all is said. Such
a little thing she is; so delicate! like
a foam-bell on the waves; and Car
melo. You have seen Carmelo, sig
nor?"
shook my head in the negative.
"Ebbene! Carmelo is big and rough;
black like q wolf of the forests, all
ha.r and fangs;-Teresa Is, well! you
have seen a little cloud in the sky at
night, wandering rast the moon all
fiecked with pale gold!-that is Teresa.
She is small and slight as a child; she
has ripping curls and soft praying
eyes, and tiny, weak white hands, not
strong enough TO snap a twig in two.
Yet she can do anything with Carmelo
she is the one soft spot In his life."
Il wonder IL she Is true to himT' l
muttered, half to myself and half
aloud.
The captain caught up my words
with an accent of surprise.
"True to him? All, Dio! But the
signor does not know her. There was
one Of Carmelo's own band, as bold
and handsome a cut-throat as ever
liyed-he was mad for Teresa-he fol-
lowed her everywhere like a beaten
cur. One day he found her alone; he
tried TO embrace her-she snatched a
knife from his w girdle and stabbed
him with IL, like a little fury! She
did not kill him then, but Carmelo
did afterwards. To think Of a little
woman like that with such a devil in
her! 1t is her boast that no man, save
Carmelo, has ever touched 80 much as
a ringlet Of her hair. Ay, she Is true
to him-more's the pity"
"Why-you would not have her
falsey" 1 asked.
NAY, nay-for a false woman de-
serves death-but still 1t Is a pity
Teresa should have fixed her love
upon Carmelo. Such a man! One day
the gendarmes will have him, then he
will he in the gaiieys for life, and she
will die. Yes, you may be sure cf that!
IL grief does not Kill her quickly
enough, then she will kill hers elf, that
is certain! She is slight and frail to
look at as a flower, but her soul is
strong as iron. She will have her own
way in death as well as in love-some
women are made so, and it is gener-
ally the understanding among them
who have the most courage"
Our conversation was here inter
rupted by one of the sailors who came
for his masters orders, The laxative
skipper, with an a~polcgetic smile and
bow, placed his box of cigarettes be-
side me where I sat, and left me to my
own reflections.
| was not sorry TO be alone. / need
ed a little breathing time-a rest In
which to think, though my thoughts,
like a new solar system, revolyed
round the red planet OF n central
idea. vengeance. "a false woman de-
serves deathr' Even this simple
Sicilian mariner said SO. go and Kill
her, go and kill herr These words
reiterated themselves over and over
again In my ears, till / found myself
uttering them almost aloud. My soul
sickened at the contemplation Of the
woman Teresa, the mistress of a
wretched brigand, whose name was
fraught with horror, whose looks were
terrific. She, even she, could keep
herself sacred from the %profaning
touch Of other mems caresses; she
was proud of being faithful to her
wolf of the mountains, whose temper
was uncertain and treacherous; she
could make lawful boast of her fidel.
ity to her blood-stained lover, while
Nina. the welded wife Of a noble,
Nilust utSttul WAS tUlly anu uhSul-
lied, could tear OFF the fair crown of
honorable marriage and cast II in tho
dust-could take the dignity of an an
cicnt family and trample upon tt
could make herself so low and vila
that even this common Teresa, know
ing all, might, and most probably
would refuse to touch her hand, con
sidering 1t polluted. Just God! what
had Carmelo Neri done TO deserve the
priceless jewel Of a true woman's
heart? What had / done to merit
such foul deception as that which |
vas now called upon TO avenge?
Suddenly | thought of my child. Her
memory came upon me like a ray Of
light had almost forgotten her.
Poor little blossom! The slow, hot
tears forced themselves between my
eyelids az | called up before my
fancy the picture OF the soft baby
face, the young, u~ntroubled eyes, the
little coaxing mouth. always budding
into innocent kisses! What should
do with her? When the plan of pun
ishment had nasturca III my brain |
carried out to It's utmost, should